Excess Underwriters at Lloyd's, London v. Frank's Casing Crew & Rental Tools, Inc.

246 S.W.3d 42, 51 Tex. Sup. Ct. J. 397, 2008 Tex. LEXIS 92, 2008 WL 274878
CourtTexas Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 1, 2008
Docket02-0730
StatusPublished
Cited by89 cases

This text of 246 S.W.3d 42 (Excess Underwriters at Lloyd's, London v. Frank's Casing Crew & Rental Tools, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Texas Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Excess Underwriters at Lloyd's, London v. Frank's Casing Crew & Rental Tools, Inc., 246 S.W.3d 42, 51 Tex. Sup. Ct. J. 397, 2008 Tex. LEXIS 92, 2008 WL 274878 (Tex. 2008).

Opinions

Justice O’NEILL

delivered the opinion of the Court, joined by

Chief Justice JEFFERSON, Justice MEDINA, Justice JOHNSON, and Justice WILLETT.

On January 6, 2006, we granted respondent’s motion for rehearing. We now withdraw our opinion issued May 27, 2005, and substitute the following.

In Texas, an insurer that settles a claim against its insured when coverage is disputed may seek reimbursement from the insured should coverage later be determined not to exist if the insurer “obtains the insured’s clear and unequivocal consent to the settlement and the insurer’s right to seek reimbursement.” Tex. Ass’n of Counties County Gov’t Risk Mgmt. Pool v. Matagorda County, 52 S.W.3d 128, 135 (Tex.2000). In this case, which involves excess coverage, the insured consented to the settlement but not to the excess insurer’s asserted reimbursement right. We must decide whether to recognize an exception to the rule in Matagorda County and imply a reimbursement obligation when the policy involves excess coverage, the insurer has no duty to defend under the policy, and the insured acknowledges that the claimant’s settlement offer is reasonable and demands that the insurer accept it. Because none of these distinctions alleviates the concerns that drove the Court’s analysis in Matagorda County, we [44]*44decline to recognize such an exception. We further hold that the excess insurers failed to establish that Louisiana law regarding an insurer’s right to reimbursement differs from Texas law. Accordingly, we affirm the court of appeals’ judgment.

I. Background

Frank’s Casing Crew & Rental Tool, Inc. fabricated a drilling platform for ARCO/Vastar. When the platform collapsed, ARCO sued Frank’s Casing and several others. Frank’s Casing had a $1 million primary liability policy, and excess coverage up to $10 million with Excess Underwriters at Lloyd’s, London, and Certain Companies Subscribing Severally But Not Jointly To Policy No. 548/TA4011F01 (collectively “excess underwriters”). The excess policy did not require the underwriters to assume control of the defense or the settlement of any claims, but did give them the right to associate with defense counsel retained by Frank’s Casing or the primary insurer if it was reasonably likely that the excess coverage layer would be reached. After Frank’s Casing notified the excess underwriters of ARCO’s claims, the underwriters issued reservation-of-rights letters asserting that coverage for ARCO’s claims was “limited or negated” under the policy’s terms.

The primary carrier retained defense counsel for Frank’s Casing. As trial approached, ARCO offered to settle its claims against Frank’s Casing for $9.9 million, an amount within the excess policy limits. Frank’s Casing rejected the offer without passing it on to the excess underwriters. Two weeks before trial, the excess underwriters contacted ARCO directly, without Frank’s Casing’s knowledge, and attempted to settle claims the underwriters were willing to concede were covered. No agreement was reached. ARCO later made an $8.8 million global settlement offer to all of the defendants, about $7.55 million of which was allocated to Frank’s Casing. The excess underwriters offered to pay two-thirds of this amount if Frank’s Casing and its primary carrier would pay the balance, and further agreed to waive all coverage defenses if Frank’s Casing accepted that proposal. Alternatively, the excess underwriters offered to pay $5 million and defer all coverage issues to be resolved in arbitration. Frank’s Casing rejected both proposals, insisting that it was covered under the excess policy and therefore the underwriters were obligated to fund the entire settlement.

Shortly before trial, the excess underwriters retained counsel to associate with Frank’s Casing and its primary carrier in defending against ARCO’s claims. As trial began, it quickly became clear that Frank’s Casing was ARCO’s primary target, prompting Frank’s Casing’s in-house counsel to contact ARCO and solicit a settlement demand within the excess coverage limits. Frank’s Casing’s counsel suggested that something in the $7 million range would be reasonable. ARCO responded with a $7.5 million demand. Frank’s Casing forwarded ARCO’s demand to the excess underwriters with a letter suggesting that the settlement offer was a reasonable one that the underwriters should accept. The letter reiterated Frank’s Casing’s disagreement with the underwriters’ coverage position, and stated that Frank’s Casing was looking to the underwriters to fund the settlement. In their response two days later, the underwriters agreed that the case should be settled, but noted that coverage issues remained. The underwriters offered to fund the entire settlement if Frank’s Casing would agree to reserve those issues for resolution later. Frank’s Casing rejected the underwriters’ proposal, contending that the excess insurance policies obligated the underwriters to fund the settlement. [45]*45In response, the excess underwriters advised Frank’s Casing that they would pay $7.5 million to settle the claim, less any contribution from the primary carrier, and then seek reimbursement from Frank’s Casing. Within hours, the underwriters contacted ARCO and orally accepted its settlement offer, and the primary carrier tendered its remaining policy limits of approximately $500,000. A written settlement agreement among ARCO, Frank’s Casing, and the excess underwriters preserved “any claims that exist presently” between Frank’s Casing and the underwriters. Before that agreement was executed, the excess underwriters filed this suit.

Both Frank’s Casing and the excess underwriters filed a series of cross motions for partial summary judgment. The trial court initially granted the underwriters’ motions on their right to reimbursement. It also granted their motions for partial summary judgment on coverage, and another concluding that the excess underwriters were entitled to $7,013,612 in damages on their reimbursement claim. Before a final judgment was entered, this Court issued Texas Association of Counties County Government Risk Management Pool v. Matagorda County, declining to recognize an implied-in-fact, an implied-in-law, or an equitable reimbursement right outside of the insurance policy’s provisions. 52 S.W.3d at 128. In light of our decision, the trial court ordered Frank’s Casing to file a motion for new trial only on the reimbursement issue. Frank’s Casing filed the motion and the trial court granted it, withdrew its prior order, and signed a take-nothing judgment in Frank’s Casing’s favor. The court of appeals affirmed. 93 S.W.3d 178. We granted the excess underwriters’ petition for review to decide whether our decision in Matagorda County allows the underwriters to assert a reimbursement right under the circumstances presented.

II. Reimbursement Under Texas Law

In Matagorda County, we examined an insurer’s asserted reimbursement right in similar, though not identical, circumstances. 52 S.W.3d at 129. There, the Texas Association of Counties (TAC) provided law-enforcement liability coverage to Matagorda County, but the policy excluded coverage for claims “arising out of jail.” When three inmates who had been assaulted by other prisoners in the County’s jail sued the County, TAC initially denied coverage based on the jail exclusion. After some negotiation, TAC agreed to pay defense costs, subject to a reservation of rights to preserve its coverage contest, and filed suit against the County seeking a declaratory judgment that the inmates’ claims were not covered.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
246 S.W.3d 42, 51 Tex. Sup. Ct. J. 397, 2008 Tex. LEXIS 92, 2008 WL 274878, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/excess-underwriters-at-lloyds-london-v-franks-casing-crew-rental-tex-2008.