Imperial Casualty & Indemnity Co. v. High Concrete Structures, Inc.

858 F.2d 128
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Third Circuit
DecidedSeptember 26, 1988
DocketNos. 88-1075, 88-1085 and 88-1108
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 858 F.2d 128 (Imperial Casualty & Indemnity Co. v. High Concrete Structures, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Imperial Casualty & Indemnity Co. v. High Concrete Structures, Inc., 858 F.2d 128 (3d Cir. 1988).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

STAPLETON, Circuit Judge:

Having been sued in state court for breach of warranty, High Steel Structures, Inc. trading as High Steel Service Center, Inc. tendered the defense of the action to Imperial Casualty «& Indemnity Co. (“Imperial”), which had issued it a professional liability policy, and to United States Fidelity <& Guaranty Co. (“USF «fe G”), which had issued it a comprehensive general liability policy. Both Imperial and USF «fe G declined to provide a defense, and Imperial subsequently brought this declaratory judgment action requesting a finding that it had no duty to defend and that USF «fe G did have a duty to defend. The district court held against Imperial as to the duties of both insurers, 678 F.Supp. 1138; we will reverse as to the duties of both insurers.

I.

Imperial issued an architects, engineers, and construction managers professional liability insurance policy to High Concrete Structures, Inc. for the period October 22, 1984 to October 22, 1985. High Steel Structures, Inc. was also listed as a named insured in the Imperial policy. High Steel Service Center, Inc. is a fictitious name used by High Steel Structures in conducting part of its business.

USF «fe G issued a comprehensive general liability insurance policy to High Industries, Inc. for the period December 1, 1983 to December 1,1986. Also listed as named insureds were High Concrete Structures, [130]*130Inc. and High Steel Structures, Inc. t/a High Steel Service Center, Inc. High Concrete Structures and High Steel Structures are subsidiaries of High Industries.

The suit underlying this declaratory judgment action is a breach of warranty action instituted by Keystone Stampings, Inc., in the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas. The material facts leading up to that suit, which are not in dispute, are as follows. Keystone is a manufacturer of, among other things, steel washers. High Steel Service Center is a distributor of carbon sheet steel. In need of some high-quality steel from which to make washers that would be heat-treated and used in the manufacture of automobiles, Keystone contacted High Steel Service Center. Because High Steel Service Center, as it explains, “had no in-house metallurgical engineering capability,” it contacted Republic Steel Co., now LTV Corp., to see if Republic/LTV could supply the necessary steel. A metallurgical engineer from Republic/LTV, Thomas Dudas, met with representatives of High Steel Service Center and Keystone to discuss and arrange the deal.

All parties to the discussions knew the treatment the washers would have to go through and the ultimate function the washers would perform; it was agreed that the washers had to be made out of steel with excellent surface quality. Dudas advised that a certain manufacturing process was called for, and said that Republic/LTV could supply steel made using this process. Dudas told High Steel Service Center that in ordering this steel from Republic/LTV, it should mark its purchase orders to Republic/LTV in a certain way, so as to alert Republic/LTV to use the manufacturing process Dudas had determined was necessary. High Steel Service Center then agreed to supply Keystone with the quantity and quality of steel Keystone needed for its washers.

Republic/LTV manufactured the steel in accordance with the purchase orders it received from High Steel Service Center, which were marked as Dudas had advised. Republic/LTV shipped the steel in rolls 45” wide to High Steel Service Center, which slit the rolls into strips 3-4” in width and sent them along to Keystone.1 Keystone stamped its washers out and sent them to Nice Bearing Products, which was to heat-treat the washers and send them along to Chrysler. When Nice heat-treated the washers, however, their surfaces developed pitts, burrs, and other defects. Nice thereupon rejected Keystone’s washers as unsuitable for their intended use. Keystone sued High Steel Service Center for breach of warranty, alleging that its washers were defective because the steel supplied by High Steel Service Center was defective. Damages claimed by Keystone included loss of profits (from reduced production and from cancelled orders), incidental expenses (mainly extra freight charges incurred in purchasing replacement steel), and loss of reputation.

According to High Concrete and High Steel Structures, the reason for the failure of the steel was that the manufacturing process recommended by Dudas was not correct. This explanation, which is not disputed by Imperial, is supported by the report of a Republic/LTV investigating engineer which says that an entirely different manufacturing process should have been used to produce steel of the type needed by Keystone.

As noted, both insurers denied coverage. Imperial’s bases for denial were that High Steel Service Center was not an insured under its policy and that the policy did not cover this type of claim. USF & G denied coverage on various grounds, most importantly for the reason that there had been no “property damage” within the meaning of the policy.

Imperial filed this action for a declaratory judgment, arguing that it did not have to defend the action and USF & G did. High Concrete counterclaimed, seeking a declaration that Imperial had to defend and [131]*131an1 award of attorney’s fees and costs incurred in defending both the state court suit and this federal court suit. High Steel Structures intervened, joining forces with High Concrete. USF & G filed an answer and counterclaim, requesting a determination that it did not have to defend and that Imperial did. The parties filed cross-motions for summary judgment.

The district court ruled that Imperial did owe a duty to defend, that USF & G did not, and that High Concrete and High Steel Structures were not entitled to recover from Imperial the attorney’s fees and costs incurred in the federal action. Imperial appeals, contending that it does not have a duty to defend and USF & G does; High Concrete and High Steel Structures appeal, contending that USF & G has a duty to defend.2 USF & G has filed a notice of appeal purporting to appeal “from that portion of the district court’s opinion finding property damages under the terms of the policy.” App. at 434. The parties’ arguments on appeal concerning proper construction of the two policies are essentially the same as the arguments made before the district court.3

We have jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S. C. § 1291, and because the material facts are not in dispute, our review of the district court’s determination of the proper coverage of the insurance contracts at issue is plenary. Pacific Indemnity Co. v. Linn, 766 F.2d 754, 760 (3d Cir.1985). We are guided in our review by the well-settled principles governing the interpretation of insurance policies under Pennsylvania law, which include the following: if the language of an insurance policy is clear and unambiguous, its ordinary meaning is to be given effect; policy terms should be read to avoid ambiguities; a provision is ambiguous if reasonable persons on considering it in the context of the entire policy could honestly differ as to its meaning; if ambiguities do exist in the wording chosen by the insurance company, they must be resolved in favor of the insured;

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

Related

Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance v. MI Windows & Doors, Inc.
131 So. 3d 15 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2013)
Simon Wrecking Co., Inc. v. AIU Ins. Co.
350 F. Supp. 2d 624 (E.D. Pennsylvania, 2004)
Western World Insurance v. Reliance Insurance
892 F. Supp. 659 (M.D. Pennsylvania, 1995)
Aetna Life & Casualty Co. v. Barthelemy
836 F. Supp. 231 (M.D. Pennsylvania, 1993)
Kline v. the Kemper Group
826 F. Supp. 123 (M.D. Pennsylvania, 1993)
Federal Kemper Insurance v. Jones
777 F. Supp. 405 (M.D. Pennsylvania, 1991)
Container Supply Co. v. Fireman's Fund Insurance
712 F. Supp. 871 (D. Kansas, 1989)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
858 F.2d 128, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/imperial-casualty-indemnity-co-v-high-concrete-structures-inc-ca3-1988.