W. R. Berkley Unit Loses PFAS Insurance Battle Over Jurisdiction

A W. R. Berkley insurance unit lost its effort to avoid providing coverage of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)-related claims against a firefighter equipment maker, after an Ohio federal judge said the dispute belongs in state court.

Admiral Insurance sued to argue that it doesn’t owe coverage to the policyholder, Fire-Dex LLC, because the insurance policies’ terms barred coverage for occupational disease and pollution.

Whether these coverage restrictions preclude payments for PFAS exposure-related claims is a novel insurance question that needs to be decided by Ohio state courts, Judge Pamela A. Barker of the US District Court for ...