John A. Husmann advises insurers and reinsurers in coverage disputes and litigation with particular depth in catastrophic bodily injury, construction defect, auto and trucking, managed care liability, environmental contamination, and asbestos exposure.
His work in these areas has addressed some of the more contested questions in coverage law, including the application of the “business risks” exclusions, the scope of additional insured coverage pollution exclusions to contractor operations, limits of liability in multi-claimant bodily injury and property damage matters, and the scope of an insurer’s discretion to settle.
Beyond these core areas, John has handled complex insurance coverage matters involving defective construction, premises liability, product liability, bad faith, intellectual property, and catastrophic personal injury claims across jurisdictions nationwide. He also counsels claims professionals in the handling of commercial general liability (CGL), excess and umbrella, Errors and Omissions (E&O), personal lines and professional liability claims, and has advised underwriting professionals in preparing manuscript policy forms.
Before joining BatesCarey, John gained insurer-side perspective through positions at a major national insurance company and a prominent insurance coverage law firm — experience that informs his practical approach to coverage analysis and claims consulting.
BITCO General Insurance Corporation v. Union Ridge Ranch, LLC, et al., 3:22-cv-05624-BHS (W. Dist. Wash.), affirmed No. 24-6473 (9th Cir. 2025) Summary judgment in favor of insurer finding that claims of defective construction against insured contractor were barred under “Impaired Property” exclusion and the exception for “sudden and accidental” injury did not apply.
AXIS Surplus Insurance Co. v. Allied World Assurance Company, et al., 2022 CH 09376 (Circuit Court of Cook County Illinois) affirmed No. 1-24-0964 and 1-24-0968 (App. Ct. IL., 2025) Client insurer obtained summary judgment and reimbursement of defense costs expended in underlying construction accident lawsuit from insurer that refused to defend despite “targeted tender” by mutual insured.
BITCO General Insurance Corporation v. EXP US Services, Inc., et al., 2016 CH 15119 (Circuit Court of Cook County Illinois) affirmed No. 1-22-1370 (App. Ct. IL., 2024) Summary judgment granted for insurer finding that insurer had no duty to defend road contractor insured against uncovered breach of contract claim.
BITCO General Insurance Corporation v. J. Burns Brown Operating Co., Case No. 4:18-cv-00087-BMM affirmed No. 20-35490 (9th Cir. 2021) Pollution exclusion applied to preclude coverage for oil spill clean-up costs because limited pollution coverage in an umbrella policy did not apply where pollution coverage in the underlying insurance was subject to a sub-limit.
Rockhill Ins. Companies v. CSAA Ins. Exchange, Case No. 3:17-cv-00496-HDM-WGC (D. Nevada), affirmed No. 19-16716 (9th Cir. 2020) Claim seeking over $2.5 million for negligent spraying of Sporicidin excluded by general liability mold exclusion, and no bad faith under Contractor’s Pollution coverage where claimant never made settlement demand within the eroding limits of the pollution coverage, and where Rockhill’s settlement offers traced the advice of defense counsel.
National Surety Corp. v. First Specialty Insurance Corp., 2016 WL 7057503 (N.J. Super. Ct.) appeal dismissed A-001554-16T1 (N.J. Super. Ct. App. Div. May 1, 2017). Obtained summary judgment in favor of primary insurer establishing that the insurer could use its discretion to settle on behalf of one of two sets of Additional Insureds, and that doing so would extinguish the duty to defend all remaining insureds and Additional Insureds.
Bituminous Cas. Corp. v. Isles, et al., 2013 IL App (5th) 120485 (Illinois Appellate Court applies “Each Occurrence Limit” instead of the “General Aggregate Limit” to bodily injury and property damage claims caused by an oil well explosion).
“Construction Defect Coverage Recap for 1st Quarter,” Law360 (April 18, 2014)
“Construction Defect Coverage Summary 2013: The Business Risks Shift To Insurers,” 10 Mealey’s Litigation Report: Construction Defect Insurance, No. 11 (December 2013)