Endurance American Specialty Insurance v. Savits-Daniel Travel Centers, Inc.

26 F. Supp. 3d 1296, 2014 WL 2600071, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 80370
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedMay 12, 2014
DocketCase No. 13-61267-CIV
StatusPublished

This text of 26 F. Supp. 3d 1296 (Endurance American Specialty Insurance v. Savits-Daniel Travel Centers, Inc.) 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
Endurance American Specialty Insurance v. Savits-Daniel Travel Centers, Inc., 26 F. Supp. 3d 1296, 2014 WL 2600071, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 80370 (S.D. Fla. 2014).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

WILLIAM P. DIMITROULEAS, District Judge.

THIS CAUSE is before the Court upon Plaintiff Endurance American Specialty Insurance Company’s Motion for Final Summary Judgment (the “Motion”) [DE 25], filed herein on January 24, 2014. The Court has carefully considered the Motion [DE 25], the Responses [DE 33; DE 35], the Replies [DE 42; DE 43], the parties’ arguments at the hearing on May 9, 2014, and the record herein. The Court is otherwise fully advised in the premises.

I. BACKGROUND

The parties have provided in their respective Statements of Material Facts [DE 26; DE 33 at 2-4; DE 35 at 2-6] various factual assertions that are supported by the record. In some instances, the parties have not contested their adversaries’ assertions. The Court will deem some of these uneontested factual assertions to be admitted. See S.D. Fla. L.R. 56.1(b); Fed. R.Civ.P. 56(c), (e). The Court will now set forth the relevant admitted facts.1

This action is for a declaratory judgment to determine an insurer’s obligations to defend or indemnify the insured under an insurance policy. [DE 1 ¶ 1], The parties to this declaratory action are Plaintiff En[1298]*1298durance Specialty Insurance Company (“Endurance” or “Plaintiff’), Defendant Savits-Daniel Travel Centers, Inc. (“Travel Centers”), and Defendant Marjorie Crossfield, as personal representative of the estate of Kimberlyn S. Clarke, a/k/a Kimberlyn Shovon Clarke, deceased (the “Estate” and together with Travel Centers, “Defendants”). [Id.]. .

Travel Centers was the named insured on a Commercial General Liability Policy bearing Policy Number CBP10000133500) (the “Policy”), as issued by Endurance as the insurer, with a policy period of June 5, 2012, through June 5, 2013. [DE 26 ¶ 1; DE 35 ¶ 1]. The Policy covered Travel Centers for liability arising out of its ownership of the premises located at 4690 U.S. Highway 27, Weston, Broward County, Florida 33332 (the “Property”). [DE 26 ¶ 1; DE 35 ¶ 1]. Café 27, a business establishment functioning as a bar, operated on the Property during the policy period. [DE 26 ¶ 3; DE 35 ¶ 3].

On September 19, 2012, Kimberlyn S. Clarke (“Decedent”) attended an event hosted on the Property by Café 27. [DÉ 26 ¶ 4; DE 35 ¶ 4]. While Decedent was within the Property, an altercation took place, and an individual — who was attempting to rob a separate individual— disbursed pepper spray into a crowd. [DE 26 ¶ 5; DE 35 115; DE 35-1 at 4]. According to the subsequent police report, Decedent was exposed to the pepper spray, fell to the ground, and hit her head on the rear bumper of a van in the parking lot. [DE 26 ¶ 6; DE 35 ¶ 6]. Paramedics then transported Decedent, who was in critical condition, to a local hospital, and Decedent died five (5) days later. [DE 26 ¶ 6; DE 35 ¶6]. The medical examiner, Dr. Lance Davis (“Dr. Davis”), concluded that Decedent’s cause of death was “multiple organ failure due to an anoxic encephalopathy due to an anoxic event following exposure to a respiratory irritant (pepper spray).” [DE 26 ¶ 6; DE 35 ¶ 6],

As a result of Decedent’s death, the Estate has made a claim and filed a lawsuit (the “State Court Action”) against Travel Centers for wrongful death injuries. [DE 26 ¶ 7; DE 35 ¶ 7], In the State Court Action, the amended complaint (the “State Court Complaint”) alleges that “an altercation ensued during which pepper spray was released and inhaled by [Decedent]” and that Decedent “died as a result of inhaling the pepper spray.” [DE 26-3 ¶¶ 11-12]; see also [DE 26 ¶ 8; DE 35 ¶ 8]. Additionally, the Estate alleges that Travel Centers breached its duty to maintain a safe and hazard-free environment. [DE 26 ¶ 8; DE 35 ¶ 8],

Endurance maintains that the Policy does not cover the circumstances underlying the State Court Action. See [DE 1], Endurance focuses on the following exclusion in the Policy:

COMMERCIAL GENERAL LIABILITY COVERAGE FORM
SECTION I — COVERAGES COVERAGE A BODILY INJURY AND PROPERTY DAMAGE LIABILITY
1. Insuring Agreement
a. We will pay those sums that the insured becomes legally obligated to pay as damages because of “bodily injury” or “property damage” to which this insurance applies. We will have the right and duty to defend the insured against any “suit” seeking those damages. However, we will have no duty to defend the insured against any “suit” seeking damages for “bodily injury” or “property damage” to which this insurance does not apply. We may, at our discretion, investigate any “occurrence” and settle any claim or “suit” that may result.
[1299]*1299* * * *
2. Exclusions This insurance does not apply to:
sfc #
f. Pollution
(1) “Bodily injury” or “property damage” arising out of the actual, alleged or threatened discharge, dispersal, seepage, migration, release or escape of “pollutants”:
(a) At or from any premises, site or location which is or was at any time owned or occupied by, or rented or loaned to, any insured.
ífc í¡í if;
SECTION V — DEFINITIONS
‡ ‡ iji >■:
3. “Bodily injury” means bodily injury, sickness or disease sustained by a person, including death resulting from any of these at any time.
* # * *
15. “Pollutants” mean any solid, liquid, gaseous or thermal irritant or contaminant, including smoke, vapor, soot,' fumes, acids, alkalis, chemicals and waste. Waste includes materials to be recycled, reconditioned or reclaimed.

See [DE 1 ¶ 21; DE 26-1 at 10-12, 22, 24; DE 35 at 4-5]. Endurance additionally focuses on a separate exclusion contained in the following endorsement:

ENDORSEMENT
This endorsement modifies insurance provided under the following:
COMMERCIAL GENERAL LIABILITY COVERAGE FORM
MOLD, FUNGUS, BACTERIA, VIRUS AND ORGANIC
PATHOGEN EXCLUSION

It is hereby agreed that this policy shall not apply:

1. to “bodily injury”, “property damage”, or “personal and advertising injury”;
2. to damages for devaluation of property or for the taking, use or acquisition or interference with the rights of others in property or air space;
3. to any loss, cost or expense, including but not limited to fines and penalties, arising out of any governmental direction or request, or any private party or citizen action, that an insured test for, monitor, clean up, remove, contain, treat, detoxify or neutralize “organic pathogens”; or
4. to any “suit” or administrative or regulatory procedure or process in which an insured may be involved as a party;

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Bluebook (online)
26 F. Supp. 3d 1296, 2014 WL 2600071, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 80370, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/endurance-american-specialty-insurance-v-savits-daniel-travel-centers-flsd-2014.