Cadell v. XL Specialty

2012 DNH 111
CourtDistrict Court, D. New Hampshire
DecidedJune 20, 2012
Docket11-CV-394-JD
StatusPublished

This text of 2012 DNH 111 (Cadell v. XL Specialty) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Hampshire primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cadell v. XL Specialty, 2012 DNH 111 (D.N.H. 2012).

Opinion

Cadell v. XL Specialty 11-CV-394-JD 06/20/12 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

Sherry Cadell

v. Civil No. ll-cv-394-JD Opinion No. 2012 DNH 111 XL Specialty Insurance Company

O R D E R

Following the death of Anderson Cadell, Jr., his wife,

Sherry Cadell, brought suit in state court against XL Specialty Insurance Company ("XL") seeking coverage under an automotive

insurance policy issued to Anderson Cadell's employer. XL

removed the action to this court and filed a counter-claim

seeking a declaratory judgment that it owed no coverage under the

insurance policy. The parties have cross-moved for summary

judgment on the issue of whether Sherry Cadell is entitled to

coverage under the insurance policy.

Background Anderson Cadell, Jr. ("Anderson") was an employee of United

Oil Recovery ("UOR") .1 On December 1, 2009, in the course of his

employment with UOR, Anderson drove a UOR truck to a job site in

Chelmsford, Massachusetts, and stopped in the breakdown lane of

Route 3 North. The truck was registered and garaged in New

1To distinguish between Anderson and Sherry Cadell, when necessary, Anderson will be referred to by his first name and Sherry will be referred to as "Cadell." Hampshire. The job entailed collecting containers of hazardous

waste materials and hauling them away from the site in the truck. While Anderson was standing behind the truck preparing to

remove the containers, a passenger car, driven by Juanita

McKenzie, drove off the road and crashed into him. Anderson was

pinned against the back of the truck and died instantly. Another

worker, Salvatore Pintone, was also injured in the accident.

McKenzie's vehicle was insured by Travelers Insurance.

Sherry Cadell, on behalf of Anderson's estate, settled with

Travelers for $10,000.

UOR had an automotive liability policy (the "Policy")

through XL, which covered approximately two hundred UOR vehicles,

including the truck Anderson drove to the job site. Cadell

claimed underinsured motorist ("UIM") coverage under the Policy.

XL denied coverage, and Cadell brought this action.

Standard of Review

"The court shall grant summary judgment 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." Fed. R. Civ.

P. 56(a). The court considers the undisputed facts and all

reasonable inferences from those facts in the light most

favorable to the nonmoving party. Estate of Hevia v. Portrio

Corp.. 602 F.3d 34, 40 (1st Cir. 2010). When parties file cross­

motions for summary judgment, the court must consider the motions

separately to determine whether the Rule 56 standard has been

2 satisfied by either party. Hartford Fire Ins. Co. v. CNA Ins.

Co. (Europe) Ltd., 633 F.3d 50, 53 (1st Cir. 2011); Pac. Ins.

Co., Ltd. v. Eaton Vance Mgmt., 369 F.3d 584, 588 (1st Cir. 2004) .

Discussion

Cadell argues that New Hampshire law governs the

interpretation of the Policy because the UOR truck involved in

the accident was registered and garaged in New Hampshire. She

further contends that, under New Hampshire law, she is entitled

to UIM coverage under the Policy and can recover more than the

$50,000 limit for bodily injury in the Policy's New Hampshire UIM

Endorsement (the "New Hampshire Endorsement"). XL argues that

Connecticut law applies because UOR and the majority of its

vehicles are based in Connecticut. XL also contends that Cadell

is not entitled to UIM coverage under either New Hampshire or

Connecticut law. XL further argues that if Cadell is entitled to

coverage, her recovery is limited to either the $40,000 limit in

the Connecticut UIM Endorsement (the "Connecticut Endorsement")

or the $50,000 limit in the New Hampshire Endorsement.2

2In response to Cadell's objection to XL's motion for summary judgment, XL filed a reply. Cadell moved for leave to file a surreply. XL objects to the motion, arguing that there are no extraordinary circumstances warranting a surreply and that, even if such circumstances existed, the format of the proposed surreply does not comply with the local rules. See LR 7.1(e)(3) & 5.1(a). The surreply responds to issues raised in the reply but does not change the outcome. Cadell's motion for leave to file the surreply is allowed.

3 A. Choice-of-Law

The parties agree, appropriately, that New Hampshire choice-

of-law rules apply. See Klaxon Co. v. Stentor Elec. Mfg. Co.,

313 U.S. 487, 496 (1947). "[I]n the absence of an express choice

of law validly made by the parties, the contract is to be

governed, both as to validity and performance, by the law of the

state with which the contract has its most significant

relationship." Cecere v. Aetna Ins. Co., 145 N.H. 660, 662

(2001) (quoting Mathena v. Granite State Ins. Co., 129 N.H. 249,

251 (1987)). "Particularly in the context of insurance

contracts, we have found that the State which is the principal

location of the insured risk bears the most significant

relationship to the contract . . . ." Glowski v. Allstate Ins.

Co., 134 N.H. 196, 198 (1991) (internal quotation marks and

citation omitted); see also Consol. Mut. Ins. Co. v. Radio Foods Coro.. 108 N.H. 494, 497 (1968).

Where a policy covers risks in more than one state, it is

considered a multiple risk policy, and the principal location of

the insured risk may be in more than one state. See Cecere, 145

N.H. at 664. Thus, "where a policy covers risks in multiple

States, the risk of each individual state is 'to be treated as

though it were insured by a separate policy and the validity of

and rights under the multiple risk policy as to this risk are to

be governed by the laws of [that] state.'" Id. (quoting Ellis v.

Roval Ins. Co., 129 N.H. 326, 331 (1987)); see also Restatement

(Second) of Conflict of Laws § 193, comment f (1971) .

4 XL does not dispute that the truck involved in the accident

was registered and garaged in New Hampshire. It argues, however,

that the principal location of the insured risk is Connecticut

because UOR and the majority of its vehicles are based in that

state. Therefore, XL contends that the Policy cannot be

considered a multiple risk policy and cites Cecere in support of

its argument.

In Cecere, the New Hampshire Supreme Court held that

Massachusetts law applied to an insurance dispute involving a

vehicle that, although registered in Massachusetts, was garaged

in New Hampshire. 145 N.H. at 661-65. The court reasoned that

the policy, which was a garage policy "designed primarily to

afford protection against liability which might arise out of the

operation of a . . . garage," had been issued to a Massachusetts

dealership, and therefore the principal location of the insured

risk was Massachusetts. Id. at 662 (internal quotation marks and

citation omitted). In holding that Massachusetts law applied,

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