Scottsdale Ins. Co. v. United Rentals (N. Am.), Inc.
Scottsdale Ins. Co. v. United Rentals (N. Am.), Inc.
Opinion of the Court
I. BACKGROUND
This is the second phase of an insurance coverage action arising from a personal injury suit in the Rhode Island courts. In the first phase, I found that plaintiff Scottsdale Insurance Company ("Scottsdale") owed a duty to defend to defendant United Rentals (North America), Inc. ("United Rentals") in an underlying personal injury action. Scottsdale Ins. Co. v. United Rentals (N. Am.), Inc. ("Scottsdale I "),
The basic facts were set forth in my previous Memorandum and Order:
In a contract dated June 22, 2007, Gomes Services, Inc. ("Gomes") rented an electric boom lift from United Rentals. Gomes used that lift at a trade show held at the Rhode Island Convention Center, where on June 26, 2007 an accident occurred. Guy Ayotte, the plaintiff in the underlying action, was struck and injured by the lift, which was then being operated by Gomes employee Mario Perez. At that time, Gomes was insured by Scottsdale. United Rentals had its own insurance policies, two of which are at issue in this litigation and now asserts that it was an additional insured on the Scottsdale policy as well. The relevant features of these contracts and policies will be described as they arise in the analysis of the legal questions presented.
After the accident, Ayotte and his wife filed suit in Rhode Island state court against United Rentals, Gomes, and others.
*227Ayotte ex. rel. Ayotte v. Perez , C.A. No. 10-2164 (R.I. Super. Ct., amended complaint filed Mar. 11, 2011). Three counts in the amended complaint assert causes of action against United Rentals and are relevant here: Negligent Operation and Ownership Liability (Count I); Negligent Maintenance of a Dangerous Instrumentality (Count V), and Negligent Hiring of a Dangerous Instrumentality (Count VI). At the heart of the claims against United Rentals is the allegation that the lift should have been properly equipped with an alarm which warned bystanders of the lift's approach, but that the lift emitted no audible sounds at the time.
Scottsdale I ,
The underlying Ayotte action has settled, and, pursuant to that settlement, United Rentals paid a sum of money to the Ayottes.
In my previous Memorandum and Order, I resolved a number of disputes concerning the relationship between the parties. These rulings remain the law of the case.
First, I found that Massachusetts law governs this dispute.
Second, I determined that Scottsdale's insurance contract with Gomes required United Rentals to be added as an additional insured.
Third, I held that Scottsdale owed United Rentals a duty to defend in the underlying action, and that it had failed to do so.
Because a declaration concerning indemnification was not then ripe, however, I did not decide that issue.
The standard of review remains the same:
Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56, summary judgment is appropriate where there "is no genuine issue as to any material fact and [ ] the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law." Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c). Cross-motions for summary judgment do not alter this standard, but rather require a determination of whether either party can show an entitlement to judgment as a matter of law based on the undisputed facts. Adria Int'l Grp., Inc. v. Ferre Dev., Inc. ,241 F.3d 103 , 107 (1st Cir. 2001). The interpretation of an insurance contract is a question of law. Cody v. Connecticut Gen. Life Ins. Co. ,387 Mass. 142 ,439 N.E.2d 234 , 237 (1982).
Id. at 18.
II. MOTION TO STRIKE
United Rentals has moved to strike three elements from Scottsdale's briefing: pages filed beyond the 20-page limit set forth in Local Rule 7.1(b)(4); all references to Scottsdale's internal investigation by representative Eliza Czerwein, which was belatedly disclosed; and the confidential amount of the settlement in the underlying litigation.
In determining whether sanctions are appropriate for untimely disclosures and other discovery violations related to Czerwein's investigation, I am guided by the factors the First Circuit has laid out. District courts should "weigh the severity of the discovery violations, legitimacy of the party's excuse for failing to comply, repetition of violations, deliberateness of the misconduct, mitigating excuses, prejudice to the other party and to the operations of the court, and adequacy of lesser sanctions," as well as whether the court *228previously "gave the offending party notice of the possibility of sanctions and the opportunity to explain its misconduct and argue against the imposition of such a penalty." AngioDynamics, Inc. v. Biolitec AG ,
After weighing these factors, I conclude no sanction is necessary. The record shows no pattern of discovery violations by Scottsdale-and as a result, no prior warnings about sanctions were given. Nor did these failures create any substantial prejudice to United Rentals. First, my analysis of the merits of the case does not rely upon, or otherwise make use of, Ms. Czerwein's testimony. Her investigation is potentially relevant in addressing factual questions about the negligent maintenance of the boom lift but that does not affect my determination as to indemnity coverage on summary judgment. Moreover, Scottsdale points out that this evidence comes from the underlying litigation, to which United Rentals, but not Scottsdale, was a party; thus, United Rentals already had access to this information. I see no need for sanction in this instance.
I find the other two issues harmless. First, Scottsdale has already filed a Notice of Scrivener's Error and a corrected memorandum addressing the confidential settlement figure. This suffices to cure any problem. Second, while Scottsdale's briefing exceeded the page limit, it was largely repetitive of briefing from the first phase of this litigation and then repeated in Scottsdale's opposition brief; the extra pages did not serve to augment the persuasiveness of Scottsdale's arguments. While I must warn Scottsdale and its attorneys of the need for greater care in its briefing and closer attention to the Rules of Civil Procedure and the Local Rules of this District, I impose no sanctions at this juncture and I will deny the motion to strike.
III. ANALYSIS
A. The Duty to Indemnify
Although Scottsdale had a duty to defend United Rentals in the underlying action, "the obligation to indemnify does not ineluctably follow from the duty to defend." Newell-Blais Post No. 443, Veterans of Foreign Wars of U.S., Inc. v. Shelby Mut. Ins. Co. ,
Because Scottsdale wrongfully declined to defend United Rentals, even if it did so in good faith, the relevant burden of proof shifts and Scottsdale must prove that the claim was not within its policy's coverage in order to avoid owing indemnification. Polaroid Corp. v. Travelers Indem. Co. ,
This burden shifting brings certain additional consequences in the context of a settlement. If some underlying claims are covered by the policy and others are not covered, the insurer also bears the burden of allocating the judgment or settlement between those claims.
*229Liquor Liab. Joint Underwriting Ass'n of Massachusetts v. Hermitage Ins. Co. ,
Massachusetts courts have generally looked for unambiguous allocations of liability, such as a special jury verdict dividing liability across claims, to meet the burden. See, e.g., Palermo v. Fireman's Fund Ins. Co. ,
Accordingly, in this case, Scottsdale bears the burden of showing that United Rentals' settlement costs were not covered under the policy and, if it can show that only some claims were not covered, establishing a reliable allocation of settlement costs across the claims.
B. Scope of the Additional Insured Coverage
United Rentals is covered as an additional insured under the Scottsdale policy provided to Gomes. That policy provides additional insured coverage "only with respect to liability for 'bodily injury,' 'property damage' or 'personal and advertising injury' caused, in whole or in part, by [Gomes'] acts or omissions; or [t]he acts or omissions of those acting on [Gomes'] behalf." This provision can be read in two ways, depending on what the "caused by" phrase is seen to modify. Scottsdale argues that coverage is provided only where the liability is caused by Gomes' acts-in other words, only for vicarious liability. United Rentals argues that it is the injury or damage that must be caused by Gomes' acts. This interpretive issue in insurance contracts is not unknown, as the many cases each party cites demonstrate; Massachusetts courts, however, appear not to have addressed it yet. Consequently, I apply the ordinary principles of interpreting an insurance contract, looking to the "the actual language of the policies, given its plain and ordinary meaning," and resolving any ambiguities against the insurer. Valley Forge Ins. Co. v. Field ,
The weight of authority from other jurisdictions examining substantially identical language supports the interpretation of United Rentals. In a particularly thoughtful opinion, Judge Arterton of the District of Connecticut offered three reasons to believe that coverage is provided where the acts of the named insured caused bodily injury. First Mercury Ins. Co. v. Shawmut Woodworking & Supply, Inc. ,
Second, Judge Arterton concluded that the "in whole or in part" phrase is incompatible with an interpretation in which only vicarious liability is covered. Id. at 172-73. "[V]icarious liability is an all or nothing proposition and thus a party could not be vicariously liable 'in part' for [the named insured's] acts." Id. at 173.
Third, she explored the drafting history of this standardized contractual language and persuasively demonstrated that the provision in question was intended to impose limits related to proximate causation, not vicarious liability. Id. at 173. While this final reason goes beyond the plain language of the contract, it is nevertheless instructive regarding the meaning of the language.
Other courts have focused on the lack of explicit language limiting additional insured coverage to vicarious liability. See Am. Empire Surplus Lines Ins. Co. v. Crum & Forster Specialty Ins. Co. , No. CIV. H-06-0004,
In contrast, the leading case cited by Scottsdale offers only a conclusory reading of the relevant clause. Schafer v. Paragano Custom Bldg., Inc. , No. A-2512-08T3,
The other cases cited by Scottsdale are simply inapposite, concerning different contractual language or different interpretive questions. For example, in Merchs. Ins. Co. of N.H. v. U.S. Fid. & Guar. Co. ,
I agree with those courts that have found under this contractual language additional insured coverage for all injuries caused by acts of the named insured, not only for vicarious liability. Their holdings best give effect to the clause as a whole. To the degree disagreements among courts are enough to show that "the policy language is susceptible to more than one rational interpretation," Valley Forge Ins. Co ,
The additional insured provision covers United Rentals for the two counts concerning its own negligence: Counts V and VI.
*231Scottsdale I ,
C. Excess and Primary Coverage
Scottsdale argues, in the alternative, that its additional insured coverage to United Rentals is only excess of United Rentals' own insurance policies. Analysis begins with the relevant policy provisions. The Scottsdale policy provided to Gomes (and then to United Rentals as additional insured) states that "[a]ny coverage provided hereunder will be excess over any other valid and collectible insurance available to the additional insured whether primary, excess, contingent or on any other basis unless a written contract specifically requires that this insurance be primary."
United Rentals, for its part, has two potentially relevant insurance policies provided by ACE. The first, which Scottsdale deems the "ACE CGL Policy,"
The second, which Scottsdale has titled the "ACE Ultimate Net Loss Policy," is described as an "Excess Commercial General Liability Policy." That policy has a limit of $3 million per occurrence, subject to a $2 million self-insured retention ("SIR") per occurrence. It also has an "other insurance" clause, which provides that "[i]f other insurance is available to the insured for a loss we cover under this policy, this insurance is excess over that other insurance, unless that insurance is written specifically to apply in excess of the Limits of Insurance shown in the Declarations."
The Scottsdale policy does not require significant interpretation. It is excess "unless a written contract specifically requires that this insurance be primary." There is no contention that any such contract so requires. Consequently, the Scottsdale coverage is excess, so long as one of the ACE policies is "valid and collectible insurance."
Conversely, the ACE Ultimate Net Loss Policy is excess over other insurance, unless that other insurance is "written specifically" to apply in excess of the ACE Ultimate Net Loss Policy. There is no contention that the Scottsdale policy *232was written specifically to apply in excess of the ACE Ultimate Net Loss Policy. The Net Loss policy is also an excess policy (as clearly stated in its title, "Excess Commercial General Liability Policy").
In arguing that the ACE policies offer primary coverage, Scottsdale relies on Lexington Ins. Co. v. Va. Sur. Co. ,
As for the ACE CGL policy, on its face, it provides primary coverage. The ACE CGL policy is only excess over other primary coverage, but the Scottsdale policy provides excess coverage. Consequently, the plain meaning of these provisions requires the ACE CGL policy to remain primary. Cf. Am. Family Mut. Ins. Co. v. Nat'l Fire & Marine Ins. Co. ,
United Rentals offers a variety of arguments as to why the ACE CGL policy should not be considered as insurance for these purposes at all. First, and least persuasively, United Rentals argues that the CGL policy "was not designed to cover URI but to provide coverage for a customer specifically added by endorsement to become an additional insured." In support of that argument about intent, United Rentals offers deposition testimony, notes that no claim has ever been submitted under the policy, and suggests that having two overlapping policies would make no sense. But I must interpret insurance contracts by looking to the "actual language" of the policies; that is where the material intent of the drafters must be found.
United Rentals also characterizes the structure of the ACE CGL policy as showing that it is not "valid and collectible insurance." According to United Rentals, this policy is a "fronting policy." "In a fronting arrangement, an insurer, for a fee, issues an insurance policy with the intent of passing most or all of risk back to the policyholder, or to a reinsurer, or to the policyholder's captive. Insureds commonly use fronting to retain risks and control reinsurance." Ins. Co. of N. Am. v. Pyramid Ins. Co. of Bermuda , No. 92 Civ. 1816(SS),
Courts are divided as to whether self-insurance qualifies as "other insurance," although a "clear majority of courts" has held that it does not. Stratford Sch. Dist., S.A.U. Dist. No. 58 v. Emp'rs Reinsurance Corp. ,
Massachusetts appears not to have decided whether either true self-insurance or fronting policies constitute "other insurance" for these purposes. That said, the Supreme Judicial Court has found that self-insurance can be the "primary layer" of insurance over which excess insurance sits. Boston Gas Co. v. Century Indem. Co. ,
IV. CONCLUSION
For the reasons set forth above, I DENY United Rentals' motion to strike and GRANT IN PART and DENY IN PART the respective motions for summary judgment of Scottsdale and United Rentals. I declare that Scottsdale owes United Rentals a duty to indemnify, but only as a provider of excess coverage above the ACE CGL policy. To the extent that this gives rise to damages, I GRANT United Rentals' claim for summary judgment on its breach of contract counterclaim. The parties are directed to submit a joint status memorandum and proposed scheduling order on or before April 20, 2018 proposing *234a process to be followed to bring this case to final judgment.
The settlement amount is treated as confidential by the parties.
Scottsdale argues that the remaining count, alleging vicarious liability under R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-34-1, would have failed as a matter of law because that statute imposes liability only on vehicles rented in Rhode Island, whereas this vehicle was rented in Massachusetts. This appears to be correct. Fratus v. Amerco ,
I adopt Scottsdale's naming conventions for the sake of clarity but do not ascribe any legal significance to this convenient set of conventions.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- SCOTTSDALE INSURANCE COMPANY v. UNITED RENTALS (NORTH AMERICA), INC.
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published