Opinion ID: 1280881
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Coverage triggered at time of injury-causing event

Text: Under this theory, coverage is triggered at the time of the underlying injury-causing event, even though no damage has yet occurred, and the policy in effect at the time of this underlying event covers all the ensuing damage. We find this theory of coverage conflicts with the plain language of the policy. The policy provides coverage for an occurrence that causes property damage which occurs during the policy period. This provision clearly focuses on the time the damage occurs and not on the time of the underlying event that eventually caused the damage. An overwhelming majority of jurisdictions have rejected the argument that coverage is triggered at the time of the injury-causing event because such an interpretation conflicts with this provision of a standard occurrence policy. See, e.g., Prieto v. Reserve Ins. Co., 340 So.2d 1282 (Fla.App.1977); Jenoff, Inc. v. New Hampshire Ins. Co., 558 N.W.2d 260 (Minn.1997); Greenlee v. Sherman, 142 A.D.2d 472, 536 N.Y.S.2d 877 (1989); Friendship Homes, Inc. v. American States Ins. Cos., 450 N.W.2d 778 (N.D.1990); CPC Int'l, Inc. v. Northbrook Excess & Surplus Ins. Co., 668 A.2d 647 (R.I.1995); Dorchester Dev. Corp. v. Safeco Ins. Co., 737 S.W.2d 380 (Tex. App.1987). Accordingly, we reject the time of the injury-causing event as the trigger for coverage when no damage has yet occurred. [1]