D.W.J. v. Wausau Business Insurance Co.

192 F. Supp. 3d 1014, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 83467, 2016 WL 3580601
CourtDistrict Court, D. Alaska
DecidedJune 28, 2016
DocketCase No. 5:15-cv-00003-SLG
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 192 F. Supp. 3d 1014 (D.W.J. v. Wausau Business Insurance Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Alaska primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
D.W.J. v. Wausau Business Insurance Co., 192 F. Supp. 3d 1014, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 83467, 2016 WL 3580601 (D. Alaska 2016).

Opinion

ORDER RE MOTION TO DISMISS

Sharon L. Gleason, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Before the Court is Defendant Wausau Business Insurance Company’s Motion to Dismiss at Docket 7. Plaintiff D.W.J. opposed at Docket 12, and Defendant replied at Docket 18. Oral argument was not requested and was not necessary to the Court’s determination of the motion. For the reasons set forth below, the motion will be granted.

FACTS & PROCEEDINGS

This is an insurance. coverage dispute arising out of a sexual assault that occurred at the Super 8 Motel in Ketchikan in May 2011. The vietim of the assault, D.W.J., brings this action as the assignee of the hotel employee who committed the assault, Robert Callanan. The defendant, Wausau Business Insurance ■ Company, provides specified liability insurance to the hotel and, by extension, its employees. Plaintiff D.W.J. alleges that Wausau should have defended and indemnified Mr. Callanan for his sexual assault. The parties do not dispute the majority of the facts.1

On May 26, 2011, D.W.J. checked into the Super 8 Motel in Ketchikan. Robert Callanan was the only employee on the premises that day, and registered D.W.J. into the hotel. Mr. Callanan assigned D.W.J. to a room on the first floor, near the hotel’s front desk. Within ten to fifteen minutes after D.W.J. had checked into her room, Mr. Callanan used his key to open [1016]*1016D.WJ.’s door. He told her that he was there to fix the television, but instead of fixing the television, he “pushed [her] down on her own hotel bed, stripped her nearly naked, groped her breasts and performed cunnilingus on her, all against her will and after she told him to stop.”2 D.W.J. told Mr. Callanan that she needed to use the restroom, and from there called her husband and the police. When D.W.J.’s husband arrived, “Mr. Callanan had D.W.J. gripped by the arm, and was seen attempting to leave [the room] with [her].”3

On May 14, 2012, Mr. Callanan was convicted by a jury of First Degree Sexual Assault as a result of this incident.4 He was sentenced to 24 years in prison with 10 years suspended.5 Mr. Callanan appealed his conviction.

The day following his conviction, May 15, 2012, D.W.J. filed a civil action against Mr. Callanan and the Peninsula Group— the entity that owned the Super 8 Motel.6 In that complaint, D.W.J. noted that Mr. Callanan had been convicted of sexual assault in the first degree.7 D.W.J. alleged (1) assault and sexual battery, and assault and battery related to kidnapping; (2) negligent failure to supervise, hire, train, or screen Mr. Callanan, and negligent infliction of emotional distress; (3b breach of contract; and (4) claims under the Alaska Unfair Trade Practices and , Consumer Protection Act.8 D.W.J.’s First Amended Complaint identified the sexual assault as an “intentional tort[ ]”; it did not assert that the assault was an accident; negligent, or unintentional.9 The only references to negligence in that complaint were as follows: D.W.J. alleged that Mr. Callanan was liable for negligence because he assigned her a room on the first floor, and she asserted that Mr. Callanan had a duty to “keep [her] safe,” 'and he breached this duty “by assaulting [her] and engaging in negligent, or reckless and outrageous conduct against her.”10

In the prior case, D.W.J., settled her claims against the Peninsula Group before trial. Mr. Callanan did not enter an appearance, nor did he tender the civil complaint to Wausau; however, Wausau still sent Mr. Callanan a letter dated October 11, 2012 denying coverage. Wausau explained that it would not provide a defense to Mr. Callanan because “[a] sexual assault obviously is not part of your duties and was not within the scope of your employment by Peninsula.”11 Wausau added that even if Mr. Callanan was an “insured,” his sexual assault of D.W.J. was not an “occurrence” such that it was covered under the policy.12

[1017]*1017Mr. Callanan died in July 2013, while his criminal case was still-on appeal.13 Because he had not appeared-in the. civil case, that court entered a default judgment against Mr. Callanan’s estate in the amount of $641,264.86.-14 In her memorandum in support of the entry of the default judgment, D.W.J. asserted that all of her damages should be allocated to Mr. Callanan and' none to the Peninsula Group, because “[w]ith [Mr.] Callanan’s assault being intentional, there is no fault to allocate and, thus, no offset.”15 The court evidently agreed and entered a default judgment against Mr. Callanan for 100% of the claimed damages; the parties here agree there was no allocation of fault to the Peninsula Group.16 Mr. Callanan’s estate then assigned any claim it .might have against Wausau to D.W.J., and D.W.J. filed the instant case against Wausau in Alaska Superior Court. The case was timely removed to this Court.17 D.W.J. asserts claims of negligent adjustment, breach of contract, and breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing; she seeks damages in excess of $100,000, including punitive damages.18

At issue in this case is whether the Wausau policy provides coverage to Mr. Callanan for his conduct towards D.W.J.' Wausau asserts that the Court should dismiss the action because: (1) Mr. Callanan was not acting within the scope of his. employment when he assaulted D.W.J., and, therefore, the Wausau policy provides him no coverage; and (2) Mr. Callanan’s intentional sexual assault of D.W.J. does not qualify as an “occurrence” under the policy.

DISCUSSION ’

I. Jurisdiction

The Court has subject-matter jurisdiction- over this action pursuant to 28 UJ3.C. § 1332(a). Because the Court is sitting in diversity,- it applies the substantive law of the forum state, Alaska, including the collateral estoppel rules of that state.19

II. Conversion to Summary Judgment

Defendant Wausau styles its briefing as. a motion to dismiss D.W.J.’s Complaint pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6), In • ruling on a motion to dismiss, a court “consider[s] only allegations contained in the pleadings, exhibits attached to the complaint, and matters properly subject to judicial notice.”20 However, Wausau has presented as attachments materials beyond the scope of the challenged pleading, and D.W.J. does not assert that the attached additional materials should be excluded.21

[1018]*1018“If, on a motion under Rule 12(b)(6) ..., matters outside the pleadings are presented to and not excluded by the' court,- the motion must be treated as one for summary judgment under Rule 56.”22 Either party may bring the conversion provision into operation by submitting materials other than the challenged pleading.23

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Bluebook (online)
192 F. Supp. 3d 1014, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 83467, 2016 WL 3580601, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dwj-v-wausau-business-insurance-co-akd-2016.