City of New York v. Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Company

CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedJuly 10, 2023
Docket1:22-cv-02248
StatusUnknown

This text of City of New York v. Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Company (City of New York v. Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Company) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
City of New York v. Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Company, (S.D.N.Y. 2023).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT D DO AC TE # : F ILED: 7/10/2 023 SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK -------------------------------------------------------------- X THE CITY OF NEW YORK and THE BOARD : OF EDUCATION OF THE CITY SCHOOL : DISTRICT OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK, : : Plaintiffs, : 22-CV-2248 (VEC) : -against- : OPINION AND ORDER : : PHILADELPHIA INDEMNITY INSURANCE : COMPANY, : : Defendant. : -------------------------------------------------------------- X VALERIE CAPRONI, United States District Judge: Plaintiffs The City of New York (the “City”) and The Board of Education of the City School District of the City of New York (the “Board”) (collectively, the “City”)1 sued Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Company (“PIIC”) for declaratory judgment and attorneys’ fees and expenses pursuant to two separate insurance policies between PIIC and non-profit human services agencies. See Am. Compl., Dkt. 14; Pl. Mem. at 1, Dkt. 32. The City alleges that PIIC has a duty to defend it in two civil tort actions: Tucker v. City of New York et al., Index No. 160960/2018 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. Cnty.) (the “Tucker Action”) and S.M. v. City of New York, et al., 1:20-cv-05164 (JPO) (S.D.N.Y.) (the “S.M. Action”).2 Pl. Mem. at 1–2. PIIC argues that it 1 The Board joins this action with respect to the First and Second Causes of Action only; those claims concern the underlying case of Tucker v. City of New York et al., Index No. 160960/2018. See Pl. Mem. at 1 n.2. For ease of reference, the Court refers to Plaintiffs collectively as the “City” throughout this Opinion & Order; but only when discussing the Tucker Action shall references to the “City” include both the City and the Board. 2 Plaintiffs’ Amended Complaint sought declaratory judgment and indemnification with respect to four tort actions. See Am. Compl. ¶¶ 30–68, 100–117. At some point during the parties’ briefing of their cross-motions for summary judgment, PIIC agreed to defend Plaintiffs in two of those cases. See Pl. Mem. at 1 n.1; Def. Mem. at 1, Dkt. 38; Pl. Reply at 1 nn.2–3, Dkt. 40. Accordingly, Plaintiffs’ Third through Sixth causes of action against PIIC are dismissed as moot. has no duty to defend the City in the civil actions because the insurance policies at issue do not extend coverage beyond the non-profit entities that are the named insureds. See Answer and Counterclaim, Dkt. 20; Def. Mem. at 1, Dkt. 38. The parties have cross-moved for summary judgment pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56.

For the following reasons, Plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment is GRANTED; and PIIC’s motion for summary judgment is DENIED. BACKGROUND3 The Young Men’s Christian Association of Greater New York (the “YMCA”) and Good Shepherd Services (“Good Shepherd”) are non-profit agencies that contracted with the City (and, in the case of the YMCA, the Board) to provide various services. 56.1 Stmt.4 ¶¶ 4, 37, Dkt. 39; see Pl. Mem. at 1–2. The YMCA provides educational programs and services to New York City elementary school students. See 56.1 Stmt. ¶ 4. Good Shepherd provides foster care and housing for New York City children. See id. ¶ 37. Each agency’s contract with the City requires the agency “to obtain a commercial general liability [“CGL”] insurance policy . . . with coverage

at least as broad as the insuring agreement in the most recently issued Insurance Services Office Form [“ISO”] CG 00 01.”5 56.1 Stmt. ¶¶ 5, 38; Pl. 56.1 Stmt., Ex. A, Dkt. 30-1; see also Proshansky Decl., Ex. A, Dkt. 41. Each contract also required the agency to include the City (and the Board, in the case of the YMCA contract) as an “additional insured” under its CGL policy and that “such coverage” be at least as broad as that provided in the most recently issued

3 All facts are undisputed unless otherwise stated.

4 References to the Rule 56.1 Statement are to the version containing PIIC’s responses to Plaintiffs’ 56.1 Statement at docket entry 39 unless otherwise stated.

5 References to Insurance Services Office (“ISO”) coverage forms, particularly coverage forms “CG 00 01” and “CG 20 10” are to “generic forms that are produced by the [insurance] industry that define the breadth and depth of coverage.” See Def. Reply at 2, Dkt. 42. ISO Form CG 20 10 or CG 20 26.6 See 56.1 Stmt. ¶¶ 6, 38; see also Pl. 56.1 Stmt., Ex. A. Both the YMCA and Good Shepherd purchased CGL insurance from PIIC. 56.1 Stmt. ¶¶ 7, 39. The YMCA purchased a Commercial Lines Policy from PIIC effective from April 1, 2017 through April 1, 2018 (the “YMCA Policy”). Id. ¶ 7.7 The YMCA Policy jacket, titled

“Commercial Lines Policy,” states that the Policy consists of “One or More Coverage Parts,” and that a “Coverage Part” consists of “one or more coverage forms” and “applicable forms and endorsements.” Id. ¶ 8; see also Ex. 1 at 6, Dkt. 39-1.8 Good Shepherd also purchased a “Commercial Lines Policy” from PIIC effective from December 1, 2018 through September 1, 2019 (the “Good Shepherd Policy”). 56.1 Stmt. ¶ 39.9 Like the YMCA Policy, the Good Shepherd Policy has a policy jacket that states that the “policy consists of” declarations, common policy conditions, and one or more coverage parts, and that each “Coverage Part” consists of “one or more coverage forms” and “applicable forms and endorsements.” Id. ¶ 41; see also id., Ex. 2 at 6, Dkt. 39-2.10

6 The YMCA contract required the agency to include the City and the Board as Additional Insureds with coverage at least as broad as that provided in the most recently issued ISO Form CG 20 10 or CG 20 26, Pl. 56.1 Stmt, Ex. A; the Good Shepherd contract apparently only required that the agency include the City as an Additional Insured with coverage at least as broad as ISO Form CG 20 10, see 56.1 Stmt. ¶ 38.

7 Most, if not all, of PIIC’s responses to Plaintiff’s 56.1 Statements describing the YMCA Policy only “object[] to the City taking select terms[] off of pages and seeking a stipulation as to completeness and accuracy.” See, e.g., 56.1 Stmt. ¶¶ 8–13.

8 A complete version of the YMCA Policy is docketed in four parts as Ex. 1 to Defendant’s Response to Plaintiffs’ 56.1 Statement, Dkt. 39-1 through Dkt. 39-4. All references to the YMCA Policy will be to the full policy at Ex. 1, which is consecutively paginated.

9 Like its responses regarding the YMCA Policy, most, if not all, of PIIC’s responses to Plaintiff’s 56.1 Statements describing the Good Shepherd Policy only “object[] to the City taking select terms[] off of pages and seeking a stipulation as to completeness and accuracy.” See, e.g., 56.1 Stmt. ¶¶ 39–57.

10 A complete version of the Good Shepherd Policy is docketed in 10 parts as Ex. 2 to Defendant’s Response to Plaintiffs’ 56.1 Statement, Dkt. 39-5 through 39-14. All references to the Good Shepherd Policy will be to the full policy at Ex. 2, which is consecutively paginated. I. The Action Against the YMCA On or about December 10, 2018, Jamie Tucker, suing on behalf of himself and his infant son, J.T, sued the City, the Board, and the YMCA. 56.1 Stmt. ¶ 27; see also Pl. 56.1 Stmt., Ex. C, Dkt. 30-3. Tucker alleged that a YMCA employee sexually abused J.T. and that the “YMCA and/or City employees at P.S. 57 negligently failed to take action” despite knowing of the abuse.

56.1 Stmt. ¶ 29. The Tucker Complaint asserts claims for negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress. See id. ¶ 30; Pl. 56.1 Stmt., Ex. C ¶¶ 48–91. By letter dated March 22, 2019, the City tendered its defense of Tucker to PIIC. 56.1 Stmt. ¶ 31.

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City of New York v. Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Company, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-of-new-york-v-philadelphia-indemnity-insurance-company-nysd-2023.