City of Willoughby Hills v. Cincinnati Insurance Co.

This case commenced in the court of common pleas as a declaratory judgment action, filed by plaintiff-appellee, city of Willoughby Hills, based on defendant-appellant’s, Cincinnati Insurance Company’s, failure to defend appellee in two lawsuits, referred to as Kondrat and Macko, as required under the terms of an insurance policy purchased by appellee in 1977. After the trial court and the court of appeals found that appellant was not under any duty to defend these actions, the matter was certified to the Ohio Supreme Court. The Supreme Court reversed, holding that appellant was required to…