S.C. High Court Declines to Standardize Definition of 'Occurrence'

COLUMBIA, S.C. - The South Carolina Supreme Court ruled recently that continuos leakage from allegedly defective siding was a single occurrence under a commercial general liability policy, but it declined to standardize the definition of 'occurrence' in such cases. Owners Insurance Co. v. Salmonsen, et al., No. 26059 (S.C. Sup. Ct.).

Ruling on a question certified from the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, the state Supreme Court held that coverage for synthetic stucco distributor CDG Inc. was limited to the $1 million per occurrence limit, rather than the $2 million aggregate limit for multiple occurrences.