Hartford Casualty Insurance Co. filed a lawsuit against the Peanut Corp of America to determine whether it must pay claims for victims affected by a nationwide salmonella outbreak.

The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia's Lynchburg Division. Hartford claims that one or more of the terms, conditions, exclusions or limitations in the policies "exclude or nullify coverage" for PCA for one ore more of the salmonella claims. The general liability policy provides limits of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate for bodily injury or property damage included within the "products-completed operations hazard," according to court documents. The umbrella liability policy provides liability limits of $10 million per occurrence and $10 million in the aggregate in excess of the underlying insurance for bodily injury or property damage included within the "products-completed operations hazard." An investigation of Peanut Corp. of America's Blakley, Ga.-plant where the outbreak allegedly occurred is underway.