Hartford v. Tempur-Sealy: Can an Insurer Rest Easy When a Claim Does Not Appear to Be Covered?

When a complaint specifically denies that the plaintiff is seeking damages covered by an insurance policy, it seems logical that the insurer would not have a duty to defend. However, taking a very broad view of the duty to defend, a California federal court recently held that an insurer did, in fact, have to provide a defense even though the complaint, on its face, did not include a claim for damages covered under the policy. (Hartford Fire Ins. Co. v. Tempur-Sealy Int’l, Inc., …

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