CGL Carriers Had No Duty to Defend Opioid Companies From Deceptive Marketing Lawsuits

The 4th District Court of Appeal has ruled that two commercial general liability insurance carriers have no obligation to defend a group of pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors from lawsuits in California and Illinois over their alleged deceptive marketing practices for opioid medications. Actavis Inc., Actavis LLC, Actavis Pharma, Watson Pharmaceuticals, Watson Laboratories and Watson Pharma had purchased CGL coverage from the St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Co. covering the period from May 16, 2006, through May 15, 2010. After that, the companies secured coverage from the ...