Fax Blast From the Past: Third Circuit Denies Coverage in TCPA Action

The Third Circuit denied coverage for alleged violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), while also ruling on a jurisdictional question regarding the amount in controversy applicable to declaratory judgment actions when they emanate from a class action lawsuit. This case reminds that even without a TCPA exclusion, blast fax suits may not present covered property damage or advertising injury claims.

In Auto-Owners Insurance Co. v. Stevens & Ricci, Inc., No. 15-2080, 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 16182, (3d Cir. Sep. 1, 2016), …

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Another Nail in the Junk Fax Coffin: Wisconsin Joins Illinois, California, Michigan, and Oklahoma in Finding No Coverage for TCPA Suits

The Wisconsin Court of Appeals held in a recent decision that a standard TCPA exclusion precludes coverage for all causes of action brought by the plaintiff that emanated from the unauthorized sending of faxes. This includes a common law conversion cause of action, as well as a cause of action for violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).

As background, in State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. v. Easy PC Solutions, LLC, No. 2014AP2657, 2015 Wisc. App. LEXIS 855 (Wisc. Ct. App. Dec. …

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Illinois Appellate Court Extends Bridgeview on Choice of Law and Finds No Duty To Defend Against Blast Fax Suit

After vacating its prior decision pursuant to an order by the Illinois Supreme Court, the Appellate Court of Illinois, Second District, in G.M. Sign, Inc. v. Pennswood Partners, Inc. 2015 IL App (2d) 121276-B, determined that the insurers, Maryland Casualty Company and Assurance Company of America (collectively “Zurich”), had no duty to defend or indemnify Pennswood Partners, Inc., with respect to a blast fax case filed by G.M. Sign, Inc. The crux of the Appellate Court’s decision was how to properly analyze a …

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