Encompass Home & Auto Insurance Co. v. Edwards

274 F. Supp. 3d 1335
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedAugust 14, 2017
DocketCivil Action No. 16-23151-Civ-Scola
StatusPublished

This text of 274 F. Supp. 3d 1335 (Encompass Home & Auto Insurance Co. v. Edwards) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Encompass Home & Auto Insurance Co. v. Edwards, 274 F. Supp. 3d 1335 (S.D. Fla. 2017).

Opinion

Order on Defendant’s Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings and Plaintiffs Motion for Summary Judgment

Robert N. Scola, Jr., United States District Judge

Plaintiff Encompass Home & Auto Insurance Company (“Encompass”) seeks a declaratory judgment that an insurance policy issued to Defendant Jodee Edwards does not obligate Encompass to defend or indemnify her in a personal injury lawsuit brought by Defendant H.E.S., a minor, by and through her parents, natural guard[1338]*1338ians and next friends Randy and Linda Skjsersven (“H.E.S.”)- This matter is before the Court on Defendant H,E.S.’s Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings (ECF No. 39) and the Plaintiffs Motion for Final Summary Judgment (ECF No. 37). For the reasons set forth below, the Court denies the Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings (ECF No. 39) and grants the Motion for Final Summary Judgment (ECF No. 37).

1. Background

In January 2015, H.E.S. was a passenger aboard the M/S Pride, a Carnival Corporation cruise ship. (Am. Compl, in No. 16-20331 ¶ 14, ECF No. 33.) During the cruise, H.E.S.’s mother enrolled her in program for teenagers called Club 02. (Id. ¶25.) Two other participants in the program were minors E.H. and K.M.A. (See id. ¶ 33.) On the night of January 31, 2015, H.E.S. attended an event at Club 02. (Id.) E.H. and K.M.A convinced H.E.S. to accompany them to the stateroom that E.H. shared with his older brother, (Id, ¶ 36.) The teenagers then consumed alcohol that E.H.’s older brother had supplied to E.H. (Id. ¶ 37.) H.E.S. alleges that while she was intoxicated and unable to provide consent, E.H. and K.M.A sexually assaulted her. (Id. ¶¶ 37-39.)

On January 28, 2016, H.E.S., through her parents, brought suit against Edwards, as' E.H.’s mother, and Carnival Corporation (hereinafter, the “Personal Injury Suit”). See H.S., a minor, by and through her Parents, natural guardians and next friends, R.S. and L.S. v. Carnival Corp., et al., No. 16-20331 (King, J.). H.E.S. asserts one cause of action against Edwards for her negligent supervision of E.H. (Am. Compl. in Case No. 16-20331 ¶¶ 72-84, ECF No. 33.) Edwards has a home and auto insurance policy through Encompass. (Pl.’s Statement of Facts ¶ 4, ECF No. 38.) Relying on a provision in the policy that excludes bodily injury or property damage “[ajrising out of sexual molestation, corporal punishment, or physical or mental abuse” from coverage, Encompass seeks a declaratory judgment that the policy does not cover losses or damages arising from H.E.S.’s injuries, and that it is not obligated to defend Edwards in the Personal Injury Suit. (Mot. for Summ. J. at 6-8.)

2. Legal Standard

A, Judgment on the Pleadings

Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(c), “[ajfter the pleadings are closed—but. early enough not to delay trial—ra party may move for judgment on the pleadings,” Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(c), “Judgment on the pleadings is proper when no issues of material fact exist, and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law based on the substance of the pleadings and any judicially noticed facts.” Cunningham v. Dist. Attorney’s Office, 592 F.3d 1237, 1255 (11th Cir. 2010). A court ruling on a 12(c) motion must “accept 'all the facts in the complaint-as true and view them in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party.” Id.

B. Summary Judgment

Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56, “summary judgment is appropriate where there ‘is no genuine issue as to any material fact’ and the moving party is ‘entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.’ ” See Alabama v. N. Carolina, 560 U.S. 330, 130 S.Ct. 2295, 2308, 176 L.Ed.2d 1070 (2010) (quoting Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a)). At the summary judgment stage, the Court must view the evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmovant, see Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 158-59, 90 S.Ct. 1598, 26 L.Ed.2d 142 (1970), and it may not weigh conflicting evidence to resolve disputed factual issues, see Shop v. City of Atlanta, Ga., 485 F.3d 1130, 1140 (11th Cir. 2007). Yet, the existence of some [1339]*1339factual disputes between litigants will not defeat an otherwise properly grounded summary judgment motion; “the requirement is that there be no genuine issue of material fact.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). Where the record as a whole could not lead a rational trier of fact to find in the nonmovant’s favor, there is no genuine issue of fact for trial. Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 587, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986).

“[O]nce the moving party has met its burden of showing a basis for the motion, the nonmoving party is required to ‘go beyond the pleadings’ and present competent evidence designating ‘specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.’” United States v. $183,791:00, 391 Fed.Appx. 791, 794 (11th Cir. 2010) (quoting Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 324, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986)). Thus, the 'nonmoving party “may not rest upon the mere allegations or denials of his pleadings, but [instead] must set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” See Anderson, 477 U.S. at 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505 (citation omitted). “Likewise, a [nonmovant] cannot defeat summary judgment by relying upon con-clusory assertions.” Maddox-Jones v. Bd. of Regents of Univ. of Ga., 448 Fed.Appx. 17, 19 (11th. Cir. 2011). Mere “metaphysical doubt as to the material facts” will not suffice. Matsushita, 475 U.S. at 586, 106 S.Ct. 1348.

3. Analysis

The parties agree that Ohio law controls. (See H.E.S.’s Mot. for J. on the Pleadings at 2; Encompass’s Mot. for Summ. J.-at 5-7; Edwards’s Résp. in Opp. at 4, ECF No. 43.) Encompass and ELE.S.’s motions both concern the proper interpretation of the exclusion in Edwards’s insurance policy for bodily injury arising out of sexual molestation, In her Motion for Judgment .on the Pleadings, H.E.S. argues that Ohio courts have narrowly interpreted the phrase “arising out of’ in insurance policies, and the negligent supervision claim asserted against Edwards does not “arise out of’ sexual molestation because there is no allegation that Edwards herself molested H.E.S. (Mot. for J.

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Bluebook (online)
274 F. Supp. 3d 1335, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/encompass-home-auto-insurance-co-v-edwards-flsd-2017.