Hartford Underwriters Insurance v. Hanover Insurance

122 F. Supp. 3d 143, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 105478, 2015 WL 4750747
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedAugust 11, 2015
DocketNo. 14-CV-8213 (RA)
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 122 F. Supp. 3d 143 (Hartford Underwriters Insurance v. Hanover Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hartford Underwriters Insurance v. Hanover Insurance, 122 F. Supp. 3d 143, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 105478, 2015 WL 4750747 (S.D.N.Y. 2015).

Opinion

OPINION & ORDER

RONNIE ABRAMS, District Judge:

Plaintiff Hartford Underwriters Insurance Company (“Hartford”) brings this action against Defendant.Hanover Insurance Company (“Hanover”) seeking declaratory relief concerning the priority of coverage and allocation of defense and indemnity costs between Hartford and Hanover in connection with an underlying lawsuit brought against their mutual insured, Massivemedia, Inc. (“Massivemedia”). Before the Court is Hanover’s motion to dismiss the Complaint for failure to state a claim and Hartford’s cross motion for summary judgment. For the reasons that follow, Hanover’s motion is granted. Because the case • is dismissed on Hanover’s motion, Hartford’s summary judgment motion is denied as moot.

BACKGROUND

I. Factual Background

Massivemedia, a media and marketing vendor, entered into an independent contracting agreement with Ramak E. Hamzeh, whereby Hamzeh was to work at an event sponsored by Massivemedia. Compl. ¶ 9. On March 24, 2011, following the event, Hamzeh was driving back to the event venue to .pick up Massivemedia’s marketing materials when she struck and [146]*146injured three pedestrians (the “Claimants”) with her car. Id. at ¶ 10. The car was not owned by Massivemedia, but by Hamzeh’s grandmother. Id. at ¶ 11.

The Claimants subsequently commenced a personal injury action against, among others, Hamzeh and Massivemedia (the “Underlying Action”). Id. at ¶ 12. Massivemedia sought coverage from both Hartford and Hanover in connection with the Underlying Action. Id. at' ¶ 1. Hartford had issued a commercial auto policy to Massivemedia, which, under the policy’s “other insurance” clause, provided excess coverage for “nonowned autos” (the “Hartford Policy”). Id.1 Hanover, meanwhile, had issued a businessowners policy to Massivemedia, which also included an “other insurance” clause that provided excess coverage for any “non-owned autos” (the “Hanover Policy”). Id. Both policies,in relevant part, otherwise provided primary coverage. See Joyce Decl. Ex. B (“Hartford Policy”) at 57; Joyce Decl. Ex. C (“Hanover Policy”) at 108.2

Because the accident involved a car that was not owned by Massivemedia, but was driven at the time by Hamzeh in connection with Massivemedia’s business,- the accident implicated the “nonowned auto” provisions of the insurers’ policies. Id. at ¶ 28. Hartford took the position that Hanover should provide co-insurance for Mas-sivemedia and sought Hanover’s participation in the defense of Massivemedia as well as in settlement discussions and the payment of any settlement amount. Id. at ¶ 31. Hanover, however, disputed the priority of coverage and did not consider itself to be co-insurers with Hartford, therefore declining to participate in settlement negotiations or to contribute to any settlement amount. Id. at ¶¶ 32-33, 36.

Hartford assumed coverage for Massi-vemedia’s defense and indemnification in connection with the Underlying Action, which was ultimately settled. Id. at ¶¶ 13, 27. As part .of the settlement, Hartford paid $750,000 on behalf of Massivemedia to two of the Claimants (the “Settlement Amount”). Id. at ¶¶ 14, 33. Hartford reserved its right to litigate the priority of coverage issue' and pursue contribution from Hanover. Id. at ¶ 34.

On October 14, 2014, Hartford filed the Complaint in this action, seeking a declaratory judgment that the Hanover Policy be read as co-insurance with the Hartford Policy and that Hanover reimburse Hartford" for its pro rata share of the Settlement Amount and costs associated with the Underlying Action. Id. at ¶¶ 38-41. Hanover responds that the language of the policies requires that Hartford exhaust its policy limit first, before Hanover pays for any loss. See Def.’s Br. at 11-14. In other words, Hanover contends that its policy is excess over Hartford’s policy.

II. The Policies

“Where the same risk is covered by two or more policies, each of which was sold to provide the same level of coverage [147]*147... priority of coverage ... among the policies is determined by comparison of their respective ‘other insurance’ clauses.” Sport Rock Int’l, Inc. v. Am. Cas. Co. of Reading, Pa., 65 A.D.3d 12, 878 N.Y.S.2d 339, 344 (1st Dep’t 2009) (citation and alteration omitted). The key portions of the parties’ respective insurance policies are thus the “other insurance” clauses, which both purport to provide primary coverage except, in relevant part, in the case of non-owned autos, where coverage will only be on an excess basis.

The Hartford Policy’s “other insurance” clause states, in relevant part, the following:

5. Other Insurance
a.For any covered “auto” you own, this Coverage Form provides primary insurance. For any covered “auto” you don’t own, the insurance provided by this Coverage Form is excess over any other collectible insurance....
d. When this Coverage Form and any other Coverage form or policy covers on the same basis, either excess or primary, we will pay only our share. Our share is the proportion that the Limit of Insurance of our Coverage Form bears to the total of the limits of all the Coverage Forms and policies covering on the same basis,

Hartford Policy at 57.

The Hanover Policy’s “other insurance” clause provides, in relevant part, as follows:

H. Other Insurance
2. SECTION II-LIABILITY
If other valid and collectible insurance is available to the insured for a loss we cover under SECTION II — LIABILITY, our obligations are limited as follows:
a. Primary Insurance
This insurance is primary except when Paragraph b. below applies ...
b. Excess Insurance
This insurance is excess over:
1) Any other insurance, whether primary, excess, contingent or on any other basis:
(d) If the loss arises out of the maintenance or use of aircraft, “autos” or watercraft to the extent not subject to Exclusion g.
Aircraft, Auto or Watercraft of Section II — Liability;3 and ... When this insurance is excess, we will have no duty under SECTION II LIABILITY to defend the insured against any “suit” if any other insurer has a duty to defend the insured against that “suit.” If no other insurer defends, we will undertake to do so, but we will be entitled to the insured’s rights against all those other insurers.
c. When this insurance is excess over other insurance, we will pay only our share of the amount of the loss, if any, that exceeds the sum of:
1) The total amount that all such other insurance would pay for the loss in the absence of this insurance; and
2) The total of all deductible and self-insured amounts under all that other insurance.
[148]*148d.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
122 F. Supp. 3d 143, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 105478, 2015 WL 4750747, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hartford-underwriters-insurance-v-hanover-insurance-nysd-2015.