Mealey's ( January 3, 2023, 9:31 AM EST) -- SANTA ANA, Calif. — A California federal judge said that an insurer must pay defense costs incurred by its insureds in underlying environmental contamination lawsuits because the insurer has a duty to defend the insureds and the insurer’s intent to appeal the court’s ruling on the duty-to-defend issue does not provide a basis for the insurer’s refusal to pay the defense costs....