EQUILON ENTERPRISES LLC. v. Great American Alliance Ins. Co.

132 P.3d 758
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedApril 20, 2006
Docket56030-1-I
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 132 P.3d 758 (EQUILON ENTERPRISES LLC. v. Great American Alliance Ins. Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
EQUILON ENTERPRISES LLC. v. Great American Alliance Ins. Co., 132 P.3d 758 (Wash. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

132 P.3d 758 (2006)
132 Wash.App. 430

EQUILON ENTERPRISES LLC, d/b/a Shell Oil Products Us, a Delaware Limited Liability Company, Appellant,
v.
GREAT AMERICAN ALLIANCE INSURANCE COMPANY, a foreign insurance company, Respondent.

No. 56030-1-I.

Court of Appeals of Washington, Division 1.

April 3, 2006.
Publication Ordered April 20, 2006.

*759 Nick Steven Verwolf, Roger Ashley Leishman, Davis Wright Tremaine, Seattle, WA, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, Bellevue, WA, for Appellant.

David E. Prange, Abbott & Prange PC, Portland, OR, for Respondent.

APPELWICK, A.C.J.

¶ 1 Powell-Christensen, a fuel distributor, contracted with service stations to brand those outlets as Shell stations and delivered Shell fuel to the stations for retail sale. As required by its contract with Shell, Powell-Christensen added Shell as an insured on its commercial general liability policy, but only for liability arising out of Powell-Christensen's operations. A young man was assaulted at one of the service stations and sued Shell under several theories, including the theory that the service station owners, alleged to have negligently maintained the premises, were agents or apparent agents of Shell. Great American, the issuer of Powell-Christensen's policy, refused to defend or to indemnify Shell for the settlement into which Shell entered. Shell argues that its liability under agency or apparent agency arose out of Powell-Christensen's operations, and so was covered under the additional insured endorsement, because Powell-Christensen was responsible for Shell's signs at the service station. We agree. We reverse the trial court's grant of summary judgment in Great American's favor and remand for entry of judgment in Shell's favor on the issue of coverage under the additional insured endorsement.

FACTS

¶ 2 This case presents the question of construction of the language in an insurance contract. Powell-Christensen, a wholesale distributor of fuel, contracted with Shell to buy Shell's fuel and distribute the fuel to various service stations. The contract gave Powell-Christensen the right to use Shell signs and other identifying materials at the service stations to sell the fuel. The contract also required that Powell-Christensen indemnify Shell against all claims arising out of any injury or damage caused by or happening in connection with Powell-Christensen's sale or use of Shell's products.

¶ 3 Powell-Christensen complied with Shell's indemnification requirement and added Shell as an additional insured on its commercial general liability (CGL) policy with Great American Insurance Company. The endorsement amended the CGL policy to include Shell as an insured "only with respect to liability arising out of [Powell-Christensen's] operations or premises owned by or rented to [Powell-Christensen]." (Emphasis added.)

*760 ¶ 4 On March 27, 1999, 16-year-old Said Aba Sheikh was assaulted and severely beaten by several youths who had been loitering in the parking lot of the South Seattle Market (the Market). Although the attack took place over an allegedly prolonged period of time, the Market employees did not do anything to stop it and did not call the police.

¶ 5 Aba Sheikh sued numerous defendants under various theories of liability, including the Market and Shell. The complaint alleged that the Market knew or should have known that its premises were susceptible to criminal activity, and failed to take steps to protect patrons from third party criminal acts on the premises. The complaint also alleged that the Market did not maintain the premises in a safe manner and did not train its clerks in how to disperse groups of delinquents and respond to criminal activity and emergency situations. The complaint alleged that Shell owed the same duty as the Market, or, in the alternative, was liable for the acts and omissions of the Market under agency principles.

¶ 6 After receiving the complaint, Shell tendered its defense to Great American, invoking coverage as an additional insured under Powell-Christensen's policy. Great American denied coverage and refused to defend Shell, explaining that the complaint did not mention Powell-Christensen, refer to Powell-Christensen's operations or premises, or make allegations arising out of Powell-Christensen's operations or premises.

¶ 7 Shell filed a motion for summary judgment to dismiss all of Aba Sheikh's claims against Shell. The trial court dismissed the claims predicated on actual agency, holding that Shell had no ownership or contractual rights regarding the Market. But the trial court did not dismiss the apparent agency claim, holding that there was some evidence suggesting that at the time of the attack, Aba Sheikh was "acting in reliance upon the understanding that this was `a Shell station' and therefore would have adequate security." Prior to trial, Shell settled the apparent agency claim for $300,000. Shell also incurred over $550,000 in defense fees and expenses.

¶ 8 After settling, Shell filed a complaint for declaratory relief and damages, alleging it was entitled to defense and indemnity with respect to Aba Sheikh's claims. Great American moved for summary judgment. Shell filed a cross-motion for summary judgment. The trial court granted Great American's motion and denied Shell's motion. Shell appeals, requesting that the court remand with directions to grant Shell's motion for summary judgment.

ANALYSIS

I. Duty to Defend

¶ 9 Shell contends that Great American owed a duty under the additional insured endorsement to defend Shell against Aba Sheikh's claims. Shell contends that Powell-Christensen's operations included establishing retail outlets and licensing them to use and display Shell's logos, pursuant to the contract between Powell-Christensen and Shell. Shell argues that Aba Sheikh's agency claims against Shell were asserted based on the presence of the Shell signs at the Market. Accordingly, Shell argues, Shell's liability arose out of the presence of the Shell signs at the Market.

¶ 10 An insurer has a duty to defend if the complaint, construed liberally, alleges facts which, if proven, impose liability within the policy's coverage. Unigard Ins. Co. v. Leven, 97 Wash.App. 417, 425, 983 P.2d 1155 (1999). If the alleged claims are clearly not covered, then the insurer has no duty to defend. Cle Elum Bowl, Inc. v. North Pac. Ins. Co., 96 Wash.App. 698, 703, 981 P.2d 872 (1999). The interpretation of an insurance contract is a matter of law. McDonald v. State Farm Fire & Cas. Co., 119 Wash.2d 724, 730, 837 P.2d 1000 (1992).

¶ 11 Great American argues that Shell's argument wrongly focuses on Aba Sheikh's legal theories, and does not focus on the facts underlying the complaint. Great American contends that Shell must prove that Aba Sheikh alleged his injuries arose out of Powell-Christensen's operations.

¶ 12 However, the policy language does not name Shell as an additional insured solely for injuries arising out of Powell-Christensen's operations, but rather for liability arising *761 out of Powell-Christensen's operations.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
132 P.3d 758, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/equilon-enterprises-llc-v-great-american-alliance-ins-co-washctapp-2006.