article thumbnail

#109:  Liability Insurers' Duty to Defend

NH Construction Law

1990) (applying New Hampshire law) (“If some of the claims against the insured fall within the terms of coverage, and some without, the insured must still defend the entire claim (at least until it is apparent that no recovery under the covered theory can be had).”) City of Keene , 898 F.2d

article thumbnail

When Trees Sue for their Own Environmental Preservation

Green Building Law Update

And significantly there is no defense for an issued permit or claim of preemption by other state or federal laws. The partnership’s complaint asks the court to declare the voter enactment unconstitutional on several grounds and also claims it violates a variety of state laws.

professionals

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

#93:  Spoliation During Construction

NH Construction Law

Parties to a lawsuit, or who reasonably should anticipate future litigation, have a duty not to destroy evidence crucial to their opponents’ claims or defenses. In the residential setting, New Hampshire’s opportunity to repair statute, RSA 359-G:4 , comes into play here. Golke , 768 N.W.2d 2d 729, 737 (Wis.

article thumbnail

#90:  Government Contractor Immunity

NH Construction Law

Overlapping the “derivative sovereign immunity” defense is the so-called “government contractor defense” to liability for procurement of negligently designed equipment, articulated in Boyle v. ” 28 U.S.C. § § 2680(a). Campbell-Ewald Co. , United Technologies Corp. , Malesko , 534 U.S.

article thumbnail

#96:  Payment Bond Sureties and "Pay-if-Paid" Subcontracts

NH Construction Law

It is often said that a payment bond surety may assert all of the contractual defenses to payment enjoyed by its principal. No New Hampshire case has yet considered whether the same result obtains under state law, but the same logic applies. Outside of New Hampshire there is a split of authority on the question.

article thumbnail

#79:  Res Judicata and the Privity Element

NH Construction Law

How many bites at the apple is a litigant given to prove his claim? This principle finds expression in a legal doctrine called res judicata , also known as claim preclusion, which “prevents parties from relitigating matters actually litigated and matters that could have been litigated in the first action.”

Claims 40
article thumbnail

#64:  Recovering Attorneys' Fees as Damages

NH Construction Law

If the owner sues the contractor for breach of contract and the contractor prevails, the contractor’s defense costs should be recoverable as damages in an action by the contractor against the design professional. attorney fees. thereby suffered or incurred in the earlier action.” attorney fees. Provider Power, LLC , 170 N.H.