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Just For Men maker Combe sues Lloyd's, Everest over denied coverage
Combe says it settled underlying personal injury claims out of pocket and exhausted its Beazley primary policy, arguing Lloyd's syndicates and Everest should still cover excess losses.
Combe Incorporated, the White Plains, New York company behind Just For Men hair color, says its insurers refused to pay after it settled personal injury claims out of pocket, and is seeking a court ruling that the carriers must honor the coverage. According to a complaint filed July 30, 2026 in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, Combe carried occurrence-based general liability coverage until November 1, 2018, after which it moved to a claims-made program following insurer non-renewal. The dispute centers on “Underlying Claims,” personal injury claims made on or after November 1, 2018 alleging bodily injuries from Just For Men products. Combe says it settled the underlying claims and paid those settlements out of pocket after insurers denied coverage. The company also alleges it settled with Beazley in December 2024, exhausting its $5 million Beazley primary policy limit alongside a $2,500,000 aggregate deductible, and that underlying settlements exceeded the Beazley and Newline limits, which it argues should trigger coverage in higher excess layers. Combe’s complaint says the insurers denied coverage by pointing to a “Class Action, Multi-Plaintiff and MDL Exclusion” and a “Retroactive Limitation Clause,” and argues neither provision applies. The filing also alleges Combe made a written batching request on January 6, 2020 that the insurers unreasonably refused, and it states it has brought seven causes of action seeking declaratory judgments, breach of contract damages, interest, and costs and fees, including a jury trial demand.