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Starr sues United Fire over unpaid defense costs tied to condo repairs
The lawsuit filed September 2, 2026 in Missouri says United Fire failed to defend and pay a settlement, leaving Starr to cover both costs under a shared policy arrangement.
Starr Surplus Lines Insurance Company has sued United Fire and Casualty Company in federal court, arguing United Fire agreed to cover a restoration contractor but did not pay the contractor's defense bill or a settlement Starr says it should have covered.
According to the complaint filed September 2, 2026 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, the dispute centers on who owed what under policies United Fire issued to a subcontractor involved in a condominium association project.
The condominium association hired a restoration contractor in April 2015 to address water leaks in outdoor terraces and parking garages, and the contractor’s waterproofing and sealant work was handled by a subcontractor. The filing says the subcontractor agreed in writing to name the contractor as an additional insured, and that United Fire was the subcontractor’s insurer under primary commercial general liability policies with a $1 million each-occurrence limit and a $2 million general aggregate.
Starr says the condominium association sued the contractor in December 2021 over alleged construction defects related to waterproofing, and that the contractor sought defense from United Fire beginning in February 2022 through early 2025 without response. Starr further alleges United Fire only replied after the contractor tendered the claim directly to United Fire in April 2025, and that Starr was left to pay both defense costs and the settlement.