Crawford v. Weather Shield Mfg., Inc.

Opinion

BAXTER, J.

Standard comprehensive liability insurance policies provide that the insurer must both indemnify and defend the insured against claims within the scope of the policy coverage. The insurer’s duty to defend is broader than its duty to indemnify. The latter duty runs only to claims that are actually covered by the policy, while the duty to defend extends to claims that are merely potentially covered. (E.g., Buss v. Superior Court (1997) 16 Cal.4th 35, 45-46 [65 Cal.Rptr.2d 366, 939 P.2d 766] (Buss); Montrose Chemical Corp. v. Superior Court (1993) 6 Cal.4th 287, 295 [24…