Jury Deliberations Slated For April 19 At WTC Trial
By Michael Ha
NU Online News Service, April 8, 3:52 p.m. EDT?The judge presiding over the insurance coverage dispute trial, which pitted World Trade Center leaseholder Larry Silverstein against 13 of his property insurers, said he plans to send the case to the jury April 19.[@@]
U.S. District Court Judge Michael Mukasey discussed the case schedule today as lawyers representing WTC leaseholder Larry Silverstein presented Nick Dunlop, an executive for the global property-casualty unit at Willis Group Holdings Ltd., as their final witness.
Willis brokerage obtained WTC property coverage on behalf of Mr. Silverstein prior to the terrorists' destruction of the Twin Towers on Sept. 11, 2001.
Mr. Dunlop is expected to wrap up his testimony early next week, and Tuesday the judge said he will confer with attorneys from both sides to discuss the contents of his charge to the jury outlining the law that applies in the case.
Attorneys from both camps will put on their closing arguments April 14 and 15, with Judge Mukasey instructing the jurors on the law April 19, before their deliberations, the judge said in court today.
The trial began on Feb 9. The issue for the jury is what insurance form was used by the 13 carriers in their binders.
Throughout the trial, insurers have maintained that they are bound to the Willis property form?also called "Wilprop"?which would limit Mr. Silverstein's claim to one event of $3.55 billion, rather than a Travelers form, which would help Mr. Silverstein's argument that two planes crashing into the Twin Towers constitute two insured occurrences worth some $7 billion.
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