Insurer Owes Duty To Defend Environmental Contamination Suit, Federal Judge Says

Mealey's (November 10, 2016, 2:30 PM EST) -- LOS ANGELES — An insurer has a duty to defend its insureds against underlying environmental contamination claims because the policy’s chemical discharge exclusion does not apply to the underlying suit; however, the insureds are not entitled to independent counsel, a California federal judge said Nov. 7 (Hollyway Cleaners & Laundry Co., et al. v. Central National Insurance Company of Omaha Inc., No. 13-7497, C.D. Calif.; 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 155003)....