Connecticut Supreme Court Determines Damage Caused by Unintended Faulty Work Constitutes Property Damage Resulting from an “Occurrence” Under Standard Commercial General Liability Policy

By: Frederic J. Giordano & Ashley L. Turner, K&L Gates, Newark

Jurisdictions are split over whether defective construction can give rise to an occurrence under commercial general liability insurance policies.  Some jurisdictions have held that faulty workmanship cannot constitute the basis for an occurrence because it is not the type of risk intended to be insured by commercial general liability policies or lacks the fortuity necessary to be considered an accident.  In contrast, other jurisdictions have held that faulty workmanship may constitute the basis for an occurrence because it is unintended.  The Connecticut Supreme Court joined those courts holding that faulty workmanship may give rise to an occurrence in the recent decision Capstone Building Corp. v. American Motorists Ins. Co., SC 18886, 2013 WL 2396276 (Conn. June 11, 2013) (“Capstone”).

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