Opinion ID: 1057805
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: Larry Ward sought coverage under his homeowners’ insurance policy issued by TravCo Insurance Company (TravCo) for damages allegedly caused by sheets of drywall manufactured in China (Chinese drywall) that were installed in his home during its construction. TravCo denied Ward’s claim and brought an action in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, seeking a declaratory judgment that Ward’s homeowners’ policy did not provide coverage for such losses. TravCo moved for summary judgment, and the district court granted the motion on the basis that the policy did not provide coverage for the damages allegedly caused by the drywall in Ward’s residence because of certain policy exclusions. Ward appealed the ruling of the district court to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, which certified to this Court the question of whether the policy exclusions are applicable to Ward’s claimed losses. The Fourth Circuit stated: [W]e are uncertain whether the Supreme Court of Virginia would conclude that each of these four exclusions is unambiguous and reasonable in its form, scope, and application in light of the unusual nature of the losses involved, and the answer to this question is sufficiently unsettled and dispositive that certification is warranted.