Washington High Court Finds that Certificates of Insurance Can Create Coverage

Answering a certified question from the Ninth Circuit, the Washington Supreme Court issued a surprising decision, holding that certificates of insurance can create coverage despite express disclaimers that they do not “amend, extend or alter the coverage afforded by” the policy.[1] This decision is inconsistent with precedent from courts across the country that routinely hold certificates of insurance are informational documents only that cannot supplant the terms of an insurance policy.

In this Washington case, T-Mobile USA, made a demand for additional insured coverage in connection …

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Ohio Brings Certificates of Insurance Closer to Home

Ohio recently passed House Bill 259, a law that aims to ensure that certificates of insurance accurately reflect the policies they represent. In the past, certificates that did not accurately reflect the insurance policy caused coverage disputes. The new measure attempts to cure this defect and gives the Ohio insurance regulator more jurisdiction to ensure that the certificate accurately reflects the policy — with one stated aim to protect agents and policyholders against insurance fraud. In passing this law, Ohio joins 24 other states …

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