Gonzaga v. Burlington Ins. CA2/7

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 3, 2014
DocketB246019
StatusUnpublished

This text of Gonzaga v. Burlington Ins. CA2/7 (Gonzaga v. Burlington Ins. CA2/7) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gonzaga v. Burlington Ins. CA2/7, (Cal. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

Filed 4/3/14 Gonzaga v. Burlington Ins. CA2/7

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION SEVEN

JAYSON GONZAGA, B246019

Plaintiff and Appellant, (Los Angeles County Super. Ct. No. BC457448) v.

THE BURLINGTON INSURANCE COMPANY,

Defendant and Respondent.

APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Kevin Brazile, Judge. Affirmed.

Grassini & Wrinkle and Roland Wrinkle for Plaintiff and Appellant.

Weston & McElvain, Aaron C. Agness and Edmond Sung for Defendant and Respondent.

______________________________________ INTRODUCTION This is an appeal from the judgment entered after the trial court granted the defendant insurance company’s motion for summary judgment on the grounds its policy provided no coverage and no duty to defend based on a clear and conspicuous assault and assault and battery exclusion. Based on our review of the relevant policy provisions, along with the undisputed facts in the record, we affirm. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL SUMMARY Jayson Gonzaga filed a complaint against The Burlington Insurance Company (among other defendants), alleging causes of action for (1) tortious breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, wrongful refusal to settle and wrongful failure to defend; (2) breach of insurance contract—failure to pay indemnity and (3) breach of insurance contract—failure to defend. According to the allegations of Gonzaga’s operative (first amended) complaint, he had previously filed a complaint (Los Angeles Sup. Ct., Case No. GC 040820) against Capital Protection, Inc. (Capital, also known as Superior Protection Guest Relations, Inc.) for personal injuries he sustained on April 20, 2007. Capital, a California corporation, was an armed security service—in the business of providing businesses with security and patrol services. In the underlying action, Gonzaga alleged Capital had failed to provide for his safety and security so as to cause his injuries. Gonzaga alleged his claims were covered with respect to both indemnity and defense under the Burlington general liability insurance policy Capital obtained from Burlington (a commercial general liability insurance policy number 160 BW07353 effective July 1, 2006 to July 1, 2007), with policy limits of $1 million. He attached a copy of the policy as Exhibit A to his complaint, in which he said Burlington described and classified Capital as a “Security and Patrol Agenc[y],” described its work as “Armed Security Service” and underwrote, charged premiums (of more than $58,000 per year) and issued the policy on that basis. Gonzaga further alleged Capital properly submitted Gonzaga’s claim and tendered the defense of Gonzaga’s lawsuit to Burlington, but Burlington breached its obligations to its insured by wrongfully and in bad faith failing to

2 defend its insured or to effectuate a reasonable settlement; instead, Gonzaga alleged, Burlington denied coverage and defense, claiming the allegations of the underlying complaint “arose ‘out of assault or battery or out of any act or omission in connection with the prevention or suppression of an assault or battery’ (which was the insured’s very business and which was described as the business activities of the insured) under an exclusion in the policy, Form No. BG-G-042 0203 which appears on page 40 of the policy.” As such it was not called to the insured’s attention; it was not clear, plain or conspicuous; it would not be expected by the ordinary and reasonable insured; it would violate the reasonable expectations of the insured; and its application would defeat the very purpose of the insurance contract, would render the promised coverage illusory and would be legally and factually unconscionable. At arbitration of the underlying action, it was determined that Capital was liable to Gonzaga because it and its employees acted negligently and such negligence was a direct and proximate cause of Gonzaga’s injuries and damages; judgment was then entered against Capital and in favor of Gonzaga on February 24, 2011, in the amount of $4,986,621 plus interest at the rate of 10 percent. (He attached a copy of the judgment to his complaint as Exhibit B.) Capital assigned its claims against Burlington, including but not limited to all rights under the Burlington policy, to Gonzaga. In addition, based on the judgment against Capital, Gonzaga alleged his entitlement as judgment creditor to the Burlington policy limits plus costs and interest based upon his bodily injury allegedly covered under the policy Burlington issued to Capital. Burlington filed its answer and later moved for summary judgment on the grounds it had no duty to defend or indemnify Capital in connection with Gonzaga’s underlying action. In its separate statement, Burlington submitted evidence in support of the following facts: Gonzaga alleged he was attending a party at Dave & Buster’s in the City of Arcadia on April 20, 2007, when he “was shot by an assailant who had entered the defendants’ [Gonzaga named both Dave & Buster’s and Capital as defendants] premises and business.” After the parties agreed to submit their dispute to arbitration, the

3 arbitrator found Capital had negligently failed to prevent or deter the foreseeable shooting, resulting in a total award of $4,986,621.1 In addition, Burlington noted, Capital and Dave & Buster’s had a service agreement which specified that Capital’s officers were contracted to provide the following services (with Burlington adding emphasis as follows): uniformed officers stationed will conduct foot patrols of the area and will be in direct communications with our dispatch facility or a supervisor on duty at all times; immediate intervention and notification of proper authorities during emergency situations; securing and locking of the facilities’ doors and gates with frequent and regular monitoring of such areas while officers are on duty; constant patrols of all parking facilities, while maintaining high visibility with continual notation of irregularities and incidents; comprehensive incident reports as necessary, which will be turned in to management for review and proper notification; instant notification to the general manager of all serious security issues, areas of concern, serious maintenance issues, and all potential issues of liability observed by security officers while on duty. (Bold emphasis added by Burlington.) The policy Burlington issued to Capital and identified in Gonzaga’s complaint contained a commercial general liability coverage form, Form No. CG 00 01 10 01, which expressly provides: “SECTION I—COVERAGES “COVERAGE A BODILY INJURY “AND PROPERTY DAMAGE “LIABILITY “1. Insuring Agreement

1 In exchange for a covenant not to execute on the arbitration award, Capital assigned its rights against Burlington to Gonzaga. According to the partial settlement agreement, Capital assigned its rights against its own insurance broker to Dave & Buster’s under a separate settlement agreement; Gonzaga was not assigned the rights to proceed against Capital’s insurance broker for negligent failure to properly obtain coverage on Capital’s behalf.

4 “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. “. . . “b. This insurance applies to ‘bodily injury’ and ‘property damage’ only if: “(1) The ‘bodily injury’ or ‘property damage’ is caused by an ‘occurrence’ that takes place in the ‘coverage’ territory’; and . . .

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Gonzaga v. Burlington Ins. CA2/7, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gonzaga-v-burlington-ins-ca27-calctapp-2014.