Spoor-Lasher Co., Inc., Appellant v. Aetna Casualty and Surety Company, Respondent, Defendant

Summary

The New York Court of Appeals reversed the Appellate Division and remanded for entry of judgment that Aetna Casualty and Surety must defend Spoor-Lasher Co., Inc. in the third‑party action brought by the Poughkeepsie Urban Renewal Agency. The court held that an insurer's duty to defend arises whenever any possible factual or legal basis for coverage exists, even though liability has not yet been determined.