Clarity missing on the role of policyholder expectations

Policyholder Perspective

By Stanley C. Nardoni

Stanley C. Nardoni practices in the insurance recovery group of Reed, Smith LLP. A graduate of DePaul University College of Law and former law clerk to an Illinois Supreme Court justice, he also holds an LL.M. in insurance law from the University of Connecticut School of Law. He welcomes comments to his columns at snardoni@reedsmith.com.

Posted November 15, 2023 11:44 AM

A federal decision issued earlier this year took a position on the role policyholder expectations play in Illinois insurance law. In ruling that “auto” and “mobile equipment” exclusions precluded coverage for an injury judgment in Atain Specialty Insurance Co. v. Hodge, No. 3:21-cv-00415 (S.D. Ill. Feb. 13, 2023), U.S. District Judge J. Phil Gilbert of the Southern District of Illinois said that although he agreed that courts must “provide deference to the ‘reasonable expectations’ of the policy holder,” he would “not hold …

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