Aspen Specialty Insurance v. Utah Local Governments Trust

954 F. Supp. 2d 1311, 2013 WL 3148453
District Court, D. Utah·Decided June 19, 2013·No. Case No. 2:12-cv-00176 DN·Published·Cited by 8 cases

Opinion

CORRECTED * MEMORANDUM DECISION AND ORDER GRANTING SUMMARY JUDGMENT ON DUTY TO DEFEND; STAYING PROCEEDINGS; AND DENYING MOTION TO STRIKE

DAVID NUFFER, District Judge.

Table of Contents

Case Overview.................................................................1313

Motion to Strike................................................................1313

Motion for Summary Judgment ..................................................1314

Issues and Claims in this Case and Motions.................................1314

Undisputed Facts........................................................1314

Construction of Insurance Policies .........................................1315

Duty to Defend and Duty to Indemnify.....................................1315

Duty to Indemnify Not Ripe for Determination..............................1316

Duty To Defend................................................................1318

Analysis of the Policy.....................................................1318

Effect of Definition of Claims Expenses.....................................1320

Effect of Exclusions on Duty to Defend.....................................1321

ORDER.......................................................................1321

CASE OVERVIEW

This case is a dispute between an insurer and an insured, in which each seeks declaration of its rights and duties under the insurance agreement. The duty of the insurer to defend a suit in Utah State court and the duty of the insurer to pay claims in that case are both presented on opposing motions for summary judgment. This order grants summary judgment, declaring that the insurer has the duty to defend the state case, and otherwise stays the case until the conclusion of the state case.

MOTION TO STRIKE

The insurer filed a motion to strike1 the insured’s cross-motion for summary judgment,2 because “it was filed well after the dispositive motion deadline. Defendants did not request an extension or otherwise seek the Court’s permission to file their untimely motion____”3 The motion to strike is denied. “Rule 56 expressly declares that ‘the court may ... grant summary judgment for a nonmovant ... or consider summary judgment on its own after identifying for the parties material facts that may not be genuinely in dispute.’ ”4 Failure to take this well-briefed opportunity to move this case toward reso[1314] lution would be contrary to the mutual goal of court and counsel “to secure the just, speedy, and inexpensive determination of every action and proceeding.”5

MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

Issues and Claims in this Case and Motions

Aspen, the insurer, filed this declaratory action, alleging nine causes of action. The defendants are Utah Local' Governments Trust and ULGIT Marketing, Inc. which are collectively referred to as ULGT.

ULGT claims there is no case or controversy as to Aspen’s first cause of action, relating to a distinct third party claim (QBE/Unigard Case).6 That absence of a real issue is dependent on the current posture of that case.7 Therefore that cause of action will be dismissed without prejudice.

The eight other claims relate to a single third party claim (Jamison Counterclaim), and are at issue. Four causes of action seek a declaration that Aspen’s policy does not require a defense to the Jamison Counterclaim, and four seek to declare that Aspen has no duty to defend or indemnify on the Jamison Counterclaim. .ULGT’s counterclaim “seeks a declaration from this Court that Aspen is obligated to provide coverage under the Policy and defense [sic] ULGT with respect to the [Jamison] counterclaims.”8

Both parties move for summary judgment on all claims remaining after adjudication of Aspen’s first cause of action.

Undisputed Facts

The following factual statements from ULGT’s motion for summary judgment are not disputed.9

1. ULGT is a Utah public agency insurance mutual.

2. ULGT obtained a “Trustees Errors & Omissions Liability Insurance” Policy from Aspen. The Policy names ULGT (both Utah Local Governments Trust and ULGIT Marketing) as insureds. A copy of the Policy is docket entry 2-4 in this case, filed February 13, 2012.

3. ULGT currently is the plaintiff in a lawsuit against Don Jamison, which is pending in the Third Judicial District Court for the State of Utah (Jamison Case). Jamison previously was an insurance agent for Unigard Insurance Company (Unigard). In the Jamison Case, ULGT alleges Jamison improperly received millions of dollars that properly belong to ULGT.

4. Jamison responded to ULGT’s claims by, among other things, filing a counterclaim complaint (Jamison Counterclaim). A copy of the Jamison Counterclaim is docket entry 22-4 in this case, [1315] filed October 1, 2012. The Jamison Counterclaim asserts five causes of action and are titled: (1) Breach of Contract; (2) Breach of the Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing; (3) Intentional and Negligent Infliction of Emotional Distress; (4) Punitive Damages; and (5) Attorneys Fees and Litigation Expenses. ULGT tendered the defense of the Jamison Counterclaim to Aspen, which Aspen accepted subject to a reservation of rights. Aspen then filed this declaratory judgment action, seeking to establish it has no defense or indemnity obligations with respect to the Jamison Counterclaim.

5. The Jamison Case is pending, and judgment has not been rendered on any of the Jamison Counterclaims.

Construction of Insurance Policies

“An insurance policy is merely a contract between the insured and the insurer and is construed pursuant to the same rules applied to ordinary contracts.” 10 But insurance policies will be “construed liberally in favor of the insured and their beneficiaries so as to promote and not defeat the purposes of insurance.” 11 “[Provisions that limit or exclude coverage should be strictly construed against the insurer.”12

Utah courts give the language in insurance policies its plain meaning.13 The wording is given the meaning it has for laypersons in daily usage.14

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Aspen Specialty Insurance v. Utah Local Governments Trust, 954 F. Supp. 2d 1311, 2013 WL 3148453 (D. Utah 2013).

954 F. Supp. 2d 1311 (Aspen Specialty Insurance v. Utah Local Governments Trust) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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