New Hampshire Supreme Court News

N.H. Supreme Court Rejects Cat Urine Analogy for COVID Claim

The New Hampshire Supreme Court has overturned a trial court that had found for a group of 23 hotels claiming they were entitled to insurance payments for business interruption losses caused by contamination of their properties by COVID-19. Agreeing with …

N.H. Supreme Sides with Pro Se Collision Shop Owner in Assigned Benefit Claim

Collision repair shop owner Steve Piispanen didn’t hire an attorney because he considers them to be “not educated” when it comes to insurance law. He represented himself when he appealed a local judge’s decision to dismiss a $1,093.37 claim against …

Doctors’ Group Accuse Insurers of Using ‘Junk Science’ to Deny COVID Business Claims

The medical profession in New Hampshire is accusing the insurance industry of using “junk science” in justifying its denials of Covid-related business insurance claims. In an amicus brief in a case between a hotel chain and eight insurers, the New …

New Hampshire High Court Limits Landowners’ Recreational Use Immunity

New Hampshire landowners who make their properties available to the public for recreation at no charge do not enjoy complete immunity under the state’s recreational use statute. Landowners have immunity from negligence only where the victim of negligence is actually …

Court Rejects Truck Driver’s Appeal in Crash That Killed 7

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The New Hampshire Supreme Court on Thursday rejected an appeal for a bail hearing for a truck driver who’s been in jail since he was charged with causing the deaths of seven motorcyclists in 2019. Volodymyr …

N.H. Supreme Finds ‘Special Relationship,’ Affirms Jury Award Against Insurance Agency

A split decision by the New Hampshire Supreme Court released Friday offers a lesson to insurance agents about the importance of checklists. Three justices overruled two dissenters to affirm a Superior Court jury’s verdict that Foy Insurance Group was negligent …

Woman’s Claim of Firing Over Breastfeeding Remains Dismissed

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The New Hampshire Supreme Court was split 2-2 Friday over a woman’s nearly nine-year battle to challenge her firing from the state Department of Health and Human Services over breastfeeding, meaning a lower court’s decision to …

Smell May Constitute Physical Loss Under Policy

The New Hampshire Supreme Court recently held that a persistent odor could constitute a “physical loss” under a homeowner’s insurance policy as long as the smell distinctly and demonstrably changed the condition of the property. The decision represents an important …

New Hampshire High Court Rules Against Injured Skier

Ski areas cannot be held liable for negligence in slope side collision cases, even if an employee causes the accident, the New Hampshire Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. The court unanimously ruled against Diana Martinez of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, who sued Gunstock …

Text-Reading Crash Conviction Upheld by New Hampshire High Court

The state’s highest court is upholding the assault conviction of a driver who was reading a text message as his car drifted across two lanes and into oncoming traffic. The court’s ruling means that 30-year-old Chad Belleville will continue serving …