Virginia Supreme Court Rules, Global Warming Claims Not Covered Under the CGL

The Virginia Supreme Court just ruled that claims under the CGL for damages caused by global warming are not covered under the CGL. The court ruled that there is no trigger for the claims. This case most likely will be a precedent that other insurers will use as these claims arise. Global warming in its own sense is still a highly debated issue, but as insurance claims are brought to insurers, the debates will get more and more heated. Insurance carriers state that the CGL coverage is triggered by an occurrence caused by an accident and that global warming is not either. The Virginia courts agreed. How other States rule on this will remained to be seen. One thing is for certain, it will become a highly litigous issue and will most likely affect insurance coverage or insurance products in the near future. Until next time be careful out there and know your risks. K

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