Church Wins Insurance Coverage Ruling | Salt Lake City News

Salt Lake City News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jul 29, 2026 · 1m

A federal appeals court just handed the LDS Church a major legal win, ruling that its insurance companies must cover massive sexual abuse settlement payouts — a decision that could reshape how insurers handle ambiguous claims. The case stems from abuse allegations against Michael Jensen in West Virginia, where the church settled with victims before trial. When insurers refused to pay, the church took them to court — and after a lower court sided with the insurers, the appeals court reversed course unanimously. Citing Utah law’s “ambiguity in favor of the insured” rule, the judges said unclear…