US JUDGE DECLINES TO RULE ON WTC INSURANCE CLAIM

US district court judge John Martin has rejected a request by World Trade Center (WTC) leaseholder Larry Silverstein to declare the September 11 destruction of the New York office complex two separate events for insurance purposes, opting instead to put the case to a jury. Judge Martin said that the ambiguity of the word “occurrence” prevented him from issuing a summary judgement in the case and made a trial necessary. Mr Silverstein is seeking to have the terrorist attack on the WTC deemed two events, which would enable him to collect twice on the $3.55bn policy limit. A group of 22 insurers led by Swiss Re and Travelers are meanwhile seeking to have the attack deemed a single event, arguing that the number of weapons used by the terrorists is an irrelevancy. Judge Martin noted that the litigation was complicated by the fact that carriers had only issued binders for cover on the WTC, meaning that no actual policies were in place when the attacks took place.