Appeals court finds for policyholder in wildfire pollution case

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Risk Management

Gavin Souter

January 24, 2024 Reprints

A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that an Amtrust Financial Services Inc. unit must pay for the defense of a construction company facing a bodily injury claim related to the cleanup of the 2018 Camp Fire in California.

The ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco in Wesco Insurance Co. v. Brad Ingram Construction overturned a lower-court decision that the pollution exclusion in the construction company’s policy barred coverage.

The case stemmed from cleanup work conducted after the devastating Camp Fire. A truck driver for a subcontractor of Brad Ingram alleged he fell seriously ill after being exposed to toxic dust while transporting debris from the wildfire to a hazardous waste site. The driver alleged that the dust was “stirred up” by workers, who all wore protective equipment when they loaded the truck, and it entered the cab via the ventilation system.

A U.S. district court ruled in 2022 that Wesco did not have a duty to defend the truck driver’s suit because the toxic dust fell within the policy’s definition of a pollutant.

In overturning the decision, the appeals court held that “while wildfire debris may be considered a ‘pollutant’ in certain circumstances, the mechanism of exposure described in the complaint does not clearly constitute” an event commonly thought of as pollution.

“[T]here existed a potential for coverage under the insurance policy, and Wesco had a duty to defend the litigation,” the appeals court ruled.

Amtrust did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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As someone deeply entrenched in the field of risk management, I bring forth a wealth of expertise and knowledge on insurance policies, legal rulings, and the intricacies of coverage disputes. My experience extends to deciphering complex cases, much like the recent ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco in the Wesco Insurance Co. v. Brad Ingram Construction matter.

In this case, involving Amtrust Financial Services Inc., the court made a significant decision overturning a lower-court ruling on a pollution exclusion clause. The dispute arose from a bodily injury claim related to the cleanup of the 2018 Camp Fire in California, a catastrophic event that demanded careful examination of insurance policy terms.

The core issue revolved around the pollution exclusion in the construction company’s policy, which initially led to a denial of coverage by a U.S. district court in 2022. The court argued that toxic dust, a byproduct of the cleanup, fell within the policy's definition of a pollutant, hence disqualifying the claim.

The recent ruling, however, highlighted a nuanced understanding of the situation. Despite acknowledging that wildfire debris might be considered a 'pollutant' in certain contexts, the court emphasized that the specific mechanism of exposure described in the complaint didn't squarely align with conventional notions of pollution. This crucial distinction led the appeals court to conclude that there was a potential for coverage under the insurance policy, thereby establishing the insurer's duty to defend the litigation.

This case serves as a reminder of the intricate nature of insurance coverage disputes, where the interpretation of policy terms, especially exclusions, can significantly impact the outcome. As the dynamics of each case vary, a thorough understanding of legal precedents and the specific circumstances at play becomes paramount.

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Appeals court finds for policyholder in wildfire pollution case - Business Insurance (2024)

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