Horn v. Liberty Ins. Underwriters, Inc.

391 F. Supp. 3d 1157
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedMay 30, 2019
DocketCASE NO. 9:18-CV-80762-ROSENBERG/REINHART
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 391 F. Supp. 3d 1157 (Horn v. Liberty Ins. Underwriters, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Horn v. Liberty Ins. Underwriters, Inc., 391 F. Supp. 3d 1157 (S.D. Fla. 2019).

Opinion

ROBIN L. ROSENBERG, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

THIS CAUSE is before the Court upon the Plaintiffs Jacob Horn and Robert Vetter's, ("Plaintiffs") Motion for Summary Judgment ("Plaintiffs' Motion"), DE 108, and accompanying Statement of Facts ("Plaintiffs' SOF"), DE 107, and Defendant Liberty Insurance Underwriters, Inc.'s ("Liberty"), Motion for Summary Judgment, ("Defendant's Motion"), DE 113, and accompanying Statement of Facts ("Defendant's SOF"), DE 111, both filed on March 8, 2019. The Court held a hearing on May 1, 2019. The Court has carefully considered the Motions, the parties' respective responses in opposition; DE 123, DE 124, DE 125, DE 127, DE 128; and replies in support of the Motions; DE 135, DE 137; and is otherwise fully advised in the premises.

I. BACKGROUND

A. Underlying Class Action

On or about September 13, 2017, an underlying amended class action, styled *1159Jacob Horn et al. v. iCAN , Case No. 9:17-cv-81027-RLR, ("Class Action" or the "iCan Action "), was filed against Liberty's insured, iCan Benefit Group, LLC ("iCan"). See Class Action Compl., DE 56-2. The Class Action asserted violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, 47 U.S.C. § 227 ("TCPA") against iCan. iCan is a "national direct response marketer and seller of insurance products." Def. SOF, ¶ 13.

Liberty issued a Private Advantage Insurance Policy to iCan Holding LLC, as a named insured. Policy, DE 56-1. On November 15, 2017, after reviewing the initial complaint in the Class Action, Liberty denied coverage to iCan. Def. SOF, ¶ 38. Liberty later denied coverage again after reviewing the amended Class Action complaint on the same bases as set forth in the original Denial Letter. Id. ¶ 41.

After Liberty's denial of coverage, the Class Action parties entered into a settlement agreement under the authority of Coblentz v. American Surety Co. , 416 F.2d 1059 (5th Cir. 1969) (the " Coblentz Agreement"). See Def. SOF, ¶ 42-45; Compl., DE 56, ¶ 21-24. Pursuant to the Coblentz Agreement, the parties agreed to enter into a consent judgment for $60,413,112.00 and agreed that the underlying Class Action plaintiffs would collect this judgment from Liberty; the underlying Class Action plaintiffs received an assignment of iCan's rights and interest in the Liberty policy. Compl., DE 56, ¶¶ 22-23; Consent J., DE 56-4.

B. The Instant Action

In this amended declaratory and breach of contract action, Plaintiffs, as assignees of the insured iCan, seek recovery of the consent judgment. Compl., DE 56. In order to enforce the consent judgment, the Plaintiffs must first establish coverage and a wrongful refusal to defend, which are the issues currently before the Court on the parties' cross-motions for summary judgment. Plaintiffs moved for summary judgment based on their argument that four exclusions did not apply: Exclusion B.4 (the "Invasion of Privacy Exclusion"), Exclusion B.6 (the "Unfair Trade Practices Exclusion"), Exclusion A.6/Endorsement 13 (the "Willful Violation of Law Exclusion"), and Exclusion A.7/Endorsement 15 (the "Profit Exclusion"). Pl. Mot., DE 108. Based on the non-applicability of these exclusions, Plaintiffs argues they are entitled to summary judgment and a determination of a wrongful denial of coverage. Id.

Liberty in turn moved for summary judgment on the Invasion of Privacy Exclusion as well as Exclusion B.3 (the "Professional Services Exclusion"). Def. Mot., DE 113. Liberty argues that the iCan Action is excluded from coverage entirely, entitling it to summary judgment. Id.

II. SUMMARY JUDGMENT STANDARD

Under Rule 56(c), the summary judgment movant must demonstrate that "there is no genuine issue of material fact and that the moving party is entitled to summary judgment as a matter of law." Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c). The moving party bears the initial burden of demonstrating the absence of a genuine dispute of material fact. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett , 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). The existence of a factual dispute is not by itself sufficient grounds to defeat a motion for summary judgment; rather, "the requirement is that there be no genuine issue of material fact." Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc. , 477 U.S. 242, 247-48, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). A dispute is genuine if "a reasonable trier of fact could return judgment for the non-moving party." Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Fla. v. United States , 516 F.3d 1235, 1243 (11th Cir. 2008) (citing *1160Anderson , 477 U.S. at 247-48, 106 S.Ct. 2505 ). A fact is material if "it would affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law." Id. (citing Anderson , 477 U.S. at 247-48, 106 S.Ct. 2505 ).

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

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
391 F. Supp. 3d 1157, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/horn-v-liberty-ins-underwriters-inc-flsd-2019.