Alaska Supreme Court Rules That “Total Pollution Exclusion” in Homeowners Insurance Policy Does Not Bar Coverage for Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Alaska Supreme Court Rules That “Total Pollution Exclusion” in Homeowners Insurance Policy Does Not Bar Coverage for Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

For decades, homeowners and other insurance policies have included broad pollution exclusions, often referred to as a “total pollution exclusion.” In a recent decision in Wheeler v. Garrison Prop. & Cas. Ins., No. S-18849 (Alaska Feb. 28, 2025), the Alaska Supreme Court held that a “total pollution exclusion” in a homeowners insurance policy did not apply to exclude coverage for injury arising out of exposure to carbon monoxide emitted by an imp…