C. H. Leavell & Co. v. Fireman's Fund Insurance

372 F.2d 784
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedFebruary 13, 1967
DocketNo. 21180
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 372 F.2d 784 (C. H. Leavell & Co. v. Fireman's Fund Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
C. H. Leavell & Co. v. Fireman's Fund Insurance, 372 F.2d 784 (9th Cir. 1967).

Opinion

BYRNE, District Judge:

This is an appeal from a decision of the District Court denying recovery to plaintiffs on an insurance policy.

Jurisdiction of the District Court is based on 28 U.S.C. 1332, and jurisdiction of this Court is conferred by Section 1291, Title 28, U.S.C.

The cause, as to liability of appellee, Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, was submitted to the District Court for decision on an “Agreed Statement of Facts”, and several exhibits which were received in evidence. The agreed facts may be summarized as follows:

On or about November 28, 1961, C. H. Leavell & Company and River Construction Corporation, as a joint venture, (hereinafter referred to as “Leavell”), contracted with El Paso Natural Gas Company to construct and erect a single span pipeline suspension bridge over the Flaming Gorge Reservoir in Wyoming, near Dutch John, Utah. On or about December 1, 1961, Allison Steel Manufacturing Co., (hereinafter referred to as “Allison”) entered into a subcontract with Leavell, under which subcontract Allison contracted to supply the required materials and construct and erect the bridge.

The specifications and design pursuant to which the bridge was to be constructed were prepared by or under the direction of El Paso Natural Gas Company and accompanied the “Invitation to Bid”, which El Paso tendered to Leavell. They were submitted to Fireman's Fund Insurance Company (hereinafter referred to as “Fireman’s Fund”) prior to the time it executed the insurance policy upon which this suit has been brought.

Upon the award of the contract by El Paso to Leavell, Leavell applied to Fireman’s Fund for a policy of insurance in favor of Leavell “For their account and/or the account of their Subcontractors” and Fireman’s Fund issued its “Bridge Builders All Risks” Form insuring said insureds in the sum of $767,-206.00 on property described as “Single Span Suspension Pipeline Bridge to be located over the Flaming Gorge Reservoir.” This policy of insurance was a form policy prepared by Fireman's Fund.

Allison prepared and submitted to Lea-vell drawings and erection procedure plans detailing and showing how Allison proposed to accomplish the construction and erection of the bridge for approval by Leavell. These plans and erection procedure drawings were not included with the Plans and Specifications shown to and considered by Fireman’s Fund prior to the execution and delivery of the policy of insurance by said Company.

The Plans and Specifications for the bridge called for the erection of a high, generally “H” shaped tower on each side of the Flaming Gorge Reservoir supporting a set of 6 “main” cables anchored to the ground substantially back from the base of each tower and strung over the top of the tower across the Reservoir Gorge to the top of the opposite tower and, in turn, anchored in the ground substantially back from the base of the tower. These cables were 2y±" in diameter and served to support the pipeline across the Flaming Gorge Reservoir as suspended by suitable attachments from and below these main cables. A second set of cables was also called for by the Plans and Specifications known as “wind boom” cables. These cables, two in number, served the purpose of stabilizing the towers against the force of the wind. These wind boom cables were 2%" in diameter and substantially heavier in weight than the main cables.

[787]*787Since the main cables rested on the top of the tower it was necessary for Allison to devise a means for lifting each cable to move it to its permanent resting place. A form of derrick was designed and constructed by Allison in its plant in Phoenix for this purpose. This derrick consisted of a steel beam at one end of which provision was made for bolting it to the top of the tower, (one derrick to be fastened at each corner of the tower) so that it extended up from the top of the tower, in appearance in place like an extension of the steel beam constituting the side of each tower. At the other end of this beam a piece of steel was welded at right angles to the beam giving the derrick, in place, the appearance of an inverted “L”. At the end of this steel piece so welded to the steel beam there was a hole so that a block and tackle could be fastened to this end and employed to lift and move each main cable into place.

These derricks as designed by Allison, were intended to be used only for lifting and moving the main cables and they were not designed or intended for use in lifting and placing the wind boom cables in position or in lowering the booms into place horizontally. The erection procedure drawings and instructions as prepared by Allison directed the use of these derricks only in lifting and placing the main cables.

The erection procedure drawings and instructions provided that the wind boom cables were to be lifted and positioned through use of a block and tackle attached to the corner of the tower at the top of the tower.

Allison’s workmen, after positioning the main cables through use of these derricks, then attempted to also use one of these derricks to position the wind boom cable on the boom and to lower the boom into place. Due to the fact that the weld fastening the steel to the steel beam leg of the derrick (being the steel plate to which the block and tackle was attached) was defective, the fact that the derrick was not designed for the heavier load of the larger wind boom cables, and the amount of strain due to the greater angle of pull against this steel plate, the weld gave way and the wind boom cable fell to the ground, shearing off the wind boom from the tower and causing other extensive damage to the tower and the cable itself.

The reason the workmen did not follow Allison’s erection procedure and drawings in attempting to position this wind boom cable has not been established. The derricks were to have been removed from the top of the tower when they had served their purpose as they were not a part of the permanent installation.

An “all risks” policy creates a special type of coverage extending to risks not usually covered under other insurance, and recovery under an “all risk” policy will be allowed for all fortuitous losses not resulting from misconduct or fraud, unless the policy contains a specific provision expressly excluding the loss from coverage. (See “Coverage Under ‘All Risks’ Insurance”, Annot., 88 A.L.R.2d 1122, 1125 (1963)).

The “Bridge Builders All Risks” policy with which we are here concerned was a form policy prepared by Fireman’s Fund and included the following provision :

“4. This policy shall be void unless otherwise provided by agreement in writing added hereto, if:
(a) The general design or method of construction be materially altered or changed during the policy term;”

It is upon this exclusionary clause that the appellee relies, and it was this clause which persuaded the District Court in its conclusion “that this loss occurred during a period of time when the policy was not in effect because the use to which the derrick was put to lift the wind boom cables constituted a material alteration or change in the method of construction.”

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372 F.2d 784, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/c-h-leavell-co-v-firemans-fund-insurance-ca9-1967.