Based on information contained in the insurer’s own claim file note, the Illinois Appellate Court found an insurer had a duty to defend its insured’s subcontractor, continuing the recent trend of expanding materials that a court may consider in determining the duty to defend. In Pekin Insurance Company v. AAA-1 Masonry & Tuckpointing, Inc., 2017 IL App (1st) 160200 at ¶24, the court noted that it may consider evidence of the insurer’s knowledge of facts outside the complaint which may indicate potential coverage for the claim when considered with the complaint’s allegations, as long as consideration of this evidence would not determine liability issues in the underlying case.
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