Allstate Vehicle and Property Insurance Company and Allstate Indemnity Company v. Rodger W., individually and as the Administrator of the Estate of Hyrum W., and Carley S.

District Court, N.D. West Virginia·Decided March 27, 2026·No. 1:24-cv-00006·Unknown

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF WEST VIRGINIA ALLSTATE VEHICLE AND PROPERTY INSURANCE COMPANY and ALLSTATE INDEMNITY COMPANY, Plaintiffs, v. CIVIL NO. 1:24-CV-06 (KLEEH) RODGER W., individually and as the Administrator of the Estate of Hyrum W., and CARLEY S., Defendants. MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT [ECF NO. 61] AND DENYING DEFENDANT RODGER W.’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT [ECF NO. 62] Pending are cross-motions for summary judgment. For the reasons discussed herein, the Court GRANTS Plaintiffs’ motion and DENIES Rodger W.’s motion. I. BACKGROUND On July 15, 2022, four-month-old Hyrum W. (“Hyrum”) died while in the care of his foster mother, Defendant Carley S. (“Carley”). Compl., ECF No. 1, at ¶ 7. According to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (“DHHR”),1 Hyrum died of asphyxia. Id. ¶ 9. DHHR concluded that child neglect occurred. Id. On or about August 3, 2023, Plaintiffs Allstate Vehicle and Property Insurance Company and Allstate Indemnity 1 On January 1, 2024, DHHR was reorganized into three separate departments. MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT [ECF NO. 61] AND DENYING DEFENDANT RODGER W.’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT [ECF NO. 62] Company (together, “Plaintiffs”) were notified of claims being asserted by Defendant Rodger W. (“Rodger”), the paternal grandfather of Hyrum, against Carley in connection with Hyrum’s death. Id. ¶ 8. On December 20, 2023, Plaintiffs sent a letter denying coverage for the incident. See Def. Exh. 1, ECF No. 65. On January 5, 2024, Plaintiffs filed this action against Rodger (individually and as the Administrator of the Estate of Hyrum) and Carley. See ECF No. 1. Specifically, Plaintiffs seek a declaratory judgment on the issue of liability insurance coverage. Now pending are cross-motions for summary judgment, which are fully briefed and ripe for review. See ECF Nos. 61, 62. The facts are largely undisputed. A. General Background Carley is an only child who has a close relationship with her parents, Jerry S. (“Jerry”) and Antoinette S. (“Antoinette”). Def. Exh. 7, ECF No. 65-6, at 9:1-6. Shortly after she started college, Carley moved from her childhood home, 1078 Windsor Avenue (the “Windsor Property”), to a condominium purchased by her parents in

Suncrest (the “Suncrest Condo”). Id. at 11:2–16; Def. Exh. 8, ECF No. 65-7, at 20:8-16. After living in the Suncrest Condo for almost a decade, Carley moved into her current home at 1082 Koontz MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT [ECF NO. 61] AND DENYING DEFENDANT RODGER W.’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT [ECF NO. 62] Avenue (the “Koontz Property”).2 Def. Exh. 8, ECF No. 65-7, at 16:12-22. Jerry and Antoinette own 99% of the Koontz Property but have never lived there. Def. Exh. 6, ECF No. 65-5, at 10:12–19; Def. Exh. 7, ECF No. 65-6, at 48:21–22. They still live at the Windsor Property. Def. Exh. 7, ECF No. 65-6, at 8:5–16. The Koontz Property and the Windsor Property are one block away from each other. Id. at 29:15–18. The properties’ proximity allows Carley to visit her parents often. She stays at her parents’ house when they are out of town, has dinner with her parents regularly, and visits her dog, which stays at the Windsor Property because it has a fenced-in yard. Id. at 35:16–36:13; Def. Exh. 8, ECF No. 65–7, at 28:22–29:5, 50:11–51:1. Carley helps take care of her mother, who has inflammatory bowel disease, and her grandmother, who lives nearby. Def. Exh. 7, ECF No. 65–6, at 31:16–20, 36:24– 37:1; Def. Exh. 8, ECF No. 65–7, at 29:3–5. Carley’s parents maintain her childhood bedroom in the exact condition as it was when she first moved to the Suncrest Condo. Def. Exh. 7, ECF No. 65–6, at 13:18–14:1.

Growing up, Carley received a lot of support from her parents, and the support continues today. Carley has never paid her parents

2 Of the three properties where Carley lived, she has a legal interest in only two: a one-third interest in the Suncrest Condo and a one percent interest in the Koontz Property. Def. Exh. 6, ECF No. 65–5, at 10:12–19. MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT [ECF NO. 61] AND DENYING DEFENDANT RODGER W.’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT [ECF NO. 62] rent, does not pay for home insurance, and does not pay for automobile insurance. Id. at 17:15–21:5. Carley pays the utility bills at the Koontz Property and pays for her daily living expenses. Def. Exh. 8, ECF No. 65-7, at 23:13–21. She is employed at West Virginia University Hospitals and has maintained full-time employment there for over seven years. Id. at 13:8–22. Over the past seven years, Carley took one year off work to go back to school. Id. at 13:19–22. During her year off, her parents provided her with a living stipend so that she could focus on her studies. Id. at 27:21–28:9; Def. Exh. 7, ECF No. 65–6, at 30:7– 16. Hyrum died on the Koontz Property. See Pl. Memo., ECF No. 61-1, at 12. At the time of Hyrum’s death, Carley was 30 years old, had one adopted daughter, and was fostering Hyrum and two other children. Def. Exh. 8, ECF No. 65-7, at 57:22–58:6. She was a full-time employee at West Virginia University Hospitals. Carley was living at the Koontz Property with her adopted child, foster children, and romantic partner. She never stayed at the

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Allstate Vehicle and Property Insurance Company and Allstate Indemnity Company v. Rodger W., individually and as the Administrator of the Estate of Hyrum W., and Carley S., (N.D.W. Va. 2026).

Allstate Vehicle and Property Insurance Company and Allstate Indemnity Company v. Rodger W., individually and as the Administrator of the Estate of Hyrum W., and Carley S. (Allstate Vehicle and Property Insurance Company and Allstate Indemnity Company v. Rodger W., individually and as the Administrator of the Estate of Hyrum W., and Carley S.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.