Allstate Insurance v. Preferred Financial Solutions, Inc.

8 F. Supp. 3d 1039, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 38780, 2014 WL 1233461
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Indiana
DecidedMarch 24, 2014
DocketCase No. 1:12-cv-00649-DML-JMS
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 8 F. Supp. 3d 1039 (Allstate Insurance v. Preferred Financial Solutions, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Indiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Allstate Insurance v. Preferred Financial Solutions, Inc., 8 F. Supp. 3d 1039, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 38780, 2014 WL 1233461 (S.D. Ind. 2014).

Opinion

Order on Cross-Motions for Summary Judgment

DEBRA McVICKER LYNCH, United States Magistrate Judge.

This lawsuit concerns Allstate Insurance Company’s obligations to the defendants with respect to a class action lawsuit filed in Georgia against the defendants and others (the “Underlying Litigation”). Allstate has moved for judgment as a matter of law that its insurance policies do not provide coverage for the class action claims and that it therefore has no duty to provide a defense in the Underlying Litigation and no duty to indemnify any of the defendants against any judgment that may be entered against them. Allstate also argues that defendants Credit Card Relief, Inc. and Thomas P. Dakich d/b/a Dakich & Associates are not within the class of insureds under the policies. Three of the defendants have cross-moved for summary judgment. Preferred Financial Solutions, Inc., Jeffrey Brooks, and Credit Card Relief, Inc. argue that they are entitled to judgment that they are insureds and that Allstate owes a duty to defend them. They do not maintain, however, that the court can determine as a matter of law Allstate’s indemnity obligations at this juncture. Defendant Thomas P. Dakich d/b/a Dakich [1042]*1042& Associates has not responded to Allstate’s summary judgment motion or filed a cross-motion, even though he is represented by the same counsel who represents the other defendants.

Summary Judgment Standard

Summary judgment is appropriate when “there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(a). Substantive law determines the facts that are material. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 251, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). A genuine issue of material fact exists if “there is sufficient evidence favoring the nonmoving party for a jury to return a verdict for that party.” Id. at 249, 106 S.Ct. 2505. The court construes the evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party and draws all reasonable inferences from the evidence in favor of the nonmoving party. Zerante v. DeLuca, 555 F.3d 582, 584 (7th Cir.2009). When evaluating cross-motions for summary judgment, therefore, the court construes the evidence and its reasonable inferences in favor of the party against which the particular motion under consideration is made. Metro. Life Ins. Co. v. Johnson, 297 F.3d 558, 561-62 (7th Cir.2002). “[I]f genuine doubts remain and a reasonable fact-finder could find for the party opposing the motion, summary judgment is inappropriate.” Olayan v. Holder, 833 F.Supp.2d 1052, 1061 (S.D.Ind.2011).

Preliminary Matters

The Policies at Issue

Allstate issued yearly Business Insurance Policies to “Preferred Leads”1 that were in effect from July 20, 2002 to July 20, 2012. The first three annual policies (commencing July 20, 2002, July 20, 2003, and July 20, 2004) covered business premises in Indiana and Illinois. Beginning July 20, 2005, separate policies were issued for the Indiana premises and the Illinois premises.

Allstate contends that because the Underlying Litigation concerns activities associated only with the Indiana premises, then only the three early policies that covered both Indiana and Illinois premises and the 2005 through 2012 Indiana Policies (“Indiana Business Policies”) could possibly provide coverage. Allstate argues it is thus entitled to summary judgment that there is no coverage, and no duty to defend or to indemnify, with respect to the separate Illinois Policies issued annually from July 20, 2005 through July 20, 2012 (the “Illinois Policies”). The defendants did not respond to Allstate’s argument regarding the Illinois Policies and did not identify any factual disputes precluding judgment in Allstate’s favor that there is no coverage under the Illinois Policies. The court therefore enters a declaratory judgment in favor of Allstate and against all defendants that no coverage exists, and no duty to defend or to indemnify arises, under the Illinois Policies as to any defendants with respect to the Underlying Litigation.

The parties agree that the relevant language in all the Indiana Business Policies is materially identical. The court’s rulings thus apply identically for all the Indiana Business Policies.

Governing Law

The parties also agree that Indiana substantive law governs coverage obligations and duties to defend arising from the Indiana Business Policies. An insurance policy is a contract and its construction and interpretation is generally a question of law resolved by the same prin[1043]*1043ciples applicable to other contracts. Dunn v. Meridian Mut Ins. Co., 836 N.E.2d 249, 251 (Ind.2005); Colonial Penn Ins. Co. v. Guzorek, 690 N.E.2d 664, 667 (Ind.1997). The court’s objective is to ascertain and enforce the parties’ intent as manifested by the contract language. Cotton v. Auto-Owners Ins. Co., 937 N.E.2d 414, 416 (Ind.Ct.App.2010). If the contract language is ambiguous — meaning that the language is susceptible to more than interpretation and reasonably intelligent persons could honestly take different sides as to its meaning — then the court must construe that language against the insurer and in favor of its insured. E.g., State Farm Mut. Ins. Co. v. D’Angelo, 875 N.E.2d 789, 796 (Ind.Ct.App.2007).

The Indiana Business Policies require Allstate to defend any lawsuit “brought against persons insured seeking damages to which [the comprehensive liability insurance] applies even if the allegations in the suit are groundless, false or fraudulent.” {See Exemplar Policy, Dkt. 1-2 at p. 38). If the claims against the defendants in the Underlying Litigation potentially fall within indemnity coverage provided by the Policies, then Allstate’s duty to defend is triggered. Newnam Mfg., Inc. v. Transcontinental Ins. Co., 871 N.E.2d 396, 401-02 (Ind.Ct.App.2007) (a duty to defend arises when there is the possibility of indemnity coverage under the policy). On the other hand, if it is clear that the claims against the insured are “patently outside the risks” for which coverage is afforded by the Policies, then Allstate has no duty to defend the claims or, of course, to indemnify its insureds in the event that the claims are decided against them. Id. See also West Bend Mut. Ins. Co. v. U.S. Fidelity and Guaranty Co., 598 F.3d 918, 922 (7th Cir.2010) (applying Indiana law) (where claim is patently outside the risks covered by the policy, the insurer has no duty to defend).

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8 F. Supp. 3d 1039, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 38780, 2014 WL 1233461, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/allstate-insurance-v-preferred-financial-solutions-inc-insd-2014.