Heavy equipment fires occur frequently and can lead to substantial losses. The loss of the equipment itself is often compounded by the insured’s loss of use of the equipment.  For businesses that rely extensively on heavy equipment (e.g., agricultural and construction businesses), the loss of use/business interruption claim arising from such a fire can be...

In a large number of American homes, hot and cold water are supplied to kitchen and bathroom faucets by braided stainless steel water line connectors. In a significant number those homes, the under-sink space that encloses the braided steel water lines also serves as a storage space, frequently for cleaning products. The subrogation community is...

Property insurers are all too familiar with losses caused by defective products. Some product defects are isolated instances, affecting only one unit, but in today’s era of mass production and of use of component parts supplied by third-party vendors, defects that affect every unit of a particular product are commonplace. When a systemic defect is...

On March 11, 2011, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”) will officially launch a new website which offers a forum for consumers to register complaints about product-related safety issues. The database, located at http://saferproducts.gov/ will register complaints of injury or of potential harm filed by consumers, safety groups, health care professionals and other interested parties;...

On September 17, 2010 Lowe’s Home Centers, Inc. settled a class action lawsuit brought in the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina by consumers who contracted with Lowe’s for the installation of clothes dryers in their homes and businesses. The lawsuit alleged that the “skilled, trained, experienced [and] equipped” installation technicians...