Argonaut Great Central Insurance v. McDowell County

626 F. Supp. 2d 554, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 43996
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. North Carolina
DecidedMay 20, 2009
DocketNo. 1:08cv371
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 626 F. Supp. 2d 554 (Argonaut Great Central Insurance v. McDowell County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Argonaut Great Central Insurance v. McDowell County, 626 F. Supp. 2d 554, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 43996 (W.D.N.C. 2009).

Opinion

[556]*556MEMORANDUM OF DECISION

DENNIS L. HOWELL, United States Magistrate Judge.

THIS MATTER is before the court in accordance with 28, United States Code, Section 636(c), and on the Frye defendants’ Motion to Dismiss Civil Action Under 28 U.S.C. § 2201(# 34). Plaintiff timely filed its Response (#42) and the Frye defendants timely filed their Reply (#44). Having carefully considered the well reasoned briefs of all the parties as well as considered all the pleadings in this matter, the court will decline to exercise jurisdiction under 28, United States Code, Section 2201 for the reasons which follow.

FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS

I. Nature of the Action

This action involves the scope of coverage of a policy of insurance (Policy No. PE^4601244-04) issued by plaintiff to defendant McDowell County. Compl., at ¶ 13. It is undisputed that the policy consists of two “parts”: the first part provides commercial automobile coverage; and the second part provides law enforcement liability coverage. Id. Plaintiff does not dispute that such policy provides liability coverage for defendants Dudley Greene (in his official capacity as the present Sheriff of McDowell Country), James Brandon Watson (in his official capacity as a former Deputy Sheriff of McDowell County), and McDowell County. Plaintiff does, however, dispute the coverage available under the policy as well as the Frye’s and the [557]*557Huskins’ contention that two accidents occurred.

More specifically, plaintiff herein contends that its limit of liability under the policy is $1,000,000.00 for the injuries sustained by the Fryes and the Huskins on or about February 6, 2007. Compl., at ¶ 18. More specifically, plaintiff contends that

there was a single “accident” under the commercial auto coverage part of the Argonaut Policy, and the $1,000,000 per accident limit of liability under that coverage part applies to all claims resulting from the February 6, 2007 event.

Compl., at 19. Pursuant to Section 2201, plaintiff then asks this court to

declare the rights and obligations of the parties, including that one “accident” occurred under the commercial auto coverage part of the Argonaut Policy, that the auto use exclusion of the law enforcement liability coverage part of the Argonaut Policy precludes the Underlying Plaintiffs’ claims, and that Argonaut has no obligation to defend or indemnify McDowell County for the claims in the Underlying Complaints beyond $1,000,000;
2. That, in the alternative, the Court declare that Argonaut is only obligated to pay under any limit of liability applicable to a second accident those damages, if any, that were the result of any purported second accident; and in any event that Argonaut has no obligation to indemnify McDowell County for the claims in the Underlying Complaints beyond $2,000,000 per the “Two or More Policies or Coverage Parts or Coverage Forms” endorsement of the Argonaut Policy ....

Compl., ¶ 1 & 2 of the Prayer for Relief.

In response to the Complaint, the Frye and Huskins defendants have filed counterclaims in which they first contend that plaintiff is liable for $2,000,000.00 under the automobile part of the policy because two accidents occurred and seek a declaration from this court to such effect. The Huskins defendants also seek a declaration that the law enforcement part of the policy provides $2,000,000.00 in additional coverage.1

At the base of the dispute is the Fryes’ and Huskins’ contention that they were injured in two accidents caused by the negligence of Deputy Watson, not one. Drawing from the pleadings, it appears that the Fryes and Huskins sustained personal injuries and that the Frye’s child was killed when an insured vehicle operated by Deputy Watson collided with their vehicle and they were soon thereafter hit by a third vehicle being operated by a private party.2 The Fryes and Huskins contend that the first impact came as a result of Deputy Watson’s negligent operation of the insured McDowell County vehicle and that the second impact, a few minutes later, was proximately caused by Deputy Watson’s additional or further negligence in attempting to alert and warn oncoming traffic of the accident. Based on this theory of two automobile accidents caused by the negligence of Deputy Watson, such defendants contend that plaintiff is obligated to indemnify the insured county for $2,000,000.00 inasmuch as there were two [558]*558occurrences under the automobile part of the policy. Id., at ¶ 15. The Huskins contend that plaintiff is also liable for indemnification up to $2,000,000.00 on the law enforcement part of the policy.

II. The Underlying State Court Actions

There are two underlying state court actions, hereinafter referred to the “Frye Action” and the “Huskins Action.” Both actions are pending before Honorable James L. Baker, Jr., North Carolina Superior Court Judge. In the Frye Action, a verdict has been returned providing an award of damages against the county defendants in the amount of $5,500,000.00. The Huskins Action, which was filed as a separate action inasmuch as Mrs. Huskins, who is Mrs. Frye’s mother-in-law, was a guest passenger in the Frye automobile. The Huskins action has not yet been tried, but it appears undisputed that such action may well amicably resolve when Judge Baker enters judgment in the Frye matter.

Upon the return of the verdict in the Frye Action, Judge Baker promptly scheduled a hearing to determine the extent of the county defendants’ waiver of governmental immunity and to enter his judgment upon the jury’s verdict. Such hearing to determine the extent of governmental waiver of immunity through the purchase of liability insurance is required by Chapter 153A — 135(b) of the North Carolina General Statutes, which provides as follows:

§ 153A-435. Liability insurance; damage suits against a county involving governmental functions.
(a) A county may contract to insure itself and any of its officers, agents, or employees against liability for wrongful death or negligent or intentional damage to person or property or against absolute liability for damage to person or property caused by an act or omission of the county or of any of its officers, agents, or employees when acting within the scope of them authority and the course of their employment. The board of commissioners shall determine what liabilities and what officers, agents, and employees shall be covered by any insurance purchased pursuant to this subsection.
Purchase of insurance pursuant to this subsection waives the county’s governmental immunity, to the extent of insurance coverage, for any act or omission occurring in the exercise of a governmental function. Participation in a local government risk pool pursuant to Article 23 of General Statute Chapter 58 shall be deemed to be the purchase of insurance for the purposes of this section. By entering into an insurance contract with the county, an insurer waives any defense based upon the governmental immunity of the county.

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Related

ARGONAUT GREAT CENTRAL INS. CO. v. McDOWELL COUNTY
626 F. Supp. 2d 554 (W.D. North Carolina, 2009)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
626 F. Supp. 2d 554, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 43996, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/argonaut-great-central-insurance-v-mcdowell-county-ncwd-2009.