New York Appellate Court Weighs in on Defense of Claims Asserted Against Alfa Laval

NEW YORK –– A New York appellate court has affirmed a lower court’s order requiring Travelers Casualty and Surety Co. (NYSE:TRV) and OneBeacon America Insurance Co. to defend Alfa Laval Inc. against asbestos claims, but clarified that the carriers cannot provide a complete defense if both policies are implicated in the underlying litigation.

As such, the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court, 1st Department found in the Nov. 13 opinion that, for now, Travelers should provide the complete defense as the asbestos defendant’s “long standing insurer.”

Alfa Laval filed the declaratory judgment lawsuit, seeking insurance coverage from the …