Supreme Court of California

A standard pollution exclusion clause in a comprehensive general liability insurance policy did not plainly and clearly exclude a landlord's ordinary acts of negligence involving toxic chemicals such as pesticides.

Appellate Information

• Decided 08/14/2003
• Published 08/14/2003

Judges

• MORENO, J.

Court

• Supreme Court of California

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
•  Law Offices of Arthur W. Francis, Jr., and Arthur W. Francis, Jr., Redondo Beach, for Plaintiffs and Appellants., Pahl & Gosselin, Stephen D. Pahl, San Jose, and Servando R. Sandoval for California Apartment Association as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Plaintiffs and Appellants., Menter & Witkin, Timothy S. Menter and Gene M. Witkin, Newport Beach, as Amici Curiae on behalf of Plaintiffs and Appellants., Zevnik Horton, Michel Y. Horton, Charles J. Malaret and Stanley H. Shure, Los Angeles, as Amici Curiae on behalf of Plaintiffs and Appellants.


• For Appellees:
  
• Gordon & Rees, Christopher R. Wagner, Los Angeles;  Ropers, Majeski, Kohn & Bentley, Michael J. Brady, Redwood City;  Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold, Lawrence E. Picone, Frederick D. Baker and Kirk C. Jenkins, San Francisco, for Defendant and Respondent., Hancock Rothert & Bunshoft, Paul J. Killion, San Francisco, Kathryn C. Ashton and Megan M. Griesbach, San Francisco, for London Market Insurers as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Defendant and Respondent.,  Sinnott, Dito, Moura & Puebla, Randolph P. Sinnott;  Wiley Rein & Fielding, Thomas W. Brunner and Theodore A. Howard for Steadfast Insurance Company as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Defendant and Respondent., Wiley Rein & Fielding, Laura A. Foggan, John C. Yang, Elizabeth A. Eastwood;  Bien & Summers and Elliot L. Bien, Novato, for Complex Insurance Claims Litigation Association as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Defendant and Respondent.