Bailey v. Federal Insurance Co.

214 F. Supp. 3d 1228, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 135513, 2016 WL 5724768
District Court, N.D. Alabama·Decided September 30, 2016·No. Civil Action Number 2:15-cv-210-AKK·Published

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

ABDUL K. KALLON, United States District Judge.

Plaintiffs C. Stanley Bailey, John Fi-glewski, Rick D. Gardner, George J. Hall, Rick Halloran, James M. Kent, Jr., Peter L. Lowe, Shannon Maddox, D. Dewey Mitchell, Robert R. Parrish, Jr., Kenneth Pomeroy, C. Marvin Scott (collectively “the Bailey Plaintiffs”), and Intervenor Plaintiffs James A. White and William Caughran (collectively “the Intervenor Plaintiffs”) (collectively “the Plaintiffs”), pursue this action against Federal Insurance Company pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2201 seeking a declaration of rights and obligations under a liability insurance policy. Docs. 1 at 3; 24 at 5-6; 29 at 5-6.1 Specifically, Plaintiffs allege that Federal breached the policy when it attached an endorsement that it had not first filed with the State of Alabama and then used that endorsement to limit coverage. Id. Plaintiffs have moved for partial summary judgment, docs. 33; 77, 91, and Federal has also moved for summary judgment on all claims, docs. 40; 79. The motions are fully briefed and ripe for review. Docs. 35; 38; 47; 78; 80; 91; 92; 106; 107; 108. Based on a review of the evidence, the law, and with the benefit of oral argument as to the issues related to Count I, Plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment is due to be denied in part, and Federal’s motion for summary judgment is due to be granted in part.

I. SUMMARY JUDGMENT STANDARD OF REVIEW

Under Rule 56(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, summary judgment is proper “if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” “Rule 56[ ] mandates the entry of summary judgment, after adequate time for discovery and upon motion, against a party who fails to make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element essential to that party’s case, and on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986) (alteration in original). The moving party bears the initial burden of proving the absence of a genuine issue of material fact. Id. at 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548. The burden then shifts to the non-moving party, who is required to “go be[1232]*1232yond the pleadings” to establish that there is a “genuine issue for trial.” Id. at 324, 106 S.Ct. 2548 (citation and internal quotation marks omitted). A dispute about a material fact is genuine “if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986).

The court must construe the evidence and all reasonable inferences arising from it in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. Adickes v. S. H. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 157, 90 S.Ct. 1598, 26 L.Ed.2d 142 (1970); see also Anderson, 477 U.S. at 255, 106 S.Ct. 2505 (all justifiable inferences must be drawn in the non-moving party’s favor). Any factual disputes will be resolved in the non-moving party’s favor when sufficient competent evidence supports the non-moving party’s version of the disputed facts. See Pace v. Capobianco, 283 F.3d 1275, 1276, 1278 (11th Cir. 2002) (a court is not required to resolve disputes in the non-moving party’s favor when that party’s version of events is supported by insufficient evidence). However, “mere conclusions and unsupported factual allegations are legally insufficient to defeat a summary judgment motion.” Ellis v. England, 432 F.3d 1321, 1326 (11th Cir. 2005) (per curiam) (citing Bald Mountain Park, Ltd. v. Oliver, 863 F.2d 1560, 1563 (11th Cir. 1989)). Moreover, “[a] mere ‘scintilla’ of evidence supporting the opposing party’s position will not suffice; there must be enough of a showing that the jury could reasonably find for that party.” Walker v. Darby, 911 F.2d 1573, 1577 (11th Cir. 1990) (citing Anderson, 477 U.S. at 252, 106 S.Ct. 2505).

II. FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS

The Plaintiffs are former officers and directors of Superior Bancorp, a holding company for Superior Bank. Docs. 34 at 6; 81-2 at 15-17. In their capacity as officers and directors, Plaintiffs regularly purchased liability insurance coverage, including Directors and Officers insurance (D & O), for Superior Bancorp and Superior Bank from Federal. Id. D & O policies are used to protect the directors and officers of a corporation against claims that they allegedly failed to perform their duties. Docs. 35-2 at 10; 81-1 at 25.

The dispute in this case centers on a D & O policy Plaintiffs purchased through their broker, the Mailon Kent Agency, whose owner, Mailon Kent, was also a director of Superior Bancorp. Doc. 81-3 at 16. From April 2009 until April 2010, the D & O policy had a $10 million coverage limit that contained no regulatory limitations or exclusions resulting from regulatory claims. Docs. 35-2 at 16; 81-1 at 45. However, when the policy came up for renewal in April 2010, because of the economic climate Federal informed Plaintiffs that it intended to change the terms of the policy to offer liability coverage with a regulatory exclusion endorsement and defense carve-back.2 Doc. 82-1 at 40. The defense earve-back meant that the D & O policy had a new sublimit of $1 million on defense coverage for a regulatory action against the bank. Doc. 35-2 at 19. Federal decreased the coverage because of its concerns about potential exposure if Superior Bank failed and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation instituted a civil action against the directors and officers. Doc. 35-9 at 2-3. Although Plaintiffs had the option to reject [1233]*1233the new terms — i.e., Plaintiffs could have paid an additional amount to extend the old coverage for acts committed during the coverage period or obtain coverage with another carrier; Plaintiffs decided to renew with Federal under the new limitations of a regulatory exclusion endorsement. Docs. 35-8 at 2; 81-1 at 71-72.

As part of its operating practice and procedure, Federal has various standard endorsements or policies its underwriters may retrieve and insert into a policy. Doc. 35-2 at 12. In contrast, a manuscript endorsement is one that is created for a specific policy with the attendant language changes that may be necessary. Doc. 35-2 at 13. Basically, when an underwriter wishes to use language that is not standard, the underwriter sends the desired language to Federal’s legal counsel for that department to create an endorsement, i.e., “manuscripted.” Doc. 35-2 at 12-13.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Bailey v. Federal Insurance Co., 214 F. Supp. 3d 1228, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 135513, 2016 WL 5724768 (N.D. Ala. 2016).

214 F. Supp. 3d 1228 (Bailey v. Federal Insurance Co.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Allison v. Vintage Sports Plaques
136 F.3d 1443 (Eleventh Circuit, 1998)
David W. Ellis, Jr. v. Gordon R. England
432 F.3d 1321 (Eleventh Circuit, 2005)
Erie Railroad v. Tompkins
304 U.S. 64 (Supreme Court, 1938)
Adickes v. S. H. Kress & Co.
398 U.S. 144 (Supreme Court, 1970)
Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.
477 U.S. 242 (Supreme Court, 1986)
Bankston v. Then
615 F.3d 1364 (Eleventh Circuit, 2010)
ALLIANCE INS. CO., INC. v. Reynolds
494 So. 2d 609 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1986)
Foremost Ins. Co. v. Parham
693 So. 2d 409 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1997)
Woodall v. Alfa Mut. Ins. Co.
658 So. 2d 369 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1995)
Altiere v. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama
551 So. 2d 290 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1989)
Southern Medical Health Systems, Inc. v. Vaughn
669 So. 2d 98 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1995)
Roper v. ASSOCIATES FINANCIAL SERVICES OF ALABAMA, INC.
533 So. 2d 206 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1988)
Higgins v. Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company
282 So. 2d 301 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1973)
Ex Parte O'Hare
432 So. 2d 1300 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1983)
Highlands Underwriters Ins. Co. v. Elegante Inns, Inc.
361 So. 2d 1060 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1978)
United States Fidelity & Guar. Co. v. BONITZ, ETC.
424 So. 2d 569 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1982)