Massachusetts appeals court News

Motel Has No Duty to Prevent Guest’s Suicide, Massachusetts Appeals Court Rules

A motel and its employees have no duty to prevent a guest’s suicide even when family members warn that the guest is a suicide risk. A Massachusetts Court of Appeals has ruled that while innkeepers may have an affirmative duty …

Massachusetts Appeals Court Finds Landowner Not Responsible for Tenant’s Dog

Victor Creatini says he was taking a bike ride with his dog on a leash beside him when a pit bull ran into the street and attacked his dog, causing him to fall from his bike and suffer injuries. Although …

Mass. Court Finds Insurer Duty to Defend Subcontractor in Property Damage Case

A Massachusetts Appeals Court has ruled that an insurance company is responsible for insuring alleged property damage caused by its subcontractor client, vacating an earlier Superior Court decision that the insurer has no duty to defend the subcontractor in this …

Mass. Court Says Arbitration is Allowed in Underinsured Motorist Claim Suit

The Massachusetts Appeals Court has ruled that Arbella Mutual Insurance Company did not engage in unfair settlement practices by demanding arbitration in a lawsuit involving an underinsured motorist claim. In the case, Heather Chamberland vs. Arbella Mutual Insurance Company, plaintiff …

Mass. Court Finds Defendant Guilty of Insurance Fraud in Car Accident Case

The Massachusetts Appeals Court has affirmed a lower court’s decision to charge the defendant in a case involving a Boston car accident with motor vehicle insurance fraud. However, the Appeals Court reversed the lower court’s decision to also charge the …

Massachusetts Court Reverses Ruling in Rotten Seafood Coverage Dispute

The Massachusetts Appeals Court has reversed a lower court’s ruling in a case examining whether damage to scallops at a seafood processing facility, when the cause of damage is unknown, constitutes an occurrence within a commercial general liability (CGL) policy. …

Massachusetts Court Orders New Trial in Trolley Crash Lawsuit

A Massachusetts appeals court has set aside a $1.2 million jury award and ordered a new trial in a lawsuit stemming from a 2009 subway trolley crash in Boston. Colleen Fyffe, of Scituate, sued the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, saying …