Allstate Insurance v. Lahoud

605 S.E.2d 180, 167 N.C. App. 205, 2004 N.C. App. LEXIS 2149
CourtCourt of Appeals of North Carolina
DecidedDecember 7, 2004
DocketCOA03-964
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 605 S.E.2d 180 (Allstate Insurance v. Lahoud) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Allstate Insurance v. Lahoud, 605 S.E.2d 180, 167 N.C. App. 205, 2004 N.C. App. LEXIS 2149 (N.C. Ct. App. 2004).

Opinions

McCullough, Judge.

Defendant Michael Lahoud appeals the trial court’s order which granted summary judgment for plaintiff Allstate Insurance Company. A brief summary of the facts follows.

Michael Lahoud went to Virginia on 31 May 2001 to examine a parcel of real estate that he was considering buying. Lahoud took R.L.J. and J.V. with him. R.L.J. was nine years old at the time. At some point during the drive, R.L.J. sat in the front passenger area of the vehicle. During this time, Lahoud allegedly fondled R.L.J.’s penis and buttocks.

Lahoud was charged with one count of taking indecent liberties with a child. The State allowed Lahoud to plead guilty to this charge in exchange for a suspended sentence, an apology to R.L.J., and payment of restitution for R.L.J.’s therapy. Lahoud feared that if he did not take the offer, he would be prosecuted in federal court and would be facing more severe charges and active prison time. In open court, he entered a plea of guilty to the charge of taking indecent liberties with a child.

On 25 February 2002, S.J. filed a civil complaint against Michael Lahoud for assault and battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The complaint alleged that Lahoud sexually assaulted R.L.J. while on the trip to Virginia. Subsequently, the [207]*207complaint was amended to include a claim for negligent infliction of emotional distress.

On 29 July 2002, plaintiff Allstate Insurance Company sought a declaratory judgment action to determine its rights, duties, and obligations to defendant. Previously, plaintiff had issued a personal umbrella policy to defendant that was in effect from 20 October 2000 until 20 October 2001. The issues were whether Allstate had a duty to defend Lahoud in the civil suit and whether it had to provide insurance coverage for him.

On 30 December 2002, plaintiff filed a motion for summary judgment. The trial court granted plaintiffs motion for summary judgment. It determined that the policy provided no coverage for any of the matters alleged in the underlying complaint, and plaintiff Allstate had no duty to defend Lahoud in that action. Defendant appeals.

On appeal, defendant argues that the trial court erred by granting the motion for summary judgment because there were genuine issues of material fact regarding Allstate’s duty to defend Lahoud and its obligation to provide insurance coverage for him. We disagree and affirm the decision of the trial court.

I. Standard of Review

The standard of review on appeal from a summary judgment ruling is whether the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with affidavits, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and a party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Moore v. Coachmen Industries, Inc., 129 N.C. App. 389, 393-94, 499 S.E.2d 772, 775 (1998). “The moving party bears the burden of showing the lack of [a] triable issue of fact.” Id. at 394, 499 S.E.2d at 775. “The evidence is to be viewed in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party.” Id.

II. Issue on Appeal

The issue on appeal is whether Allstate has a duty to defend Lahoud and whether the insurance policy provides coverage under the circumstances of this case. Lahoud contends that there is a genuine issue of material fact regarding whether his acts were intentionally harmful. Allstate argues that defendant’s guilty plea in the criminal case establishes conclusively that he committed an intentional act. We agree that the outcome of this case hinges on the applicability of the exclusion section of the policy.

[208]*208Provisions in an insurance policy which extend coverage to the insured must be construed liberally to allow coverage whenever possible. Erie Ins. Exch. v. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 153 N.C. App. 709, 712, 570 S.E.2d 763, 765 (2002). However, exclusionary provisions are disfavored, and if ambiguous, they will be construed against the insurer and in favor of the insured. Id. The cases which have interpreted insurance coverage exclusions are varied, and the individual facts of each case often determine the outcome. Id. at 712, 570 S.E.2d at 766. The insurer bears the burden of proving that an exclusion is applicable. Insurance Co. v. McAbee, 268 N.C. 326, 328, 150 S.E.2d 496, 497 (1966).

In the section “General Exclusions-When This Policy Does Not Apply,” Allstate excludes from coverage “any intentionally harmful act or omission of an insured[.]” Thus, in order for the exclusion to apply, Allstate had to prove that defendant’s acts were intentionally harmful.

Our appellate courts have considered cases in which insurance policies excluded coverage for bodily injury that was “expected or intended” from the standpoint of the insured. In Nationwide Mutual Ins. Co. v. Abernethy, 115 N.C. App. 534, 536, 445 S.E.2d 618, 619 (1994), this Court considered the “expected or intended” language in the context of a child molestation charge. There, Robert Abernethy, a music teacher, was accused of sexually abusing one of his students. Id. at 535, 445 S.E.2d at 618. Abernethy pled guilty to the charge of taking indecent liberties with children. Id. at 535, 445 S.E.2d at 618-19. In a subsequent civil trial, the issue was whether Nationwide was required to provide coverage for Abernethy. Id. at 535, 445 S.E.2d at 619. Abemethy’s position was that “he did not intend or expect to cause injury . . . when committing the acts of sexual abuse.” Id. at 537, 445 S.E.2d at 619.

The Abernethy Court rejected this argument because “Abernethy’s deeds and subsequent admission that he wilfully sexually abused Lowery establish that, at the very least, Lowery’s injuries were ‘expected’ by Abernethy as that term is used in the policy.” Id. at 540, 445 S.E.2d at 621. The Court noted that Abernethy pled guilty to the charge of taking indecent liberties with children in violation of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-202.1. Id. at 538, 445 S.E.2d at 620. The Court further explained:

The statute prescribes as an element of the offense that the defendant’s acts be “willful.” “Willful” has been defined inter alia [209]*209as “done deliberately: not accidental or without purpose: intentional, self-determined.” Webster’s Third New International Dictionary 2617 (1968). In summary, defendant has admitted he intentionally committed acts of sexual abuse. See State v. Thompson, 314 N.C. 618, 624, 336 S.E.2d 78, 81 (1985) (a guilty plea is an admission that defendant committed each element of the crime). In light of this acknowledgment, we conclude he “knew it was probable” that Lowery’s injuries would ensue and thus “expected or intended” those injuries.

Id. at 538, 445 S.E.2d at 620. The Abemethy

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Allstate Insurance v. Lahoud
605 S.E.2d 180 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 2004)

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Bluebook (online)
605 S.E.2d 180, 167 N.C. App. 205, 2004 N.C. App. LEXIS 2149, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/allstate-insurance-v-lahoud-ncctapp-2004.