2012 saw several major cases decided by Ohio courts that impact Ohio construction law and the way companies do business. Given the industry connection, oil and gas project owners, contractors, and suppliers could be affected by some of these rulings. Here are what we believe to be the Top 5 construction cases of 2012:

#1 Westfield Ins. Co. v. Custom Agri Sys., Inc., 133 Ohio St.3d 476
(Oct. 16, 2012).

Key Holding — Ohio construction companies may not be able to rely on their commercial general liability policies to cover claims for alleged defective work.

This case brought to the Ohio Supreme Court the much debated question of whether a standard commercial general liability insurance policy covers claims against a contractor for alleged defective and improper work. The court held that the policy does not cover such claims. The court based its ruling on its determination that the claims did not arise from an “occurrence,” which is defined in the policy to mean an “accident.” Because the work itself was not an “accident,” there was no coverage under the policy.

Takeaway: Meet with your insurance professionals to review your coverage and address this crucial issue. Do you have coverage for defective workmanship claims?
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