Everest Indemnity Insurance v. Valley Forge, Inc.

140 F. Supp. 3d 421, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 140277, 2015 WL 5996943
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedOctober 15, 2015
DocketCIVIL ACTION NO. 15-593
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 140 F. Supp. 3d 421 (Everest Indemnity Insurance v. Valley Forge, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

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Everest Indemnity Insurance v. Valley Forge, Inc., 140 F. Supp. 3d 421, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 140277, 2015 WL 5996943 (E.D. Pa. 2015).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

Stewart Dalzell, District Judge

I. Introduction

We consider here cross-motions for summary judgment filed by plaintiff Everest Indemnity Insurance Company (“Everest”) and defendant Valley Forge, Inc. (“Valley Forge”).

Everest brings an action against defendant Valley Forge seeking a declaratory judgment that no coverage is available for Valley Forge under the commercial general liability policy bearing number EF4ML02378-121 (“the Policy”) pursuant to the Commercial General Liability (“CGL”) coverage form or the Site Specific Pollution Liability (“SSPL”) coverage form,.

We have diversity jurisdiction over these claims pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1332.

Both Everest and Valley Forge move for summary judgment on the duty to defend issue in this case.' For the reasons set forth below, we will deny defendant’s motion for summary judgment, grant plaintiffs motion for summary judgment,' and enter a declaratory judgment for plaintiff and against defendant.

II. Legal Standard

Parties may move for summary, judgment pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a) on any claim or defense in the case, and the “court shall grant summary judgment if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law,” Id.

A party moving for, summary judgment bears .the initial, burden of informing the district court of the basis for its argument, that there is no genuine issue of material fact by “identifying those portions of . the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions, on file, together with the affidavits,, if any, which it believes demonstrate the absence of a genuine issue of material fact.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986) (internal quotations omitted). If the moving party meets this initial burden, Fed. R. Civ. P. 56 then obliges the non-moving party to show, via submissions beyond the pleadings, that there are genuine factual issues for trial. Id. at 324, 106 S.Ct. 2548.

There is a genuine issue of material fact only when there is sufficient evidence such that a reasonable juror could find for the party opposing the motion. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 251-52, [424]*424106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986) (explaining further that a mere scintilla of evidence is insufficient). Material facts are those that would affect the outcome of the case under the governing law. Id. at 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505. We may not make credibility determinations or weigh'the evidence, and we must draw all reasonable inferences in favor of the non-moving party. Reeves v. Sanderson Plumbing Prods., Inc., 530 U.S. 133, 150, 120 S.Ct. 2097, 147 L.Ed.2d 105 (2000); Armour v. County of Beaver, PA, 271 F.3d 417, 420 (3d Cir.2001). Our function is to determine whether there is a genuine issue for trial, and we may not prevent a case from reaching a jury simply because we favor one of several reasonable views of the evidence. Abraham v. Raso, 183 F.3d 279, 287 (3d Cir.1999) (citing Anderson, 477 U.S. at 249, 106 S.Ct. 2505).

We treat cross-motions for summary judgment as if they were distinct, independent motions, and must rule on each party’s motion on an individual and separate basis. Beneficial Mut. Sav. Bank v. Stewart Title Guar. Co., 36 F.Supp.3d 537, 544 (E.D.Pa.2014) (citing Lawrence v. City of Philadelphia, 527 F.3d 299, 310 (3d Cir.2008)). In evaluating each motion, we must consider the' evidence "in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. Trinity Industries, Inc. v. Chicago Bridge & Iron Co., 735 F.3d 131, 134-35 (3d Cir.2013).

We recount the facts as stipulated and as the record evidences.

III. Factual and Procedural History

Everest issued the Policy at the heart of this dispute to Valley Forge for the one-year period between October 14, 2012 and October 14, 2013. Stipulated Facts (“SF”) at ¶ 5. The relevant CGL portion of the Policy states that Everest “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.” CGL at Sec. I. The CGL form defines “bodily injury” as “bodily injury, sickness or disease sustained by a person — ” Id. at Sec V. It defines “property damage” as “a. Physical injury to tangible property, including all resulting loss of use of that property...; or b. Loss of use of tangible property that is not physically injured.”' Id.

The SSPL coverage form provides limited coverage for certain pollution-related liabilities. The Policy defines “site pollution condition,” to mean “the'discharge, dispersal, seepage, migration, release'or escape of ‘pollutants’ from a ‘covered site’ ”. SSPL at Sec. VI. It further states that the Policy applies to “bodily injury” and “property damage” when, “[t]he ‘bodily injury’ or ‘property damage’ is caused by a ‘site pollution condition’ that emanates from your ‘covered site’ in the ‘coverage territory.’ ” Id. at Sec. I. The SSPL coverage form defines “property damage” as “a. Physical injury to tangible property/ including all resulting loss of use of that property; b. Loss of use of tangible property that is not physically injured; or c. ‘Cleanup costs,’ ” Id. at Sec. VI. “Cleanup costs” are defined as:

.expenses incurred in the investigation, evaluation, monitoring, testing, removal, containment, treatment, response, disposal, remediation, detoxification or neutralization of any ‘pollutants,’ provided that such expenses result from a ‘site pollution condition’ that emanates form (sic) your ‘covered site,’ and that such expenses:
a. Are specifically mandated by the supervising governmental authority duly acting under the authority of environmental law(s); or
[425]*425b. Have been actually incurred by the supervising governmental authority or by a third party.

Id. “Pollutants” are defined as “any solid, liquid, gaseous, thermal, or biological substance, material, matter, irritant or contaminant, including smoke, vapors, soot, fumes, acids, alkalis, chemicals, waste and naturally occurring radioactive material. Waste includes materials to be recycled, reconditioned or reclaimed.” Id.

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140 F. Supp. 3d 421, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 140277, 2015 WL 5996943, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/everest-indemnity-insurance-v-valley-forge-inc-paed-2015.