Baxter Senior Living, LLC v. Zurich American Insurance Company

CourtDistrict Court, D. Alaska
DecidedApril 25, 2025
Docket3:22-cv-00044
StatusUnknown

This text of Baxter Senior Living, LLC v. Zurich American Insurance Company (Baxter Senior Living, LLC v. Zurich American Insurance Company) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Alaska primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

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Baxter Senior Living, LLC v. Zurich American Insurance Company, (D. Alaska 2025).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ALASKA

BAXTER SENIOR LIVING, LLC,

Plaintiff, v.

ZURICH AMERICAN INSURANCE Case No. 3:22-cv-00044-SLG COMPANY,

Defendant.

ORDER ON MOTION TO DISMISS Before the Court at Docket 10 is a Motion to Dismiss filed by Defendant Zurich American Insurance Company (“Zurich”). Plaintiff Baxter Senior Living, LLC (“Baxter”) responded in opposition at Docket 18, to which Zurich replied at Docket 24. After the Alaska Supreme Court issued an opinion answering two questions certified by this Court,1 and pursuant to this Court’s order at Docket 47, Baxter filed a Supplemental Brief in Opposition to Motion to Dismiss at Docket 50, and Zurich filed a Supplemental Brief in Support of its Motion to Dismiss at Docket 54. Oral argument was not requested and was not necessary to the Court’s decision. For the reasons set forth below, Zurich’s Motion to Dismiss at Docket 10 is GRANTED. This Court has jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1332.

1 Docket 25; Baxter Senior Living, LLC v. Zurich Am. Ins. Co., 556 P.3d 757 (Alaska 2024). BACKGROUND2 In 2019, Baxter opened a senior living facility in Anchorage, Alaska.3 To insure the facility, Baxter obtained a “Property Portfolio Protection” insurance policy

from Zurich (the “Policy”).4 The Policy was effective as of September 1, 2019.5 The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 significantly impacted Baxter’s operations. According to its Complaint, Baxter was subject to various public health orders from the State of Alaska that forced it to limit its operations. On March 12, 2020, Baxter received an email from the Alaska Department of

Health and Social Services (“DHSS”) listing the Center for Disease Control’s (“CDC”) “recommended . . . interventions [for] Assisted Living Facilities to reduce the risk covid-19 poses to residents” (“March 2020 Email”).6 The recommendations were as follows: Implement social distancing measures, e.g.: Cancel large gatherings (e.g., group social events with 10 or more people) Alter schedules to reduce mixing (e.g., stagger meal, activity, arrival/departure times) Limit programs with external staff

2 These background facts are drawn from the allegations in Baxter's complaint, which the Court must take as true for purposes of the present motion. See Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (“To survive a motion to dismiss, a complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’” (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007))). 3 Docket 2-1 at 3, ¶ 7 (Compl.). 4 Docket 2-1 at 3, ¶ 8 (Compl.). 5 Docket 2-1 at 3, ¶ 10 (Compl.). 6 Docket 2-1 at 217-19 (March 2020 Email).

Case No. 3:22-cv-00044-SLG, Baxter Senior Living, LLC v. Zurich Am. Ins. Co. Order on Motion to Dismiss Daily upon arrival temperature and respiratory symptom screening of attendees, staff. Staff should wear masks and wash hands thoroughly before entering and after exit of room of inhabitants Consider suspension of new admissions to facilities Short-term closures as needed (e.g., if cases in staff, residents or clients who live elsewhere) for cleaning and contact tracing Longer-term closure or quarantine of facility until situation resolved. Suspend visitor access but arrange for alternate means for family members to communicate (e.g., staff assist with phone calls or videoconferences with visitors). Exceptions for end-of-life family visits need to be considered, with limited access of visitors to other areas or people in the facility and these patients should be in a different areas [sic] to ensure other clients are not exposed to outside guests.7

Following the March 2020 Email, Baxter “suspended new admissions to its facility[,] . . . suspended guests’ ability to visit the premises, and it instituted strict social distancing and hygiene protocols.”8 “[F]rom March 12, 2020 to at least March 26, 2020, Baxter did not admit any new residents . . . .”9 Baxter faced shortages in obtaining personal protective equipment and was forced to incur extra expenses to purchase alternative personal protective equipment in light of the shortages.10 In addition, “[t]here was a significant period of time where Baxter would not permit its residents to eat their meals in the dining hall, due to concerns

7 Docket 2-1 at 217-18. 8 Docket 2-1 at 231-32, ¶ 11 (Aff. of Karl Drucks). 9 Docket 2-1 at 232, ¶ 15 (Aff. of Karl Drucks). 10 Docket 2-1 at 233, ¶ 20 (Aff. of Karl Drucks).

Case No. 3:22-cv-00044-SLG, Baxter Senior Living, LLC v. Zurich Am. Ins. Co. Order on Motion to Dismiss about the spread of Covid-19.”11 The facility soon fell to below 60 percent occupancy.12 On August 24, 2020, DHSS issued an official document entitled COVID-19

Recommended Guidance for Congregate Residential Settings that recommended “aggressive efforts to limit COVID-19 exposure and to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within [residential care] facilities” (“August 2020 Document”).13 The document set out a three-phase system, instructing residential care facilities to begin at the strictest first phase, and to progress to the next phase only after

successfully operating for 14 days without a new-onset COVID-19 case.14 The recommended mitigation steps under phase one included prohibiting visitation, limiting communal dining to COVID-19 negative or asymptomatic residents only, requiring social distancing for communal dining, restricting group activities, avoiding non-medically necessary trips and activities outside the facility, screening

all persons who enter the facility, and requiring staff to wear personal protective equipment.15 The August 2020 Document further stated that: This is a guidance document prepared by the Alaska [DHSS] . . . . [Residential care facilities] may choose to use this phased-in system, develop their own or adopt another guidance document. Upon

11 Docket 2-1 at 233-34, ¶ 21 (Aff. of Karl Drucks). 12 Docket 2-1 at 4, ¶ 11 (Compl.). 13 Docket 2-1 at 221-26 (August 2020 Document). 14 Docket 2-1 at 222. 15 Docket 2-1 at 222-23.

Case No. 3:22-cv-00044-SLG, Baxter Senior Living, LLC v. Zurich Am. Ins. Co. Order on Motion to Dismiss adoption of the guidance document, the actions contained in that document become mandatory as your facilit[y’s] requirements. Upon adoption of the guidance document, or something similar, the [facility] will be evaluated on its compliance. If a[ facility] fails to meet all the phase criteria and continues to progress to a less stringent phase, the facility may be subject to enforcement action(s) against their [Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services] certification and/or state licensure through the survey process.16

Baxter alleges that “[b]ased on [both] public health orders, Baxter refused tours of the facility, reduced residents’ access to friends and family, suspended new admissions and visits to the facility, and instituted strict distancing and hygiene protocols for all residents and staff.”17 Baxter “continue[d] to incur additional costs as a result of Covid-19.”18 Baxter submitted a claim to Zurich under the Policy.19 On September 28, 2020, Zurich denied Baxter’s claim, stating that the Policy “does not provide coverage for the loss of revenue and extra expenses incurred by Baxter.”20 On February 2, 2022, Baxter sued Zurich in Alaska Superior Court.21 Baxter’s Complaint alleged nine causes of action against Zurich: seven claims for breach of contract based on various provisions of the Policy (Claims 1 through 7)

16 Docket 2-1 at 222.

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