Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Co. v. S.B.C. Flood Waste Solutions, Inc.

Federal 7th Circuit Court
Civil Court
Insurance Coverage
Citation
Case Number: 
No. 23-1847
Decision Date: 
August 21, 2024
Federal District: 
N.D. Ill., Eastern Div.
Holding: 
Affirmed.
Judge: 
KOLAR

In an insurance coverage matter, the plaintiff insurance company filed a lawsuit seeking rescission of insurance policies issued to the defendants on the basis that the defendants had not disclosed an ongoing dispute when defendants applied for insurance coverage. The district court granted summary judgment in favor of the plaintiff, finding it was entitled to rescind the insurance policies based on material misrepresentations and defendants appealed. The Seventh Circuit affirmed, finding that the failure to disclose the “very real prospect of litigation” constituted a material misrepresentation in the insurance applications and, contrary to defendants’ arguments, the court did not need to determine whether the companies involved in the dispute operated as alter egos because the answer to that question did not change the outcome. (EASTERBROOK and HAMILTON, concurring)