Travelers has taken State National Insurance Company to federal court, alleging the carrier refused to honor additional insured obligations on a Bronx construction injury claim.
The action, filed on February 24, 2026 in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, shines a light on what happens when contractual risk transfer falls apart – especially under the weight of New York’s Scaffold Law.
The dispute traces back to a NYCHA housing development project in the Bronx. In January 2021, Highbridge Owner, LLC and NYCHA Housing Development Fund Corporation entered into a construction management agreement with Gilbane to carry out remedial repairs and improvements to several building developments, including 1381 Franklin Avenue in the Bronx. Gilbane then subcontracted Perennial Painting Solutions Corp. in February 2022 to handle apartment door installations. Under the terms of that subcontract, Perennial was required to carry commercial general liability insurance naming both Gilbane and Highbridge as additional insureds on a primary and non-contributory basis…