Cincinnati Ins. Cos. v. Motorists Mut. Ins. Co.

2014 Ohio 3864
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 8, 2014
Docket13CA0016-M
StatusPublished

This text of 2014 Ohio 3864 (Cincinnati Ins. Cos. v. Motorists Mut. Ins. Co.) 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
Cincinnati Ins. Cos. v. Motorists Mut. Ins. Co., 2014 Ohio 3864 (Ohio Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

[Cite as Cincinnati Ins. Cos. v. Motorists Mut. Ins. Co., 2014-Ohio-3864.]

STATE OF OHIO ) IN THE COURT OF APPEALS )ss: NINTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COUNTY OF MEDINA )

THE CINCINNATI INSURANCE C.A. No. 13CA0016-M COMPANIES

Appellant APPEAL FROM JUDGMENT v. ENTERED IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS MOTORISTS MUTUAL INSURANCE COUNTY OF MEDINA, OHIO COMPANY CASE No. 11CIV1838

Appellee

DECISION AND JOURNAL ENTRY

Dated: September 8, 2014

BELFANCE, Judge.

{¶1} Plaintiff-Appellant The Cincinnati Insurance Companies (“Cincinnati”) appeals

the decision of the Medina County Court of Common Pleas granting the motion for summary

judgment of Defendant-Appellee Motorists Mutual Insurance Company (“Motorists”) on

Cincinnati’s re-filed complaint for contribution. For the reasons set forth below, we reverse.

I.

{¶2} G&S Electric, Inc. (“G&S”) installed electrical wiring and lighting in the

Witscheys’ house at 1572 Lantern Hill Drive in Wadsworth during its construction. From

September 30, 2000 to April 1, 2004, which included the period of time during which G&S was

doing work at the Witscheys’ home, Cincinnati provided insurance to G&S via a commercial

general liability policy (“CGL policy”) and an umbrella policy. From March 30, 2004, to 2

October 1, 2005, Motorists provided insurance to G&S via a CGL policy.1 Subsequent to

October 1, 2005, G&S went out of business.

{¶3} On October 6, 2006, after the Witscheys had occupied the home for over three

years, a fire broke out in the residence. At the time of the fire, Nationwide Mutual Fire

Insurance Company (“Nationwide”) insured the Witscheys’ residence through a homeowner’s

policy. Nationwide paid to, or on behalf of, the Witscheys over $882,000 to compensate them

for the damages caused by the fire. In 2007, Nationwide filed suit seeking to recover from

several people and entities, including G&S, the money it paid the Witscheys. The Nationwide

complaint alleged that “[t]he Defendants were negligent in the construction and installation of

the electrical wiring which negligence was the proximate cause of the damages sued for in this

lawsuit[,]” and that “the electrical wiring that was installed by Defendants malfunctioned and

caused a fire.”

{¶4} Initially, both Cincinnati and Motorists refused to defend or indemnify G&S

because the fire occurred outside the respective policy periods. Thus, G&S retained an attorney

to represent it in the litigation. However, subsequent to this Court’s decision in Ohio Cas. Ins.

Co. v. Hanna, 9th Dist. Medina Nos. 07CA0016-M, 07CA017-M, 2008-Ohio-3203, Cincinnati

reconsidered its position and concluded that, pursuant to Hanna, Cincinnati owed G&S a

defense. Motorists continued to maintain that it had no duty to defend or indemnify. Ultimately,

Cincinnati, on behalf of G&S, settled the suit with Nationwide for $100,000.

1 We note that varying dates are used in the record to describe the effective dates and end dates of the policies. However, irrespective of whether this Court has accurately reflected the precise dates of Cincinnati’s and Motorists’ policies, the parties do not dispute that neither Cincinnati nor Motorists insured G&S at the time of the fire, and the dispute in this appeal centers upon that fact, and not the precise dates of the policies. 3

{¶5} In December 2011, Cincinnati re-filed a complaint seeking contribution from

Motorists. Cincinnati asserted claims for declaratory relief and breach of contract and sought to

have Motorists pay Cincinnati 75% of the settlement costs, attorney fees, costs, and interest.

Both Cincinnati and Motorists moved for summary judgment. Cincinnati moved on the basis

that language in the policy and complaint, as well as case law, supported the conclusion that

Motorists owed a duty to defend G&S.2 Motorists moved for summary judgment on the basis

that the opinion of Cincinnati’s expert, Ralph Dolence, should be excluded, and that without that

opinion, Motorists argued that Cincinnati could not demonstrate that property damage occurred

during the policy period.

{¶6} In denying both motions, the trial court concluded that Motorists’ policy did not

“provide coverage to G&S for the property damage sustained by the Witscheys in 2006 because

that damage didn’t occur during the policy period.” The trial court then ordered Motorists to file

a motion for summary judgment based upon the language of the policy, which Motorists did.

Thereafter, the trial court granted Motorists’ motion. Cincinnati has appealed, raising a single

assignment of error for our review.

II.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR

THE TRIAL COURT ERRED WHEN IT GRANTED SUMMARY JUDGMENT IN FAVOR OF MOTORISTS MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY AND DENIED SUMMARY JUDGMENT IN FAVOR OF THE CINCINNATI INSURANCE COMPANIES.

{¶7} Cincinnati asserts that the trial court erred in granting summary judgment to

Motorists and in overruling Cincinnati’s summary judgment motion. Specifically, Cincinnati

2 Cincinnati also argued that Motorists owed a duty to indemnify under the policy, however, the focus of this appeal is upon whether there existed a duty to defend under the Motorists policy. 4

argues that the trial court erred in concluding that Motorists did not have a duty to defend G&S

and erred in thereby concluding that Cincinnati was not entitled to contribution after it settled the

litigation with Nationwide.

{¶8} This Court reviews an award of summary judgment de novo. Grafton v. Ohio

Edison Co., 77 Ohio St.3d 102, 105 (1996). “We apply the same standard as the trial court,

viewing the facts of the case in the light most favorable to the non-moving party and resolving

any doubt in favor of the non-moving party.” Garner v. Robart, 9th Dist. Summit No. 25427,

2011-Ohio-1519, ¶ 8.

{¶9} Pursuant to Civ.R. 56(C), summary judgment is appropriate when:

(1) No genuine issue as to any material fact remains to be litigated; (2) the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law; and (3) it appears from the evidence that reasonable minds can come to but one conclusion, and viewing such evidence most strongly in favor of the party against whom the motion for summary judgment is made, that conclusion is adverse to that party.

Temple v. Wean United, Inc., 50 Ohio St.2d 317, 327 (1977). To succeed on a summary

judgment motion, the movant bears the initial burden of demonstrating that there are no genuine

issues of material fact concerning an essential element of the opponent’s case. Dresher v. Burt,

75 Ohio St.3d 280, 292 (1996). If the movant satisfies this burden, the nonmoving party “‘must

set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.’” Id. at 293, quoting Civ.R.

56(E).

{¶10} The Supreme Court of Ohio has held that “the duty to defend is broader than and

distinct from the duty to indemnify.” Ward v. United Foundries, Inc., 129 Ohio St.3d 292, 2011-

Ohio-3176, ¶ 19.

“The test of the duty of an insurance company, under a policy of liability insurance, to defend an action against an insured, is the scope of the allegations of the complaint in the action against the insured, and where the complaint brings the 5

action within the coverage of the policy the insurer is required to make a defense, regardless of the ultimate outcome of the action or its liability to the insured.”

Willoughby Hills v. Cincinnati Ins. Co., 9 Ohio St.3d 177, 178-179, quoting Motorists Mut. v.

Trainor, 33 Ohio St.2d 41 (1973), paragraph two of the syllabus.

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Mastellone v. Lightning Rod Mutual Insurance
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Motorists Mutual Insurance v. Trainor
294 N.E.2d 874 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1973)
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City of Willoughby Hills v. Cincinnati Insurance
459 N.E.2d 555 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1984)
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