Alliance General Insurance v. Louisiana Sheriff's Automobile Risk Program

52 F. Supp. 2d 711, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8203, 1999 WL 350159
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Louisiana
DecidedMay 28, 1999
DocketCivil Action No. 96-0961
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 52 F. Supp. 2d 711 (Alliance General Insurance v. Louisiana Sheriff's Automobile Risk Program) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Alliance General Insurance v. Louisiana Sheriff's Automobile Risk Program, 52 F. Supp. 2d 711, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8203, 1999 WL 350159 (E.D. La. 1999).

Opinion

PORTEOUS, District Judge.

Before this Court are Motions for Summary Judgment by the Louisiana Sheriffs Automobile Risk Program, various sheriffs, Hunt Insurance Group, Inc., U.S. Risk, Morris Temple & Company, Inc, Mor-Tem Risk Management Services, Inc., Mor-Tem Systems, Inc., Amerisafe, and Southern Underwriters which came for hearing by oral arguments on a previous date. The Court, having reviewed the record, the memoranda submitted by the parties, the exhibits and the applicable law is fully advised of the premises of this case and is ready to rule.

ORDER AND REASONS

I. BACKGROUND

This suit arises out of a complaint filed by Alliance General Insurance Company (“Alliance”) against the Louisiana Sheriffs Association (“LSA”), the Louisiana Sheriffs Automobile Risk Program (“LASH-ARP”) and various sheriffs1 for rescission of certain excess automobile liability insurance policies (“excess policies”) or, alternatively, damages. LSA, LASHARP, and [714]*714sheriffs in turn filed third-party demands against Hunt Insurance Group, Inc. (“Hunt”), U.S. Risk, Morris Temple & Company, Inc, Mor-Tem Risk Management Services, Inc., Mor-Tem Systems, Inc. (collectively “Mor-Tem”),’ Amerisafe, and Southern Underwriters.

Alliance issued the policies for the coverage years July 1992 — July 1993 (Policy Number XLO-001360), July 1993 — July 1994 (Policy Number XLO-001372), and July 1994 — July 1995 (Policy Number XLO-001379). The “Declaration” page of each policy indicates that the “named insured” is LASHARP.

These policies provide excess automobile liability insurance coverage to named insureds, as defined by the policies, during specific periods. According to the policies, primary coverage is provided by LASH-ARP, which is a self-insured risk management agency created in 1989 by Hunt. From the inception of LASHARP until September 20, 1993, all excess automobile policies, including the 1992 — 1993 and 1993 — 1994 policies in the instant litigation, were procured by Hunt acting in conjunction with U.S. Risk. Additionally, Hunt, as a third-party administrator, managed and adjusted all automobile claims for LASHARP members. On September 20, 1993, Mor-Tem began to serve as the third-party administrator for LASHARP, therefore, being involved in insurance procurement activities for the 1994 — 1995 policy only.

Hunt established certain reporting requirements for the sheriffs to follow. (Hunt Depo., pp. 80-81) The sheriffs would report to Hunt and then Hunt would either report directly to the excess carrier or to U.S. Risk who would then report to the excess carrier. Id, (Doc. 624). Hunt required the sheriffs to report everything that occurred as it occurred, wether it was an actual claim or not, as soon as possible. (Hunt Depo., pp. 80-81). Additionally, the sheriffs were required to report any major accidents and/or major injuries within twenty-four hours of occurrence. Id. The sheriffs were not apprised of the excess carrier’s reporting requirements because they did not ever report directly to the excess carrier and, in addition, Hunt’s requirements were more stringent. Id at 82. The sheriffs continued to follow these same general reporting requirements when Mor-Tem replaced Hunt as the third-party administrator (Doc. 624).

Alliance bases its complaint on the defendants’ (1) alleged failure to disclose all facts which were important in Alliance’s determination of issuing the policies of insurance; (2) alleged failure to disclose certain claims which had been asserted against them prior to their applying for insurance coverage; (3) alleged inadequate claims reporting; and (4) alleged intentional suppression of undisclosed claims to gain unjust advantage over Alliance. LASHARP, LSA, and sheriffs brought the third party suits. During oral argument on May 12, 1999 this Court dismissed LSA from the suit, leaving Alliance with claims against LASHARP and the sheriffs only.

II. LEGAL ANALYSIS

A. Law on summary judgment

“[JJudgment ... shall be rendered forthwith if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c). To determine whether there are any issues of material fact, the.court must first consult the applicable substantive law to ascertain what factual issues are material. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2510, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). Having done that, the court must review the evidence bearing on those issues, viewing the facts and inferences therefrom in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. Lavespere v. Niagara Machine & Tool Works, Inc., 910 F.2d 167, 178 (5th Cir.1990), cert. denied, 510 U.S. 859, 114 S.Ct. 171, 126 L.Ed.2d 131 (1993).

[715]*715Initially, the moving party bears the burden of establishing that there are no genuine issues of material fact. Little v. Liquid Air Corp., 37 F.3d 1069, 1075 (5th Cir.1994). To satisfy this burden, the moving party may either submit evidentia-ry documents that negate the existence of some material element of the nonmoving party’s claim or, if the crucial issue is one for which the nonmoving party will bear the burden of proof at trial, merely point out that the evidentiary documents in the record contain insufficient proof concerning an essential element of the nonmoving party’s claim or defense. Lujan v. National Wildlife Fed’n, 497 U.S. 871, 888, 110 S.Ct. 3177, 3189, 111 L.Ed.2d 695 (1990). The court does not, in the absence of any proof, assume that the nonmoving party could or would prove the necessary facts. Little, 37 F.3d at 1075.

If the moving party fails to meet this initial burden the motion must be denied regardless of the nonmovant’s response; however, if the movant does meet this burden, the burden shifts to the nonmov-ing party to go beyond the pleadings and designate specific facts and competent summary judgment evidence sufficient to raise a genuine issue for trial. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 325, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2553-54, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). A party opposing a properly supported motion for summary judgment may not rest upon mere allegations or denials, but must set forth specific facts showing the existence of a genuine issue for trial. Anderson, 477 U.S. at 256-57, 106 S.Ct. at 2514-15. Unsubstantiated or eonclusory assertions that a fact issue exists will not suffice. See Krim v. BancTexas Group, Inc., 989 F.2d 1435, 1442 (5th Cir.1993); Thomas v. Price,

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52 F. Supp. 2d 711, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8203, 1999 WL 350159, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/alliance-general-insurance-v-louisiana-sheriffs-automobile-risk-program-laed-1999.