Great American Assurance Co. v. PCR Venture of Phoenix LLC

161 F. Supp. 3d 778, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 181153, 2015 WL 10008627
CourtDistrict Court, D. Arizona
DecidedDecember 28, 2015
DocketNo. CV-13-0057O-PHX-ROS
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 161 F. Supp. 3d 778 (Great American Assurance Co. v. PCR Venture of Phoenix LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Great American Assurance Co. v. PCR Venture of Phoenix LLC, 161 F. Supp. 3d 778, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 181153, 2015 WL 10008627 (D. Ariz. 2015).

Opinion

ORDER

Honorable Roslyn O. Silver, Senior United States District Judge

Great American Assurance Company (“Great American”) entered into an insurance contract with PCR Venture of Phoenix LLC (“PCR Venture”). When an individual sued PCR Venture, Great American decided to defend PCR Venture. Great American now regrets that decision and seeks to recover the attorneys’ fees it incurred when defending PCR Venture. The Arizona Supreme Court has not addressed whether Arizona law allows an insurer to recover attorneys’ fees in this situation. Courts outside of Arizona have split on this issue but the better reasoned opinions hold insurers cannot recover fees of this type. Based on those opinions, Great American’s request for attorneys’ fees will be denied.

BACKGROUND

The complete background of this litigation is very complicated and not relevant to the issue of attorneys’ fees. The important events, somewhat simplified, are as follows. PCR Venture is in the car rental business while Great American is in the insurance business. In 2009, PCR Venture purchased a “business automobile insurance policy” and a “commercial general liability insurance policy” from Great American. (Doc. 41 at 2, Doc. 39 at 2). The policies contained very similar lan[781]*781guage obligating Great American to pay the amounts PCR Venture became legally obligated to pay to third parties “because of ‘bodily injury.’ ” (Doc. 41 at 3).

In 2010, Michael Bovre rented a car from PCR Venture. In doing so, Mr. Bovre did not pay for a supplemental insurance policy offered by PCR Venture but actually provided by another insurance company. The form filled out by Mr. Bovre hinted that he wished to purchase such coverage. While driving the rental car, Mr. Bovre collided with a motorcycle and seriously injured the individuals riding the motorcycle. Believing he had purchased coverage under the supplemental liability policy, Mr. Bovre concluded the supplemental liability policy should be available to settle the claims against him. The supplemental liability insurer disagreed and refused to provide coverage. At some point, Great American learned of the dispute between Mr. Bovre and the supplemental liability insurer. At that time, there were indications Mr. Bovre might assert claims against PCR Venture.

Based on the possibility that Mr. Bovre would sue PCR Venture, Great American sent PCR Venture a reservation-of-rights letter. In that letter Great American stated “it appears that the potential claim by Mr. Bovre [against PCR Venture] might not be covered under the policies issued by Great American.” (Doc. 39-3 at 2). The letter stated a definitive decision could not be reached because it was “not entirely clear what claim Mr. Bovre might assert against [PCR Venture].” (Doc. 39-3 at 9). But the letter made clear the Great American policies only provided coverage for damages “because of’ bodily injury and Great American believed any claims Mr. Bovre might assert would not be “because of’ bodily injury. Therefore, Great American believed Mr. Bovre’s claims would not be covered.

For present purposes, it is not necessary to detail a complicated sequence of settlements and assignments between various parties that happened after that letter. In simple terms, Mr. Bovre eventually sued PCR Venture. According to the complaint in that suit, PCR Venture’s failure to provide Mr. Bovre with the supplemental liability insurance coverage constituted negligence, negligent misrepresentation, breach of contract, and bad faith. (CV-12-1671, Doc. 1-2 at 36; Doc. 376 at 4). A copy of that complaint was sent to Great American, which prompted a supplemental reservation-of-rights letter to PCR Venture. (Doc. 39-3 at 25). Great American’s supplemental letter reiterated its belief that the claims by Mr. Bovre were not “because of’ bodily injury. Instead, all of Mr. Bovre’s claims were based on economic harm. Despite the belief that Mr. Bovre’s claims were not covered, Great American agreed to defend PCR Venture. In doing so, Great American stated it was “reserving all rights,” including “the right to seek reimbursement of defense costs.” (Doc. 39-3 at 31). Developments in the underlying suit led to a third reservation-of-rights letter. (Doc. 39-3 at 54). As did the previous two, the third letter recounted Great American’s belief that coverage did not exist. The third letter reiterated that Great American was reserving “the right to seek reimbursement of defense costs.” (Doc. 39-3 at 62).

While the suit by Mr. Bovre against PCR Venture was still pending, Great American commenced the present declaratory judgment against PCR Venture. Great American sought declaratory judgment that Mr. Bovre’s allegations against PCR Venture did not trigger either Great American policy. (Doc. 1 at 13-16). The complaint also sought reimbursement “for defense costs incurred in defending [PCR Venture] in connection with” Mr. Bovre’s suit. (Doc. 1 at 13-14). Finally, the com[782]*782plaint sought an award of attorneys’ fees in connection with having to file the declaratory judgment action. (Doc. 1 at 14).

This declaratory judgment action proceeded with the parties eventually filing cross-motions for summary judgment. In July 2014-while Great American was still defending PCR Venture against Mr. Bovre’s claims-this Court ruled coverage under the Great American policies did not exist. (Doc. 59). That conclusion was based on two grounds. First, Mr. Bovre’s claims were not “because of’ bodily injury. And second, the policies only covered “accidentes]” but Mr. Bovre’s claims were not based on an “accident” as that term was defined by Arizona law. (Doc. 59). After concluding coverage did not exist, the Court held Great American’s request for attorneys’ fees would be resolved once the litigation involving Mr. Bovre concluded. Apparently Great American stopped defending PCR Venture once the declaratory judgment was issued.

In April 2015, the court hearing the suit between Mr. Bovre and PCR Venture issued a ruling, holding PCR Venture liable.1 That finding meant Great American could not ask for its fees in the other case because its insured, PCR Venture, was not the prevailing party. Great American now seeks an award of fees in the present case.

ANALYSIS

Great American seeks an award of two types of fees: 1) approximately $330,000 to cover the fees expended in defending PCR Venture in the other action before judgment in this declaratory judgment action was issued; and 2) approximately $67,000 to cover the fees expended in prevailing in this declaratory judgment action. The two categories will be addressed separately.

I. Fees for Defending PCR Venture

Arizona law gives three options to an insurer, that receives notice from an insured about a possible claim. The insurer can 1) unconditionally accept coverage and defend the claim; 2) reject the claim and refuse to defend; or 3) defend the claim under a reservation of rights. Each of these choices comes with its own set of consequences.

Under the first option — unconditionally defending its insured — an insurer bears the full cost of the defense but reaps the benefit of requiring the insured’s cooperation in the defense. That cooperation means the insured cannot enter into a settlement with the opposing party without the insurer’s consent. See United Servs. Auto. Ass’n v. Morris, 154 Ariz. 113, 741 P.2d 246, 252 (1987) (“[T]he cooperation clause prohibition ...

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161 F. Supp. 3d 778, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 181153, 2015 WL 10008627, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/great-american-assurance-co-v-pcr-venture-of-phoenix-llc-azd-2015.