LATE NOTIFICATION OF THE INSURER BY THE INSURED ABOUT AN ACTION AGAINST THE INSURED DOES NOT EXCUSE A LATE DISCLAIMER, TIMELINESS OF A DISCLAIMER DEPENDS ON WHEN THE INSURER FIRST LEARNED OF THE ACTION.
The Second Department noted that an insured’s failure to timely notify the insurer of an action does not relieve the insurer of the obligation to timely disclaim. Whether a disclaimer is timely is determined by when the insurer first learned of the action, not when the insured notified it of the action:
… [The] “failure of an insured to timely notify the insurer of a claim does not excuse the insurer’s failure to timely disclaim coverage” … . “The timeliness of an insurer’s disclaimer is measured from the point in time when the insurer first learns of the grounds for disclaimer of liability or denial of coverage” … . In opposition to the cross motion, [the insured] raised triable issues of fact as to whether the plaintiff acquired knowledge of the commencement of the underlying action in April 2012, or, at the latest, October 2012, and thus, whether it timely disclaimed coverage in March 2013, on the basis of, inter alia, late receipt of a copy of the summons and complaint. Evanston Ins. Co. v P.S. Bruckel, Inc., 2017 NY Slip Op 03489, 2nd Dept 5-3-17
INSURANCE LAW (LATE NOTIFICATION OF THE INSURER BY THE INSURED ABOUT AN ACTION AGAINST THE INSURED DOES NOT EXCUSE A LATE DISCLAIMER, TIMELINESS OF A DISCLAIMER DEPENDS ON WHEN THE INSURER FIRST LEARNED OF THE ACTION)/DISCLAIMER (INSURANCE LAW, LATE NOTIFICATION OF THE INSURER BY THE INSURED ABOUT AN ACTION AGAINST THE INSURED DOES NOT EXCUSE A LATE DISCLAIMER, TIMELINESS OF A DISCLAIMER DEPENDS ON WHEN THE INSURER FIRST LEARNED OF THE ACTION)