Hartford Roman Catholic Diocesan Corp. v. Interstate Fire & Casualty Co.

297 F.R.D. 22, 2014 WL 298747, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10029
CourtDistrict Court, D. Connecticut
DecidedJanuary 28, 2014
DocketNo. 3:12 CV 1641 (JBA)
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 297 F.R.D. 22 (Hartford Roman Catholic Diocesan Corp. v. Interstate Fire & Casualty Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Connecticut primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hartford Roman Catholic Diocesan Corp. v. Interstate Fire & Casualty Co., 297 F.R.D. 22, 2014 WL 298747, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10029 (D. Conn. 2014).

Opinion

RULING ON PLAINTIFF’S MOTION TO COMPEL PRODUCTION

JOAN GLAZER MARGOLIS, United States Magistrate Judge.

On November 19, 2012, plaintiff Hartford Roman Catholic Diocesan Corporation [“plaintiff’] commenced this diversity action against defendant Interstate Fire & Casualty Co. [“defendant”], regarding seven excess liability insurance policies issued by defendant to plaintiff between September 1, 1978 and September 1, 1985. (Dkt. # 1). Plaintiff has settled four lawsuits brought against it with respect to allegations of sexual misconduct by clergy affiliated with plaintiff, in which the plaintiffs’ names for litigation purposes were RM, KS, JA, and Matthew Doe [collectively “the Underlying Claims”]. (Id. at 6-10). Despite presenting its proofs of loss to defendant, defendant has failed or refused to pay plaintiff for these losses allegedly covered by the insurance policies. (Id. at 10). Plaintiffs complaint contains three counts: breach of contract (Count One); breach of covenant of good faith and faith dealing (Count Two); and violation of the Connecticut Unfair Insurance Practices Act [“CUIPA”], Conn. Gen.Stat. § 38a-815 et seq. and of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act [“CUT-PA”], Conn. Gen.Stat. § 42-110a et seq. (Count Three). (Id. at 11-18). Defendant filed its answer and affirmative defenses on January 11, 2013. (Dkt. # 16). Under the present scheduling orders, all expert discovery will be completed within sixty days of the Court’s ruling on the pending discovery motions. (See Dkts. ## 22, 24, 27, 30).

On November 1, 2013, plaintiff filed the pending Motion to Compel Production and brief in support. (Dkt. # 28).1 On Decem[24]*24ber 6, 2013, defendant filed its brief in opposition. (Dkt. #332; see also Dkts. ##31-32). Two weeks later, on December 20, 2013, plaintiff filed its reply brief. (Dkt. #38).3

This motion was referred to this Magistrate Judge by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton on November 5, 2013. (Dkt. #29).

For the reasons stated below, plaintiffs Motion to Compel Production (Dkt. #28) is granted in part and denied in part.

I. DISCUSSION

On May 14, 2013, plaintiff served twenty Requests for Production on defendant, as to which defendant responded, with multiple objections, on August 12, 2013. (See Federico Afft, ¶¶ 4-5 & Exh. 1; Tobin Afft, ¶¶ 4, 6 & Exh. 2). Counsel conferred on September 11, 2013 and again on October 10, 2013, and were able to resolve their disputes with respect to Requests for Production Nos. 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9 and 16, with defendant agreeing to produce all non-privileged documents responsive to these seven requests. (Federico Afft, ¶¶6-7; Tobin Afft, ¶¶ 8-9, 11-12; Federico Afft II, ¶¶4-5). According to plaintiffs counsel, defendant has “produced only 568 documents in response to all of [plaintiffs] requests[,]” of which one hundred twenty-five were completely redacted and ninety-seven were partially redacted. (Federico Aff't, ¶ 10).4 However, according to defense counsel, despite its objections, defendant produced 5,358 pages of responsive documents, with a fifty-two page privilege log. (Tobin Aff't, ¶ 7).

As previously indicated, on November 1, 2013, plaintiff filed the pending Motion to Compel with respect to the remaining thirteen requests, namely Nos. 1, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19 and 20. (Dkt. # 28, at 1). Some time later, counsel were able to resolve their differences with respect to Nos. 1 and 11. (Dkt. #33, at 4-7; Tobin Afft ¶ 19; Federico Afft II, ¶ 7). Thus, this ruling need only address eleven requests, namely Nos. 5, 6, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19 and 20.

The Court will address these discovery requests in an order which differs from that of counsel.

A REQUESTS NOS. 5,15,18,19 & 20-OTHER CLAIMS

In these five requests, plaintiff seeks all documents concerning seven claims asserted against plaintiff by seven claimants other than RM, KS, JA and Matthew Doe [25]*25(No. 5); all documents since 1978 concerning claims for coverage based on allegations of childhood sexual abuse against religious entities, made under policies sold by defendant (No. 15); all documents produced by defendant in Corporation of the Catholic Archbishop of Seattle v. Interstate Fire & Casualty Co., Case No. 11-00989 (W.D.Wash.) (No. 18); all documents produced by defendant in Interstate Fire & Casualty Co., Inc. v. Catholic Diocese of Phoenix, Case No. 2:09-CV-01405 (D.Ariz.) (No. 19); and the complaint and docket sheets of all lawsuits filed against defendant by religious entities for breach of contract or bad faith (No. 20); defendant has asserted a host of objections, including vagueness, over breadth, undue burden, irrelevancy, lack of access, attorney-client privilege, work product doctrine, availability within plaintiffs own files, and sensitivity and confidentiality. (Federico Aff't, ¶¶ 18-22 & Exh. 1; Federico Afft II, ¶ 10).5

In its brief, plaintiff argues that defendant has made “a general business practice to avoid its obligations” to its insureds under these policies; that defendant has “engaged in similar unfair tactics with at least two other insureds[,]” namely the Archdiocese of Seattle, Washington and the Diocese of Springfield, Massachusetts; that the standing protective order “is ... perfectly adequate ... [to] address[ ] any confidential issues[;]” that plaintiff cannot obtain this information except from defendant; and that under similar circumstances, federal judicial officers in this district and in the Southern District of New York have permitted such discovery. (Dkt. # 28, Brief, at 27-32). In contrast, defendant responds that the requested documents are not relevant because CUTPA and CUIPA require that a violation occur in Connecticut (which bars discovery regarding ouUof-state claims); that lawsuits filed by other insureds do not prove bad faith; that there is so much variation in each individual case so that the majority of jurisdictions, including Connecticut, bar “other insured” discovery; and that plaintiffs requests for all documents since 1978 is overbroad. (Dkt. # 33, at 27-32). In its reply brief, plaintiff argues that in contrast to CUTPA, CUIPA does not require that a general business practice be restricted to Connecticut, and that “the current majority view around the country allow[s] such discovery.” (Dkt. # 38, at 2-7).

While the Connecticut Appellate Court made clear three months ago that the “meaning” of CUTPA is “plain and unambiguous[ ]” in that “it proscribes only unfair trade practices occurring with the state of Connecticut,” Western Dermatology Consultants, P.C. v. VitalWorks, Inc., 146 Conn.App. 169, 200-01, 78 A.3d 167 (Conn.App.Ct.2013),6 there appears to be no such restriction with respect to claims under CUIPA. For example, in Southridge Cap. Mgmt, LLC v. Twin City Fire Ins. Co., No. 04 CV 02103527S, 2005 WL 1671549 (Conn.Super.Ct.

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Bluebook (online)
297 F.R.D. 22, 2014 WL 298747, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10029, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hartford-roman-catholic-diocesan-corp-v-interstate-fire-casualty-co-ctd-2014.