Class actions, which are civil cases in which parties initiate a lawsuit on behalf of other plaintiffs not specifically named in the complaint, often make headlines and arouse policy debates. However, policymakers and the public know little about most class actions. This book presents the results of surveys of insurers and of state departments of insurance to learn more about class litigation against insurance companies.

Fundamentals of Insurance Coverage in All 50 States is a unique compendium and overview of all aspects of insurance coverage law in every state, with a special emphasis on some of the unique aspects of insurance coverage involving environmental claims. The treatise utilizes and cites state and federal statutes, insurance regulations, and case law from every state, as a framework for a unique and unprecedented treatment of this complicated subject. The book is designed specifically for insurance claims handlers and supervisors who have responsibility for or occasion to deal with coverage issues relating to third-party defense litigation, first-party claims litigation, and reservation of rights scenarios. In addition to being an excellent and easy to understand primer on coverage issues and the basic insurance contract, this book is suitable for both the inexperienced claims professional and the seasoned veteran. It is also the perfect "starting point" for any research or litigation briefing by trial lawyers, defense counsel, or in-house insurance counsel. It is a must for anyone with multi-state responsibilities. Fundamentals of Insurance Coverage in All 50 States compile all of the relevant law, regulations and case decisions from all 50 states into one easy to understand and easy to use reference book, the first place a lawyer or claims handler should turn when coverage matters rear their ugly heads. The book intentionally omits references to federal law, which plays a very limited role in insurance regulation, except insofar as it may be necessary to clarify issues of state law. The book is a comprehensive treatment of all coverage issues that the average insurance lawyer, claims handler or supervisor might be expected to run across in any given situation. This one of a kind treatise covers the following issues in all 50 jurisdictions: • Understanding Contracts of Insurance • Law Governing Insurance Policies • Tackling Ambiguity and Interpretation of Policies • General Contract Rules for Interpretation • Rights and Obligations of Contracting Parties • Limitations of the "Construed against Drafter" Rule • The Extent of Risks and Coverages • Good Faith and Fair Dealing; Bad Faith • Basic Policy Defenses • Cooperation of the Insured • Failure to Pay Premiums • Environmental Issues and Related Insurance Law

The book is a practice guide for Texas litigators handling the occasional insurance coverage lawsuit or confronting insurance questions in the context of a litigation practice, complete with legal analysis, practical tips, forms, and annotations specific to Texas and Fifth Circuit practice. The book will focus on third party liability policies and related litigation and would tend to focus more on representation of policyholders, since the insurance industry tends to use coverage counsel for litigation of coverage disputes.

Complete with a state-by-state analysis of the ways in which the class action rules differ from the Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23, this comprehensive guide provides practitioners with an understanding of the intricacies of a class action lawsuit. Multiple authors contributed to the book, mainly 12 top litigators at the premiere law firm of Fulbright and Jaworski, L.L.P.

A comprehensive guide to the issues that can arise at every stage of a coverage dispute, from the initial inquiry to complex questions of law, evidence, procedure and strategy.

Drawn from a 1982 national meeting, this work covers punitive damages, excess of policy limits, discovery techniques, reinsurance indemnity, "bad faith" cases, preventive measures, and property insurance cases.

Unassuming but formidable, American maritime insurers used their position at the pinnacle of global trade to shape the new nation. The international information they gathered and the capital they generated enabled them to play central roles in state building and economic development. During the Revolution, they helped the U.S. negotiate foreign loans, sell state debts, and establish a single national bank. Afterward, they increased their influence by lending money to the federal government and to its citizens. Even as federal and state governments began to encroach on their domain, maritime insurers adapted, preserving their autonomy and authority through extensive involvement in the formation of commercial law. Leveraging their claims to unmatched expertise, they operated free from government interference while simultaneously embedding themselves into the nation's institutional fabric. By the early nineteenth century, insurers were no longer just risk assessors. They were nation builders and market makers. Deeply and imaginatively researched, Underwriters of the United States uses marine insurers to reveal a startlingly original story of risk, money, and power in the founding era.