GOLDSTEIN v. PROGRESSIVE PREFERRED INSURANCE COMPANY

CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedJanuary 5, 2021
Docket2:20-cv-00294
StatusUnknown

This text of GOLDSTEIN v. PROGRESSIVE PREFERRED INSURANCE COMPANY (GOLDSTEIN v. PROGRESSIVE PREFERRED INSURANCE COMPANY) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
GOLDSTEIN v. PROGRESSIVE PREFERRED INSURANCE COMPANY, (W.D. Pa. 2021).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA

MICHAEL A. GOLDSTEIN and LYNNE A. ) GOLDSTEIN, ) ) 2:20-cv-0294-RJC Plaintiffs, ) ) Judge Robert J. Colville vs. ) ) PROGRESSIVE PREFERRED ) INSURANCE COMPANY and AMERICAN ) BANKERS INSURANCE COMPANY OF ) FLORIDA, ) ) Defendants. )

OPINION Robert J. Colville, United States District Judge Before the Court is the Motion to Dismiss and, alternatively, Motion for More Definite Statement, (ECF No. 13) filed by Defendant American Bankers Insurance Company of Florida (“American Bankers”). American Bankers seeks dismissal of the claims brought against it in the Complaint (ECF No. 1) filed by Plaintiffs Michael A. Goldstein (“Mr. Goldstein”) and Lynne A. Goldstein (“Mrs. Goldstein”) (collectively, “Plaintiffs”) pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1) and, alternatively, Rule 12(b)(6), and also moves in the alternative for a more definite statement pursuant to Rule 12(e). The Motion to Dismiss filed by American Bankers has been fully briefed, and is ripe for disposition. I. Factual Background & Procedural History In their Complaint, Plaintiffs set forth the following allegations relevant to the Motion to Dismiss filed by American Bankers: On March 7, 2016, Mr. Goldstein was involved in a collision (the “Accident”) in which the motorcycle he was operating collided with a vehicle that had suddenly decelerated and/or stopped

in the roadway ahead of Mr. Goldstein, resulting in Mr. Goldstein sustaining severe injuries. Compl. ¶¶ 8-15, ECF No. 1. The vehicle with which Mr. Goldstein’s motorcycle collided was being negligently operated by Diane Murrell Jackson, id. at ¶¶ 9-11, who was afforded liability insurance coverage through a policy which provided for bodily injury liability limits of coverage of $25,000.00 per person issued to the vehicle’s owner by State Farm Mutual Insurance Company (“State Farm”), id. at ¶ 17. Following the Accident, Plaintiffs made a claim for, and received, the bodily injury liability limits of coverage of $25,000.00 from State Farm. Id. at ¶ 18. Mr. Goldstein’s motorcycle was insured by a policy issued to Mr. Goldstein by Dairyland Insurance Company (“Dairyland”) which included underinsured motorist (“UIM”) coverage limits in the

amount of $250,000.00 per person. Id. at ¶ 19. Following the Accident, Plaintiffs also made a claim for, and received, the $250,000.00 UIM coverage limits from Dairyland. Id. at ¶ 20. The payments made by Dairyland and State Farm were inadequate to fully compensate for Plaintiffs’ injuries sustained as a result of the Accident. Id. at ¶ 21. At the time of the Accident, Plaintiffs were also the named insureds and policyholders under a motor vehicle insurance policy issued by Defendant Progressive Preferred Insurance Company (“Progressive”) for three vehicles which included UIM limits of coverage of $250,000.00 per person, stacked for each of the three vehicles, for aggregate UIM coverage in the amount of $750,000.00. Compl. ¶ 22, ECF No. 1. At the time of the Accident, Mr. Goldstein was also the named insured and policyholder under a motor vehicle insurance policy issued by American Bankers for two automobiles which included UIM limits of coverage of $100,000.00 per person, stacked for each of the two vehicles, for aggregate UIM coverage in the amount of $200,000.00.1 Id. at ¶ 23. Plaintiffs’ damages sustained as a result of the Accident meet or exceed the total of the payments by State Farm and Dairyland and the total of the UIM coverage limits

under the Progressive and American Bankers policies. Id. at ¶ 25. Plaintiffs have made claims for UIM benefits to each of the Defendants, but neither Defendant has offered any amount on the claims, and neither has consented to arbitrate the claims. Id. at ¶ 29. Plaintiffs filed their Complaint on February 27, 2020. Progressive filed an Answer (ECF No. 12) to Plaintiffs’ Complaint on April 12, 2020, and also filed an Amendment (ECF No. 21) to that Answer on May 18, 2020 which asserts a Crossclaim2 for contribution against American Bankers. American Bankers filed its Motion to Dismiss and, alternatively, Motion for More Definite Statement on April 28, 2020, along with a Brief in Support (ECF No. 14). Plaintiffs filed a Brief in Opposition (ECF No. 16) on May 8, 2020. On May 11, 2020, Plaintiffs filed a

Supplemental Brief in Opposition (ECF No. 17), through which Plaintiffs: (1) withdrew their request for sanctions respecting the Certificate of Conferral attached to American Bankers’ Motion to Dismiss; (2) withdrew their request that the Court deny the Motion on the basis of the Certificate of Conferral; and (3) requested that the Court deny the Motion on the merits. Supplemental Br. 2, ECF No. 17. American Bankers filed a Reply (ECF No. 20) on May 15, 2020.

1 American Bankers identifies this policy as: “Antique & Collectible Vehicle Policy, Policy No.: AVP 2185591” (the “Policy”). See Br. in Supp. 2, ECF No. 14. The Policy is attached as Exhibit A to American Bankers’ Motion to Dismiss. 2 American Bankers moved for, see Mot. 3, ECF No. 23, and this Court granted, see Order, ECF No. 24, an extension of time of twenty-one days after the date that this Court rules on American Bankers’ pending Motion to Dismiss for American Bankers to respond to Progressive’s Crossclaim. II. Legal Standards A. Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1) A motion to dismiss pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1) challenges the “court’s ‘very power to hear the case.’” Petruska v. Gannon Univ., 462 F.3d 294, 302 (3d Cir. 2006) (quoting Mortensen v. First Federal Savings and Loan Ass’n, 549 F.2d 884, 891 (3d Cir.

1977)). The party asserting the existence of federal jurisdiction bears the burden of proving that jurisdiction over the subject matter actually exists. Brown v. Tucci, C.A. No. 12-1769, 2013 WL 2190145 (W.D. Pa. May 20, 2013) (citing Development Finance Corp. v. Alpha Housing & Health Care, 54 F.3d 156, 158 (3d Cir. 1995)). There are two types of Rule 12(b)(1) motions. A “facial” attack assumes that the allegations of the complaint are true, but contends that the pleadings fail to present an action within the court’s jurisdiction. Mortensen v. First Fed. Sav. & Loan Ass’n, 549 F.2d 884, 891 (3d Cir. 1977). The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has explained: In reviewing a facial attack, “the court must only consider the allegations of the complaint and documents referenced therein and attached thereto, in the light most favorable to the plaintiff.” In re Schering Plough Corp., 678 F.3d at 243 (quoting Gould Elecs. Inc. v. United States, 220 F.3d 169, 176 (3d Cir.2000)) (internal quotation marks omitted). Thus, a facial attack calls for a district court to apply the same standard of review it would use in considering a motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6), i.e., construing the alleged facts in favor of the nonmoving party.

Constitution Party of Pennsylvania v. Aichele, 757 F.3d 347, 358 (3d Cir. 2014). A “factual” attack, on the other hand, argues that, while the pleadings themselves facially establish jurisdiction, one or more of the factual allegations is untrue, causing the case to fall outside the court’s jurisdiction. Id.

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GOLDSTEIN v. PROGRESSIVE PREFERRED INSURANCE COMPANY, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/goldstein-v-progressive-preferred-insurance-company-pawd-2021.