Ill. Law Applies To Zurich, Mandates Defense of Coltec Industries

CHICAGO - A U.S. District Court has denied Zurich Insurance Co. partial summary judgment on choice of law and applied Illinois law to find that Zurich must defend Coltec Industries in asbestos litigation. Coltec Industries Inc. v. Zurich Insurance Company No. 99 C 1087 and 99 C 3192. (N.D. Ill.)

In a Jan. 29 opinion, Judge Joan Humphrey Lefkow of the Northern District of Illinois decided that Illinois law applies even though Coltec is based in New York. Coltec is the successor company to Fairbanks Morse and Fairbanks Whitney. Zurich issued the policies to those companies between July 1, 1959 …