Article ID: 5132fae11ca4bee0fef1aff51945d4df884c576d6d70d7571a8841939de42281
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URL: https://www.businessinsurance.com/chubb-unit-must-defend-catholic-diocese-in-clergy-abuse-suits/
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Chubb unit must defend Catholic diocese in clergy abuse suits - Business Insurance Skip to content Register for free Search Search Log In Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Chubb unit must defend Catholic diocese in clergy abuse suits by Richard Sine Claims Disputes , P/C Insurers Chubb Jun 3, 2026 A Chubb excess and surplus lines insurance unit must defend a Southern California diocese against more than 200 clergy sexual abuse lawsuits after another insurer on the program went out of business, a federal court judge ruled. In Westchester Fire Insurance Company v. The Roman Catholic Bishop of Orange, U.S. District Judge Monica Ramirez Almadani of the Central District of California ruled Monday that Westchester’s umbrella liability policies required it to drop down and provide a primary defense for the abuse claims after the primary insurer became insolvent. Chubb and other insurers have fought vigorously with Catholic dioceses around the country over their obligations in abuse cases, most prominently in New York, where more than 1,500 claims are pending after a “reviver” law temporarily allowed survivors to sue over decades-old abuse. In California, a similar reviver law has made the Diocese of Orange a defendant in more than 200 suits alleging sexual abuse dating back to the 1970s, according to the ruling. In the suit, Westchester argued that its umbrella policies obligated it only to defend claims that were not potentially covered by the underlying primary policies issued by Centennial Insurance, which has since been liquidated. Because the abuse lawsuits could at least potentially trigger Centennial’s duty to defend, Westchester contended that it owed no defense obligation of its own. Judge Almadani rejected that reading. The underlying suits alleged injuries such as emotional distress, mental anguish and invasion of privacy that fell outside Centennial’s narrower coverage for physical injury but did fall within Westchester’s excess umbrella policy, she found. The abuse that caused the mental and emotional injuries counts as an “occurrence” under Westchester’s umbrella policies separate from the occurrences covered by Centennial, creating a “coverage gap” and activating Westchester’s duty to defend, the judge ruled. 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