Are Insurance Late Notice Provisions Toothless After Arrowood v. King?

Until 2012, an insured seeking coverage after providing late notice of a claim had the burden of proving that its insurer was not prejudiced by the late notice ‘ if the insured could not meet this burden, then the claim would not be covered. See Aetna Cas. & Surety Co. v. Murphy, 206 Conn. 409 (1988); see also Case Notes, infra. In a surprise decision in 2012, Arrowood Indemnity Co. v. King, 304 Conn. 179 (2012), the Supreme Court of Connecticut sua sponte shifted the burden of proof to the insurer, requiring insurers to affirmatively prove that they were prejudiced in order for late notice to negate coverage. Id‘ (overruling Aetna Casualty & Surety Co. v. Murphy, 206 Conn. 409, 538 A.2d 219 (1988)). Now four years out from King, this article examines subsequent Connecticut case law addressing late-notice provisions in various insurance policies and attempts answer the question: Are late-notice provisions now toothless or do they still have some bite?