Hanover Insurance v. Vermont Mutual Insurance

69 F. Supp. 3d 302, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 160423, 2014 WL 6387061
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. New York
DecidedNovember 14, 2014
DocketNo. 1:13-cv-860
StatusPublished

This text of 69 F. Supp. 3d 302 (Hanover Insurance v. Vermont Mutual Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hanover Insurance v. Vermont Mutual Insurance, 69 F. Supp. 3d 302, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 160423, 2014 WL 6387061 (N.D.N.Y. 2014).

Opinion

DECISION AND ORDER

THOMAS J. McAYOY, Senior District Judge.

Before the Court are the parties’ motions for summary judgment in this case involving insurers’ obligations to fund a judgment against an insured in a lead-paint exposure case. See dkt. # s 31, 33. The matter has been briefed and is ripe for disposition.

I. BACKGROUND

The dispute in this case concerns insurers’ responsibility for contributing to a judgment entered against insured property owners Ralph and Nancy Palen (“the Palens”) for exposing a child to lead paint. Plaintiff Hanover Insurance Company (“Hanover”) served as excess insurer in the underlying case. Defendant Vermont Mutual Insurance Company (“Vermont”) was the primary insurer on the property in question. Exposure to lead paint injured a minor. The parties do not dispute their duty to provide coverage under the policy; they disagree about the amount of coverage Vermont is required to provide, and thus whether Hanover’s excess coverage should be invoked. The lead exposure occurred over a period covered by three different liability policies issued by Vermont. Each policy had a $300,000 limit. Plaintiff argues that those policies should be stacked, providing $900,000 in coverage and obviating any need for Hanover’s excess insurance. Vermont argues that the policies’ unambiguous terms make injury from asbestos exposure a single occurrence and confines coverage to the limits on a single policy, $300,000.

G.C., a child, along with his parents Joann and Christopher Concepcion, rented an apartment in a building located at 26 West Chester Street, Kingston, New York owned by the Palens from November 5, 2003 until around December 5, 2004. (Plaintiffs Statement of Undisputed Material Facts, dkt. #33-2 (“Plaintiffs Statement”) at ¶¶ 9-12; Defendant’s Statement of Undisputed Material Facts (“Defendant’s Statement”) at ¶ 22) 1. In September 2007, Joann Concepcion, as parent and natural guardian of G.C., brought an action against the Palens in the Supreme Court [305]*305of Ulster County, New York. (Defendant’s Statement at ¶40). Concepcion claimed that G.C. had been exposed to lead paint while living in the apartment, and that the apartment contained large amount of lead paint chips and dust. (Id. at ¶ 41). In March 2012 a jury returned a verdict for the 'plaintiffs in that state-court action, awarding $770,000 to Concepcion. (Id. ¶ 47). The parties then reached a settlement for $809,181.81. (Id.). Vermont and Hanover thereafter reached an agreement to fund the settlement. (Id. at ¶ 48). Vermont agreed to contribute $800,000, as well as $18,843.91 in interest. (Id.). Hanover agreed to contribute $470,000, as well as $18,843.91 in interest. (Id.). The parties reserved their right to litigate the issue of each insurer’s responsibility for the settlement. (Id.).

Hanover filed a declaratory judgment Complaint in this Court on July 19, 2013. See dkt. # 1. Hanover filed an Amended Complaint on October 20, 2013. See dkt. # 12. Hanover sought a ruling from the Court that Vermont was obligated as primary insurer to pay up to $900,000 to satisfy the judgment in the Concepcion case. Hanover therefore sought judgment against Vermont for $488,843.90, plus interest, to cover the amount Hanover had already paid as excess insurer.

II. ANALYSIS

A. Legal Standard

Both parties have filed motions for summary judgment. It is well settled that on a motion for summary judgment, the Court must construe the evidence in the light most favorable to the non-moving party, see Tenenbaum v. Williams, 193 F.3d 581, 593 (2d Cir.1999), and may grant summary judgment only where “there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and ... the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c). An issue is genuine if the relevant evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmov-ing party. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986).

A party seeking summary judgment bears the burden of informing the court of the basis for the motion and of identifying those portions of the record that the moving party believes demonstrate the absence of a genuine issue of material fact as to a dispositive issue. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). If the movant is able to establish a prima facie basis for summary judgment, the burden of production shifts to the party opposing summary judgment who must produce evidence establishing the existence of a factual dispute that a reasonable jury could resolve in his favor. Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 587, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986). A party opposing a properly supported motion for summary judgment may not rest upon “mere allegations or denials” asserted in his pleadings, Rexnord Holdings, Inc. v. Bidermann, 21 F.3d 522, 525-26 (2d Cir.1994), or on conclusory allegations or unsubstantiated speculation. Scotto v. Almenas, 143 F.3d 105, 114 (2d Cir.1998).

This case involves interpretations of insurance contracts.2 In New York, “an insurance policy is a contract that is construed to effectuate the intent of the parties as expressed by their words and purposes.” Dicola v. American S.S. Owners Mut. Protection and Indem. Assoc., 158 F.3d 65, 77 (2d Cir.1998). Courts resolving disputes “ ‘over insurance coverage ... first look to the language of the policy.’ ” [306]*306Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v. National Union Fire Ins. Co., 21 N.Y.3d 139, 148, 969 N.Y.S.2d 808, 991 N.E.2d 666, 671 (2013) (quoting Consolidated Edison Co. of N.Y., Inc. v. Allstate Ins. Co., 98 N.Y.2d 208, 222, 746 N.Y.S.2d 622, 774 N.E.2d 687 (2002)). In interpreting the policy, a court is to “ ‘construe the policy in a way that ‘affords a fair meaning to all of the language employed by the parties in the contract and leave no provision without force and effect.’ ’ ” Id. (quoting Consolidated Edison, 98 N.Y.2d at 222, 746 N.Y.S.2d 622). “ ‘Unambiguous terms are to be given their plain and ordinary meaning.’” Dicola, 158 F.3d at 77 (quoting State of New York v. Blank, 27 F.3d 783, 792 (2d Cir.1994)). Ambiguity exists when the policy “ ‘is reasonably susceptible to more than one reading.’ ” Id. (quoting Haber v. St. Paul Guardian Ins. Co.,

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Bluebook (online)
69 F. Supp. 3d 302, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 160423, 2014 WL 6387061, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hanover-insurance-v-vermont-mutual-insurance-nynd-2014.