Borden, Inc. v. Howard Trucking Co., Inc.

425 So. 2d 893
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 4, 1983
Docket82 CA 0220
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 425 So. 2d 893 (Borden, Inc. v. Howard Trucking Co., Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Borden, Inc. v. Howard Trucking Co., Inc., 425 So. 2d 893 (La. Ct. App. 1983).

Opinion

425 So.2d 893 (1983)

BORDEN, INC.
v.
HOWARD TRUCKING CO., INC., et al.

No. 82 CA 0220.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

January 4, 1983.
Writs Granted March 4, 1983.

*894 Eugene R. Groves, Baton Rouge, for plaintiff-appellant Borden, Inc. and for Dresser Industries in its capacity as intervenor.

*895 Felix R. Weill, Baton Rouge, for third party defendant and defendant in reconvention-appellant Dresser Industries, Inc.

Lawrence A. Durant, Baton Rouge, for defendant-appellee Northwest Ins. Co.

Leon R. Roy, Jr., New Iberia, for defendant-appellant Howard Trucking Co., Inc., et al.

P. Albert Bienvenu, Jr., New Orleans, for defendant-appellee Antoy William Ames, in behalf of Underwriters at Lloyd's, London.

Before PONDER, SAVOIE and ELLIS, JJ.

SAVOIE, Judge.

This case is before us for the second time. Plaintiff-appellant, Borden, Inc. (Borden), and intervenor, Dresser Industries, Inc. (Dresser), assert the trial court erred in finding no coverage under the liability insurance policies of defendant, Howard Trucking Co., Inc. (Howard). Additionally, defendant-appellant, Howard, also asserts the trial court erred in not finding that one of its insurers, Northwest Insurance Company (Northwest), provided coverage for the damages sustained by plaintiff-appellant.

This suit arises out of a contract of carriage wherein an item of cargo was damaged in transit. On October 26, 1976, Borden, through its agent, Dresser, contracted with Howard for the carriage of a compressor from Borden's methanol plant in Geismer, Louisiana, to Dresser's repair and maintenance facility in Harahan, Louisiana. In transit, Howard's truck overturned, damaging the compressor.

On August 2, 1977, Borden filed suit against Howard and Northwest, Howard's comprehensive automobile, general, and contractual liability insurer. Borden seeks recovery for repair costs to the compressor and special damages for the lost production of methanol consequential to the actual physical damage to the compressor because of the delay in getting the compressor back in operation.

Howard's cargo insurer, Antoy Williams Ames, an underwriter of Lloyds of London (Ames), was made a defendant by amended petition and petition of intervention filed jointly by Borden and Dresser on April 20, 1978. Northwest subsequently filed a motion for summary judgment to dismiss Borden's claim as against Northwest based on an automobile insurance policy exclusion. The trial court granted Northwest's motion. Borden devolutively appealed after motion for a new trial was denied.

This court in Borden, Inc. v. Howard Trucking Co., Inc., 372 So.2d 242 (La.App. 1st Cir.1979), writ denied, 373 So.2d 544 (La.1979), reversed and remanded, finding that the exclusionary clause[1] did not exclude coverage for consequential loss of use or loss of production.

On remand, the trial court rendered judgment against Howard and Ames in the sum of $174,203.63. Ames was subject to liability for only the cost of repairs for physical damage ($10,579.15 less its deductible of $5,000.00). The trial court dismissed all further claims against Northwest, holding that Northwest's policy did not provide coverage for consequential damages contrary to the holding of this court in Borden, supra.

*896 Borden and Dresser assert the trial court erred in: (1) finding no coverage under Northwest's policy, and (2) limiting the coverage under the Lloyds of London policy to the property damage.

Howard asserts the trial court erred in holding that: (1) there was compensable damages for the cost of repairs of the compressor in the amount of $10,579.15, (2) Borden was entitled to special damages for the consequential delay or loss of production, (3) the amount of damages for consequential delay or loss of production amounted to $163,624.48, and (4) Northwest's insurance policy did not provide coverage for the damages of consequential delay or loss of production.

Ames asserts the trial court erred in: (1) awarding judgment for physical damage to the compressor for "extra repair work at Dresser in the amount of $6,321.15", (2) awarding judgment for physical damage to the compressor for items of "Borden labor" in connection with repair of piping by Borden in the amount of $4,258.00, (3) holding that Borden was entitled to recover for loss of production, and (4) awarding "all costs" as against Ames and Howard, rather than a portion of the costs.

It is well settled in Louisiana that an insurance contract, or any other agreement, constitutes the law between the contracting parties. L.S.A.-C.C. Art. 1901; Oncale v. Aetna Casualty and Surety Company, 417 So.2d 471 (La.App. 1st Cir.1982); Schmieder v. State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, 339 So.2d 390 (La.App. 1st Cir. 1976), application denied, 341 So.2d 895 (La. 1977). Courts must give legal effect to the provisions of such insurance policies according to the true intent of the parties, which intent must be determined in the light of the policy provisions when the policy terms are clear and unambiguous and lead to no absurd consequences.[2]

BORDEN AND DRESSER

The first time this case was before us, we concluded that the application of the "care, custody and control" exclusionary clause in the insurance contract was to be strictly *897 construed.[3] Based upon this interpretation, Northwest, Howard's insurer, was found liable for the consequential delay or loss of production. We remanded the case back to the trial court for further proceedings in accordance with our holding. In the meantime, a writ of certiorari was applied for to the Supreme Court. Our Supreme Court denied writs, finding the decision of this court not to be a final decision. Borden, Inc. v. Howard Trucking, Inc., 373 So.2d 544 (La.1979). On remand from this court, the trial court chose to disregard our previous holding and followed the reasoning in Goodwin Well Service, Inc. v. Goss Construction Company, Inc., 380 So.2d 1246 (La.App. 3rd Cir.1980), and again found Northwest not liable for the consequential delay or loss of production. The trial court's reliance on Goodwin, supra, is error. We hold the applicable law for this case is as set forth previously. See Borden, supra.

Exclusionary clauses are strictly construed against the insurer, especially if they are of uncertain import. Borden, supra; Commercial Capital Systems, Inc. v. Paille, 333 So.2d 293 (La.App. 1st Cir.1976). Northwest's policy excludes coverage of damage to property "in the care, custody, or control" of the insured. In this instance, when the particular loss claimed by Borden occurred (i.e., loss of production), the compressor was "in the care, custody or control" of Borden, not Howard. Strictly construing the exclusionary clause and for the reasons mentioned in Borden, supra, we continue to hold Northwest liable for the damages due to consequential delay or loss of production.

Borden's assertion that the trial court erred in limiting coverage under Lloyd's policy for damages due to loss of production falls within the aforementioned principles regarding contracts between parties. Contracts of insurance are the law between the parties and policy exclusions are to be strictly construed against the insurer. L.S.A.-C.C. Art. 1901; Oncale, supra; Borden, supra.

Ames' policy provides:

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

Related

Water Craft Management, L.L.C. v. Mercury Marine
638 F. Supp. 2d 619 (M.D. Louisiana, 2009)
Witcher Construction Co. v. Saint Paul Fire & Marine Insurance Co.
550 N.W.2d 1 (Court of Appeals of Minnesota, 1996)
Boyd Motors, Inc. v. Employers Insurance of Wausau
880 F.2d 270 (Tenth Circuit, 1989)
Haggerty v. March
480 So. 2d 1064 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1985)
Amonfo v. Tate
623 F. Supp. 513 (E.D. Louisiana, 1985)
Watson v. State Farm Fire & Casualty Insurance Co.
459 So. 2d 1235 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1984)
Borden, Inc. v. Howard Trucking Co., Inc.
454 So. 2d 1081 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1984)
Great Atlantic Ins. v. MARTIN SERVICES INTERN.
445 So. 2d 146 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1984)
Borden, Inc. v. Howard Trucking Co.
429 So. 2d 148 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1983)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
425 So. 2d 893, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/borden-inc-v-howard-trucking-co-inc-lactapp-1983.