ARGENT EX REL. VINCENT v. Brady

901 A.2d 419, 386 N.J. Super. 343
CourtNew Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division
DecidedJune 27, 2006
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 901 A.2d 419 (ARGENT EX REL. VINCENT v. Brady) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
ARGENT EX REL. VINCENT v. Brady, 901 A.2d 419, 386 N.J. Super. 343 (N.J. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

901 A.2d 419 (2006)
386 N.J. Super. 343

Linda ARGENT, individually and as guardian ad Litem of Vincent Argent, an infant, Plaintiff-Respondent,
v.
Linda BRADY, Joseph Brady, Michael *420 Brady[1] and Melissa Brady,[2] Defendants-Respondents/Third-Party Plaintiffs,
v.
New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Company, Appellant/Third-Party Defendant.

Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division.

Argued May 2, 2006.
Decided June 27, 2006.

*421 Kathleen S. Murphy argued the cause for appellant (Connell Foley, attorneys; Ms. Murphy of counsel, Ms. Murphy and Catherine G. Bryan on the brief).

James B. Graziano argued the cause for respondent/third-party plaintiff Michael Brady (Graziano, Piasecki, Whitelaw & Simko, attorneys; Mr. Graziano on the brief).

David Sapiro, East Brunswick, counsel for plaintiff (Sapiro & Gottlieb, attorneys) relies on the brief filed on behalf of respondent, Michael Brady.

Karen Quinn Sopko, counsel for respondent/ third-party plaintiff Melissa Brady (Sherman & Viscomi attorneys) relies on the brief filed on behalf of respondent, Michael Brady.

Before Judges SKILLMAN, AXELRAD and PAYNE.

The opinion of the court was delivered by

PAYNE, J.A.D.

In this homeowner's insurance coverage action, we must determine whether the policy's business pursuits exclusion applies to the resident son of the named insureds, thereby barring any obligation by the insurer to defend or indemnify him from alleged liability for injuries sustained by an infant when bitten by the son's dog while the infant was receiving day care provided by the son's mother, a named insured.

When on premises owned by Linda and Joseph Brady and under the care of Linda Brady, Vincent Argent, a minor, was bitten in the face by a dog. Suit was filed by Linda Argent on behalf of herself and her son against the Bradys. The Bradys sought a defense and indemnification from their homeowner's carrier, New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Company (NJM). When NJM denied coverage on the basis of the policy's business pursuits exclusion, the Bradys instituted a third-party declaratory judgment action against their carrier. On motion for summary judgment, the motion judge found an issue of fact to exist as to whether Linda Brady was engaged in the business of providing day care services, since there was a dispute as to whether she was being paid for such services or just reimbursed for her *422 expenses when she accepted Argent's weekly payment on behalf of Vincent.[3]

Because discovery disclosed that the dog may have been owned by the Bradys' son Michael, who lived with them, an amended complaint was filed by Argent in her dog bite case naming him as a defendant. When Michael proffered his defense to NJM, it denied coverage to him, as well, as the result of the business pursuits exclusion, despite the fact that Michael was not personally engaged in any business allegedly conducted by his mother. Michael has also filed a claim against NJM in this litigation.

In answers to the amended complaint, both the parents and Michael denied ownership of the dog. Thereafter, a summary judgment motion was filed by Michael's parents seeking dismissal of the claims against them on the basis of their lack of ownership of the dog that had injured Vincent. Summary judgment was denied "for reasons set forth on the record" by order dated April 4, 2005. A transcript of those reasons has not been provided.[4]

Following consideration of a motion by Michael seeking a judgment against NJM for defense and indemnification pursuant to the terms of NJM's coverage, the court entered an order in Michael's favor, finding in a written opinion that Michael was an insured, and that the severability clause of NJM's policy operated to remove him from the purview of the business pursuits exclusion by creating an ambiguity as to the applicability of the exclusion. NJM moved for leave to file an interlocutory appeal, claiming that a final resolution of the coverage issue operated as an impediment to settlement of the action. We granted its motion. We now reverse.

I.

The contested exclusion from liability coverage provided:

Section II — Exclusions

1. Coverage E — Personal Liability and Coverage F — Medical Payments to Others do not apply to bodily injury or property damage:
a. With respect to all insureds, which is expected or intended by one or more insureds even if the bodily injury or property damage:
1. Is of a different kind, quality or degree than expected or intended; or
2. Is sustained by a different person or entity than expected or intended.
However this Exclusion "1.a." does not apply to bodily injury resulting from the use of reasonable force by an insured to protect persons or property.
This Exclusion "1.a." applies to all insureds notwithstanding the provision in Section II — Conditions, Paragraph "2." Severability Of Insurance.
b. Arising out of or in connection with a business engaged in by an insured ...
* * *
Section II — Conditions
* * *
2. Severability of Insurance This insurance applies separately to each insured. *423 This condition will not increase our limit of liability for any one occurrence.

We note that the business pursuits provision excludes coverage for injury arising out of or in connection with a business engaged in by "an" insured, not "the" insured. However, "an" insured is utilized, rather than "any" insured. Moreover, whereas the policy's intentional conduct exclusion specifically provides for the inapplicability of the policy's severability clause to the exclusion, the business pursuits exclusion does not make specific reference to the severability clause, nor do the following eight exclusions. Whether either NJM's failure to use "any" rather than "an" or its failure to specifically reference the severability clause in connection with the business pursuits exclusion results in a finding of coverage are the specific issues presented in this appeal.

II.

We address first the issue of whether there is coverage as the result of NJM's use of the phrase "an" insured. It is doubtlessly true that if NJM had used the phrase "the" insured, coverage for Michael Brady would exist, regardless of the business pursuits exclusion, because there is no evidence that the injury arose out of a business engaged in by him. Care of the infant Vincent was provided by Linda Brady, and no other insured.[5]

We find that the insurer's use of the phrase "an" insured can be reasonably understood only as encompassing a business engaged in either by Linda, her husband Joseph or her son Michael, the three persons to whom homeowner's protection was, in general terms, offered under the policy at issue. Courts have uniformly held that the use of the article "an" in this context is not susceptible to any other meaning, and in this context cannot be deemed synonymous with "the."[6]

*424 In reaching this conclusion, we are mindful that our task in construing a contract of insurance "is to search broadly for the probable intent of the parties in an effort to find a reasonable meaning in keeping with the express general purposes of the policy." Sinopoli v. No. River Ins. Co., 244

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Bluebook (online)
901 A.2d 419, 386 N.J. Super. 343, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/argent-ex-rel-vincent-v-brady-njsuperctappdiv-2006.