Husel v. Trinity Health Corporation

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedJanuary 8, 2020
Docket2:19-cv-12478
StatusUnknown

This text of Husel v. Trinity Health Corporation (Husel v. Trinity Health Corporation) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Husel v. Trinity Health Corporation, (E.D. Mich. 2020).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN SOUTHERN DIVISION WILLIAM S. HUSEL, CASE NO. 19-CV-12478 Plaintiff, v. HON. GEORGE CARAM STEEH TRINITY HEALTH CORP. and TRINITY ASSURANCE LIMITED, Defendants. / ORDER DENYING PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION (ECF No. 4) Plaintiff Dr. William S. Husel has brought suit against the insurer, Trinity Assurance Limited (“TAL”), and the first named insured Trinity Health Corporation (“THC”), seeking declaratory judgment that Defendants must pay his defense costs in the criminal proceedings pending against him on 25-counts of murder. Now before the court is Plaintiff’s motion for a

preliminary injunction to compel Defendants to advance all defense expenses to him in the criminal action. On October 16, 2019, this court heard over two hours of argument on this matter. Counsel for both sides

are to be commended for their presentations. Having failed to demonstrate a likelihood of success on the merits, irreparable harm, or that the public would be served by the issuance of a preliminary injunction, Plaintiff’s motion shall be denied.

I. Factual Background Dr. Husel worked as a doctor in the Intensive Care Unit at Ohio’s Mount Carmel West, a Catholic Hospital. Mount Carmel West is a

subsidiary of the parent corporation THC which is a named defendant in this lawsuit, along with the insurer TAL. Plaintiff’s employer is Mount Carmel Health Providers, Inc. (“MCHP”). Under his employment agreement, MCHP obtained and paid for professional liability insurance.

THC obtained four separate indemnification contracts (the “Policies”), only one of which provides for potential indemnification of defense expenses, the Integrated Risk Liability Policy (the “Policy”).

Dr. Husel was terminated on December 5, 2018, following an investigation that determined he had ordered significantly excessive and potentially fatal doses of pain medication for at least 27 patients who were near death. On January 25, 2019, the Ohio State Medical Board

suspended Plaintiff’s medical license, and issued its finding that Plaintiff’s continued practice “present[ed] a danger of immediate and serious harm to the public.” Dr. Husel was indicted on June 5, 2019 in Franklin County,

Ohio, with causing the death of 25 individuals between February 10, 2015 and November, 2018. All of his patients died after Dr. Husel allegedly prescribed a lethal dose of pain medication, sometimes fentanyl, after his

patients were removed from life support. There are currently 30 pending civil claims for negligence and wrongful death against Dr. Husel. THC assigned civil defense counsel to defend Dr. Husel in these civil actions,

but TAL has issued several reservation of rights letters relating to the civil complaints. Husel has hired as his criminal defense attorney, Jose Baez, a high-profile attorney who has represented Casey Anthony, Aaron Hernandez, and Harvey Weinstein.

In early August, 2019, Dr. Husel made a demand on THC/TAL for defense expenses in connection with the criminal indictments. On August 5, 2019, TAL issued a denial of coverage with respect to his request.

II. Standard of Law The court must consider the following four factors when ruling on a motion for preliminary injunction: (1) whether the movant has a strong likelihood of success on the merits; [(2)] whether the movant would suffer irreparable injury without the injunction; (3) whether issuance of the injunction would cause substantial harm to others; and (4) whether the public interest would be served by the issuance of the injunction. Bailey v. Callaghan, 715 F.3d 956, 958 (6th Cir. 2013) (quoting Hunter v. Hamilton Cty. Bd. of Elections, 635 F.3d 219, 233 (6th Cir. 2011)). Under these four factors, Plaintiff is not entitled to injunctive relief.

III. Analysis A. Likelihood of Success on the Merits Although the court must conduct a balancing test of the four

preliminary injunction factors, “a finding that there is simply no likelihood of success on the merits is usually fatal.” Gonzales v. Nat’l Bd. of Med. Exam’s, 225 F.3d 620, 625 (6th Cir. 2000). Here, based on the plain language of the policy, Plaintiff has not demonstrated a likelihood that

Defendants must advance defense costs in his criminal case.1 1. Choice of Law In reaching its decision here, the court first must address which law

governs. The insurance policies do not provide for any choice of law. This case involves an Ohio Plaintiff, Defendant THC is incorporated in Indiana with its principal place of business in Michigan, and Defendant TAL is incorporated and has its principal place of business in the Cayman Islands.

The parties have referenced both Michigan and Ohio law in their briefs.

1In analyzing this issue, the court has rejected TAL’s argument that TAL’s duty to indemnify is solely to THC and not to Plaintiff. Contracts between employers and insurance companies for the benefit of employees of the employer are enforceable by the beneficiary against the insurer. Tyson v. Connecticut Gen. Life Ins. Co., 495 F. Supp. 240, 243 (E.D. Mich. 1980) (citing Corbin on Contracts § 807); Elom v. Fidelity & Guar. Ins. Co., 208 F. Supp. 2d 867, 868 (N.D. Ohio 2002). Both agree that whether this court applies Michigan or Ohio law will not change the court’s analysis. Accordingly, the court proceeds under the law

of both Michigan and Ohio. 2. Standard of Law for Interpretation of an Insurance Policy It is settled law in both Michigan and Ohio that an insurance policy is

a contract between the insurer and insured, is governed by the same principles used to interpret ordinary contracts, and must be read as a whole to give meaning to all of their terms. Cincinnati Ins. Co. v. Zen Design Group, Ltd., 329 F.3d 546, 553 (6th Cir. 2003); Auto-Owners Ins. Co. v.

Harrington, 565 N.W.2d 839, 841 (Mich. 1997); Ward v. United Foundries, Inc., 951 N.E.2d 770, 773 (Ohio 2011). Any ambiguity in an insurance policy is construed in favor of the insured. Cincinnati Ins. Co., 329 F.3d at

553. But the court must be careful not to read an ambiguity into a policy where none exists. Moore v. First Sec. Cas. Co., 568 N.W.2d 841, 844 (Mich. App. 1997). An “insurer only has a duty to defend the insured if the charges against the insured in the underlying action arguably fall within the

language of the policy.” Advance Watch Co., Ltd v. Kemper Nat. Ins. Co., 99 F.3d 795, 799 (6th Cir. 1996) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). 3. The Policy The most important question for the court to decide is if the Policy

language requires Defendant-insurer TAL to advance defense costs in Plaintiff’s criminal prosecution. The court begins this analysis by analyzing the relevant provisions in the Policy. First, the Policy defines coverage as

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Husel v. Trinity Health Corporation, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/husel-v-trinity-health-corporation-mied-2020.