Motiva Loses Bid to Make Insurers Cover Refinery Fire Injuries

Motiva Enterprises LLC failed to win insurance coverage for a settlement it paid out to the victims of a fire at a Texas refinery because the accident occurred in the course of their asbestos abatement work and the relevant policies bar coverage, a California appellate court said Monday.

Motiva hired Excel Modular Scaffold and Leasing Corp. to abate the asbestos at its Port Arthur refinery in Texas. When a 2017 fire killed one crew member and injured his supervisor, Motiva paid both as part of a settlement and then sought coverage for the settlement amount from the companies that insured ...