Boston Partner Bill Schneider recently prevailed in an appeal before the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. The Court of Appeals affirmed the judgment of the USDC in Puerto Rico concerning the availability of coverage under a boiler and machinery insurance policy. In the proceedings below, the District Court upheld the insurance company’s position that a $25,000 sublimit for spoilage applied to the loss of perishable food items that had spoiled after a compressor failure. The owner of the damaged property sought to recover the higher limit of $500,000 for damage to the personal property of others. Following oral argument in San Juan in October 2014, the First Circuit affirmed the judgment below based on the insurer’s construction of the equipment breakdown form briefed and argued on appeal.