October 29, 2024
Contact: press@justice4survivors.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
As part of national insurance industry strategy, Chubb Inc. subsidiary refused to pay claims in “Child Victims Act” cases involving Trenton Diocese
TRENTON, NJ – A federal court in New Jersey dismissed Century Indemnity Co.’s lawsuit attempting to escape coverage of child sexual abuse claims in cases involving the Trenton Diocese. U.S. District Judge Mihael A. Shipp ruled that the lawsuit was “premature, vague, and ambiguous.” The lawsuit mirrors others across the country, in a clear pattern of insurance companies refusing to pay out claims in child sexual abuse cases, including in cases involving the Archdiocese of New York, Los Angeles School District, Archdiocese of San Francisco, Rockefeller University Hospital, and many others.
The insurance indsutry’s aggressive tactics have caused cases across the country to stall, and risk years of delays and billions in settlements for survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
“Now more than ever, it is clear that insurers like Chubb are willing to allow survivors of childhood sexual abuse to suffer in order to save a buck and pad their bonuses,” said David Catalfamo, Executive Director of the Coalition for Just and Compassionate Compensation (CJCC). “The insurance industry’s attempts to escape paying claims in child sexual abuse cases are wrong on the merits and morally bankrupt, and we applaud Judge Shipp for setting a strong example for other courts to follow. This ruling makes it clear – it’s time for insurers across the country to stop playing games in court, and start doing their contractual duty to cover claims in child sexual abuse cases.”
In his ruling, District Judge Michael A. Shipp said, “In seeking declarations from this court, Century is clear that its ultimate intent in bringing this action is to obtain discovery to better assess its coverage determinations. This is where Century’s declaratory judgment action drifts afield from a federal court’s grasp.”
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The Coalition for Just and Compassionate Compensation (“CJCC”) is an independent alliance of survivors of child sex abuse, their representatives, and advocates seeking full restitution for survivors of child sex abuse. Among members of the coalition are author and journalist Stephen Jimenez, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and longtime advocate who helped pass the Child Victims Act (CVA), and attorneys James Marsh, Founding Partner at Marsh Law Firm, Jeff Herman, Founder of Herman Law Firm, and Hillary Nappi, Partner at Hach Rose Schirripa & Cheverie, who represent thousands of sexual abuse survivors in litigation against public and private entities.