(Insurance Code Section 533 Barring Coverage of Willful Acts Does Not Apply to Exclude Coverage of Retaliation Claim Under Labor Code Section 1102.5 (c))

(Separate Aggregate Limits Were Afforded for Extended Policy Periods Under Excess Policies)

(COVID-19 Business Interruption Claim As Alleged in Complaint Satisfied the Direct Physical Loss or Damage Requirement in Commercial Property Policy, But Contamination Exclusion Barred Coverage of Claim)

In the state of Washington, the legal trend has been laws favoring employees, often at the expense and burden of employers.   

That trend continues in 2024 with the following new employee-favorable statutes and regulations. 

(Business Interruption Claims Based on Shut-Down of Entertainment Venues Due to COVID-19 Do Not Satisfy Direct Physical Loss or Damage to Property Requirement in Commercial Property Policies)

(Judgment on the Pleadings in Favor of Insurers Reversed Based on Possible Physical Loss Caused by COVID-19 and Rejection of Application of Pollution Exclusion to Bar Coverage of Underlying Claim)

The Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) is a significant regulatory change affecting a broad range of U.S. and foreign business entities formed and registered in the U.S. As of January 1, 2024, entities formed or registered with filing with a state must report their Beneficial Ownership Information (“BOI”), unless exempted under one of the 23 specified exemption categories.

It was a busy year for labor and employment law in the State of Michigan. Here is a recap of some of the key developments in 2023.