Author: Chris Boggs

Rarely do I write about a book or set of books, but I want to make you aware of one set - General Liability Insurance Coverage: Key Issues in Every State. Now in its fourth edition, attorneys Randy Maniloff and Jeffrey Stempel have created a valuable two-volume, state-by-state analysis of 20 general liability insurance topics. For geeks like me, this is must-have reference material that I now use regularly. I keep these next to my copy of Black's Law Dictionary.

Working for members from across the country, having a quick reference discussing how each state applies a certain coverage provision or concept is incredibly beneficial. Not only do these two volumes explain how the states have decided an argument, I have the case references as well.

If you need to know how different states apply specific general liability provisions, I recommend these books. They truly are great reference material.

Regular VUpoint readers know Randy Maniloff. We have featured many articles from his Coverage Opinions blog; following are links to a few of his articles:

• The Wall Street Journal Looks at Various New Insurance Products
• The Great Bad Faith Myth
• Construction Site Bodily Injury Exclusion Applies to Both Upstream and Downstream Employees
• Lawyers Dwell On Small Details: Court Defines The" -- The Sometimes Overlooked Issue
• Exclusions j.(5) and j.(6): Appeals Court Provides a Simple Tutorial
• A Construction Defect Coverage Case Worth Noting

Take a few minutes to review some or all these articles, you will be glad you did.

Over the last few years, the VU has undertaken to create state-by-state comparison charts on various legal and coverage issues (you can find those charts here). Over the next few months, we plan to use information from these books to create new charts. We will not cover all the topics detailed in these two volumes, but we will add two or three new comparison charts as a result of these books.

In full disclosure, no, I did not get paid to introduce these books (I do not solicit or accept payment for promoting anyone's classes, books or seminars). Yes, I did receive a free copy of the books but I was not asked to write about them, nor did I make any promises in order to get them. Simply, I asked Randy a question about a specific concept and he offered to send me a copy of his books. I guess he thought it was easier than trying to explain it all to me. Regardless, I was thrilled to get them. If you want more information on the books and the author, go to www.insurancekeyissues.com/

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Last Updated: January 7, 2025