Great Lakes Ins. Se v. Bank of Eufaula

391 F. Supp. 3d 1060
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Oklahoma
DecidedAugust 5, 2019
DocketCase No. CIV-18-055-RAW
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 391 F. Supp. 3d 1060 (Great Lakes Ins. Se v. Bank of Eufaula) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Great Lakes Ins. Se v. Bank of Eufaula, 391 F. Supp. 3d 1060 (E.D. Okla. 2019).

Opinion

Ronald A. White, United States District Judge

Defendants to this action, Julie Huff and Terry Wade Huff, filed a lawsuit in the *1062District Court of Muskogee County, Oklahoma against the Bank of Eufaula and SNB Bancshares, Inc. (hereinafter collectively referred to as the "Bank"). The Bank is insured under a Policy issued by Great Lakes Insurance SE (hereinafter "Great Lakes"). Great Lakes brought this action seeking a declaratory judgment that it has no duty to defend or indemnify the Bank against the Huffs' claims under the Policy. Now before the court are cross motions for summary judgment filed by Great Lakes [Docket No. 35] and the Bank [Docket No. 37].

I. STANDARD OF REVIEW

The court will 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." Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). The court's function is not "to weigh the evidence and determine the truth of the matter but to determine whether there is a genuine issue for trial." Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc. , 477 U.S. 242, 249, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). In applying the summary judgment standard, the court views the evidence and draws reasonable inferences therefrom in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. Burke v. Utah Transit Auth. & Local 382 , 462 F.3d 1253, 1258 (10th Cir. 2006). At this stage, however, Plaintiff may not rely on mere allegations, but must have set forth, by affidavit or other evidence, specific facts in support of the Complaint. Id.

"Conclusory allegations that are unsubstantiated do not create an issue of fact and are insufficient to oppose summary judgment." Harvey Barnett, Inc. v. Shidler , 338 F.3d 1125, 1136 (10th Cir. 2003) (citation omitted).

A party asserting that a fact cannot be or is genuinely disputed must support the assertion by: (A) citing to particular parts of materials in the record, including depositions, documents, electronically stored information, affidavits or declarations, stipulations (including those made for purposes of the motion only), admissions, interrogatory answers, or other materials; or (B) showing that the materials cited do not establish the absence or presence of a genuine dispute, or that an adverse party cannot produce admissible evidence to support the fact.

Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c)(1). While at the summary judgment stage evidence need not be submitted in a form that would be admissible at trial, the substance of the evidence must be admissible.

II. UNDISPUTED MATERIAL FACTS

Underlying Action

In the state court action, the Huffs allege that on January 21, 2016, while Julie Huff was a business invitee at the Bank, an armed robber entered the Bank. He shot and killed the Bank's president and then shot a teller who resisted his demand for money. He then took Mrs. Huff hostage at gunpoint. The robber ordered Mrs. Huff to drive him in a stolen vehicle and forced her to take him several miles as he sat in the passenger seat with a gun pointed at her.

Law enforcement chasing the stolen vehicle were informed that Mrs. Huff was a hostage. After law enforcement stopped the vehicle, Mrs. Huff ran, but the robber caught up to her, put his arm around her neck and used her as a human shield. Law enforcement and the robber exchanged fire, during which law enforcement bullets struck Mrs. Huff approximately nine (9) times.

*1063The Huffs allege that the Bank owed a duty to Mrs. Huff as a business invitee, that it failed to follow industry standards to protect its customers from such a foreseeable situation, and that its failures, negligence, and reckless disregard for her rights caused her injuries. The Huffs seek compensation for, inter alia , Mrs. Huff's bodily injuries and emotional distress.2

After the Huffs filed their state court lawsuit, the Bank demanded that Great Lakes indemnify and defend it against the Huffs' claims. Great Lakes is presently defending the Bank in the state court litigation under a reservation of rights.

The Policy

The Policy at issue is an occurrence policy that was in effect from March 6, 2015 to March 6, 2016.3 The Policy provides in pertinent part:

COVERAGE A BODILY INJURY AND PROPERTY DAMAGE LIABILITY
1. Insuring Agreement.
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. We will have the right and duty to defend the insured against "suit" seeking those damages. However, we will have no duty to defend the insured against any "suit" seeking damages for "bodily injury" or "property damage" to which this insurance does not apply....
* * *
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
(2) The "bodily injury" or "property damage" occurs during the policy period .

Docket No. 35-2 at 35 (emphasis added).

The Policy defines an "occurrence" as "an accident, including continuous or repeated exposure to substantially the same general harmful conditions." Id. at 44. The Policy also contains the following Endorsement that amends one of the Policy's exclusions:

2. EXCLUSION - EXPECTED OR INTENDED INJURY AND ASSAULT OR BATTERY
Exclusion a. of Coverage A (section I) is deleted and replaced with the following:
"Bodily injury" or "property damage":
(1) expected or intended from the standpoint of any insured;

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Bluebook (online)
391 F. Supp. 3d 1060, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/great-lakes-ins-se-v-bank-of-eufaula-oked-2019.