Burdette v. Bell

2019 Ohio 5035
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 9, 2019
DocketCA2019-04-005
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 2019 Ohio 5035 (Burdette v. Bell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Burdette v. Bell, 2019 Ohio 5035 (Ohio Ct. App. 2019).

Opinion

[Cite as Burdette v. Bell, 2019-Ohio-5035.]

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS

TWELFTH APPELLATE DISTRICT OF OHIO

PREBLE COUNTY

BARRY S. BURDETTE, et al., : CASE NO. CA2019-04-005

Appellants, : OPINION 12/9/2019 : - vs - :

LACHELL B. BELL, et al., :

Appellees. :

CIVIL APPEAL FROM PREBLE COUNTY COURT OF COMMON PLEAS Case No. 16CV30690

Intili & Groves Co., L.P.A., Thomas J. Intili, 2300 Far Hills Avenue, Dayton, Ohio 45419- 1550, for appellants

Freund, Freeze & Arnold, Gordon D. Arnold, Fifth Third Center, 1 South Main Street, Suite 1800, Dayton, Ohio 45402, for appellee, State Farm Fire and Casualty Company

M. POWELL, J.

{¶ 1} Appellants, Barry and Sandra Burdette, appeal a decision of the Preble

County Court of Common Pleas granting summary judgment to appellee, State Farm Fire

and Casualty Company.

{¶ 2} On January 2, 2015, Barry Burdette was injured when he was struck in a Preble CA2019-04-005

crosswalk by an automobile driven by Lachell Bell, who was delivering pizzas for JimJam,

Inc., dba Sarah's Pizza. Bell was driving her personal vehicle. Her automobile insurance

had lapsed the day before. JimJam was insured under a Businessowners Insurance Policy

issued by State Farm ("State Farm policy").

{¶ 3} On January 8, 2016, the Burdettes filed a complaint in the trial court against

JimJam and Bell. State Farm provided defense counsel to JimJam. On March 6, 2017,

State Farm moved to intervene in the litigation. State Farm sought a declaratory judgment

that it was not required to defend or indemnify JimJam or Bell because the State Farm

policy excluded coverage for claims arising from the use of any automobile. The trial court

denied the motion, finding that it was untimely and that State Farm could raise its coverage

defense in a post-judgment proceeding pursuant to R.C. 3929.06.

{¶ 4} On September 29, 2017, the Burdettes, JimJam, and Bell entered into a

consent judgment pursuant to which the Burdettes were granted a $400,000 judgment but

agreed to seek satisfaction of the judgment exclusively under the State Farm policy. State

Farm refused to satisfy the judgment within 30 days of the entry of the consent judgment.

Consequently, the Burdettes filed a supplemental complaint against State Farm for an order

that it pay the $400,000 judgment. State Farm answered, arguing that the State Farm policy

excluded coverage for bodily injury arising out of the use of any automobile.

{¶ 5} The Burdettes asserted claims that State Farm had waived its coverage

defense or was estopped from advancing such a defense because of its failure to assert it

at an earlier time. The Burdettes thereafter sought discovery upon their waiver and estoppel

claims. State Farm moved for a protective order. The Burdettes moved to compel State

Farm to comply with their discovery requests. On June 26, 2018, the trial court granted

State Farm's motion for a protective order, thereby prohibiting the Burdettes from seeking

discovery related to their waiver and estoppel claims. The trial court found that the

-2- Preble CA2019-04-005

Burdettes had no standing to assert such claims because they were a third party to the

State Farm policy. The trial court further found that the issue of whether the State Farm

policy "excludes coverage in this case * * * will be resolved by the language of the insurance

contract and applicable rules of construction."

{¶ 6} State Farm and the Burdettes filed cross-motions for summary judgment.

State Farm argued it had no duty to indemnify the Burdettes for their losses because the

State Farm policy excluded coverage for losses resulting from the use of an automobile.

The Burdettes argued that State Farm was liable for their losses under the "products-

completed operations hazard" coverage of the State Farm policy, or alternatively, because

of its breach of an amendatory endorsement to the policy. The Burdettes further argued

that State Farm had waived its coverage defense or was estopped from denying coverage.

{¶ 7} On March 15, 2019, the trial court denied the Burdettes' motion for summary

judgment and granted summary judgment in favor of State Farm. The trial court found that

liability for losses from use of an automobile was excluded under the State Farm policy.

The trial court further found that the "products-completed operations hazard" ("PCOH")

provisions in the State Farm policy did not provide a separate type of coverage but were

simply definitions establishing a limit for coverage. The trial court once again rejected the

Burdettes' argument relating to waiver and estoppel.

{¶ 8} The Burdettes now appeal, raising two assignments of error.

{¶ 9} Assignment of Error No. 1:

{¶ 10} THE TRIAL COURT ERRED BY ENTERING SUMMARY JUDGMENT FOR

DEFENDANT-APPELLEE STATE FARM FIRE AND CASUALTY COMPANY AND BY

DENYING SUMMARY JUDGMENT FOR PLAINTIFFS-APPELLANTS.

{¶ 11} The Burdettes argue the trial court erred in granting summary judgment to

State Farm because (1) as an employee or volunteer worker of JimJam, Bell is an "insured"

-3- Preble CA2019-04-005

under the State Farm policy and the exclusion from use of an automobile does not apply,

(2) the PCOH provisions of the State Farm policy provide a separate coverage under the

policy, and (3) State Farm waived its coverage defense or is estopped from denying

coverage.

{¶ 12} Summary judgment is proper when the pleadings, depositions, answers to

interrogatories, written admissions, affidavits, transcripts of evidence, and written

stipulations of fact, if any, show that (1) there are no genuine issues of material fact to be

litigated, (2) the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law, and (3) when all

evidence is construed most strongly in favor of the nonmoving party, reasonable minds can

come to only one conclusion which is adverse to the nonmoving party. Civ.R. 56(C); Zivich

v. Mentor Soccer Club, Inc., 82 Ohio St.3d 367, 369-370 (1998). The moving party bears

the initial burden of informing the court of the basis for the motion and demonstrating the

absence of a genuine issue of material fact. Dresher v. Burt, 75 Ohio St.3d 280, 293 (1996).

Once this burden is met, the nonmoving party has a reciprocal burden to set forth specific

facts showing there is some genuine issue of material fact yet remaining for the trial court

to resolve. Id. An appellate court reviews a trial court's decision to grant or deny summary

judgment de novo, without any deference to the trial court's judgment. Bravard v. Curran,

155 Ohio App.3d 713, 2004-Ohio-181, ¶ 9 (12th Dist.).

{¶ 13} The central issue in this case is whether the Burdettes' losses are covered

under the State Farm policy and involves construction of the automobile exclusion in the

policy as well as language pertaining to the policy's PCOH provisions.

{¶ 14} An insurance policy is a contract whose interpretation is a matter of law,

subject to de novo review. Nationwide Mut. Fire Ins. Co. v. Guman Bros. Farm, 73 Ohio

St.3d 107, 108 (1995). The insurance contract must be examined as a whole, and a court

will presume that the intent of the parties is reflected in the language used in the policy.

-4- Preble CA2019-04-005

Cincinnati Ins. Co. v. CPS Holdings, Inc., 115 Ohio St.3d 306, 2007-Ohio-4917, ¶ 7. Terms

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2019 Ohio 5035, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/burdette-v-bell-ohioctapp-2019.