As the 2017 Colorado legislative session reaches the halfway point, I thought it an opportune time to provide a quick overview of the construction defect bills introduced so far this session. Senate Bill 17-045, “Concerning a Requirement for Equitable Allocation of the Costs of Defending a Construction Defect Claim,” sponsored by Senators Grantham and Angela […]
Colorado Construction Litigation Blog
The term “ongoing operations” has appeared in construction insurance policies for many years. Here in Colorado, that phrase has had a particular meaning when applied to an insurer’s coverage of liability arising out of an insured’s work, i.e.liability arising during an insured’s work on a specific project. The case of Jaynes Corporation v. American Safety […]
As anyone involved in construction knows, one of the most heavily used forms for tracking insurance information during the subcontracting phase of a project is the Acord Certificate of Liability Insurance. General contractors often require subcontractors to provide these ubiquitous forms as evidence that the subcontractor maintains adequate insurance or insurance which complies with the […]
Often, those practicing in the construction defect field have faced questions concerning the joinder of a party. Recently, the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado weighed in on the requirements for joinder under the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure. See Roche Constructors, Inc. v. One Beacon America Ins. Co., 2012 WL 1060000 (D. […]
In D.R. Horton, Inc.-Denver v. The Travelers Indem. Co. of Am., 10-CV-02826-WJM-KMT, 2012 WL 527204 (D. Colo. Feb. 16, 2012), the court was asked to rule on Travelers’[1] motion to dismiss D.R. Horton, Inc. – Denver’s (“DRH”) claim that Travelers violated the Colorado Consumer Protection Act (“CCPA”). In the underlying construction defect case (“CD case”), DRH, […]
In TCD, Inc. v. American Family Mutual Insurance Company, TCD appealed the district court’s summary judgment ruling in favor of American Family. TCD, Inc. v. American Family Mutual Insurance Company Colo. App. No. 11CA1046 (April 12, 2012). TCD was the general contractor on a project to construct a building for Frisco General Gateway Center, LLC […]
If you take a look at the bottom of any page of your (or your client’s) insurance contract, it is most likely a copyrighted form issued by Insurance Services Office, Inc. (ISO). ISO develops standardized insurance policy language and forms that most insurer companies use in order to create insurance policies for consumers. ISO has […]
In D.R. Horton, Inc., et al. v. Assurance Company of America, et al., Judge Valeria N. Spencer applied HB 10-1394 retroactively in a coverage case. The case arose out of the construction of a multi-family condominium complex, on which DRH hired Campbell Beard as the roofer on the project. Pursuant to the requirements of the […]
Subcontract agreements often include provisions requiring a subcontractor to defend and to indemnify a general contractor. If properly phrased in the subcontract agreement, the duty to defend can be triggered more easily than, and is distinct from, the duty to indemnify. In Lafarge North America, Inc. v. KECI Colorado, Inc., 2010 WL 726052 (Colo. App., March […]
The 2010 Construction Litigation Desk Reference, published by DRI – The Voice of the Defense Bar, is now available. DRI is the international organization of attorneys defending the interests of business and individuals in civil litigation. DRI provides numerous educational and informational resources to DRI members and offers many opportunities for liaison among defense trial […]
