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Insurance Interpretation

Emond v. Trillium Mutual Insurance Co 2026 SCC

Insureds’ house was destroyed in a flood. Rebuilding required extra compliance‑related costs that conservation authority imposed. The insurer denied coverage based on an exclusion for increased costs due to “any law.” The issue became whether the exclusion in the base policy carried into the endorsement. The Court held that endorsements operate within the whole contract, the endorsement is carried back into the policy, and the exclusion applies to it.

Written by Jonathan Speigel, the founding partner of Speigel Nichols Fox LLP, leads the litigation and construction practices.