Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance v. Westchester Fire Insurance

938 F. Supp. 2d 630, 2013 WL 1395719, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 48914
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Louisiana
DecidedApril 4, 2013
DocketCivil Action No. 08-5166
StatusPublished

This text of 938 F. Supp. 2d 630 (Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance v. Westchester Fire Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance v. Westchester Fire Insurance, 938 F. Supp. 2d 630, 2013 WL 1395719, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 48914 (E.D. La. 2013).

Opinion

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

ELDON E. FALLON, District Judge.

A. Factual Background

This case arises out of a fire that occurred in a FEMA trailer. On August 25, 2006, a flash fire broke out in Jean Joseph’s newly leased FEMA trailer while Ms. Joseph and her friend, Bernard Mabry II, were inside, resulting in severe injuries to Ms. Joseph and the death of Mr. Mabry. Multiple lawsuits were filed in Orleans Parish Civil District Court against Fluor Enterprises, Inc. (“Fluor”), which had supplied the trailers; Keith McLin (“McLin”), the Fluor employee who had performed the lease-in of the trailer; and MMR Constructors, Inc. (“MMR”), which had hauled and installed the trailer. The plaintiffs alleged that the fire occurred because employees of Fluor or MMR had failed to turn off the gas stove inside the trailer and had failed to ensure the proper functioning of the trailer’s liquid propane detector before turning the trailer over to Ms. Joseph.

The lawsuits were ultimately resolved outside of court, with the settlement payments funded by both Fluor’s and MMR’s insurers. Fluor’s insurance tower included the two remaining defendants in the case, Westchester Fire Insurance Company and Great American Assurance Company. Plaintiff Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance Company was both the primary and excess insurer for MMR. At the time of the original lawsuits, Fluor also sought coverage under MMR’s policy with Liberty Mutual, but that coverage was disputed. The Joseph lawsuit settled for $10 million, with Liberty Mutual contributing $5 million and Fluor’s insurers contributing $5 million. Each side waived its right to recover the first $2 million it paid, but reserved certain rights to recover the remaining $3 million from the other upon resolution of the coverage dispute. The Mabry lawsuits settled for a total of $2.75 million, with Liberty Mutual contributing $1,375 million and Fluor’s insurers contributing $1,375 million. Those entire payments were made subject to a reservation of rights.

B. Procedural History

While the Joseph and Mabry lawsuits were still pending, Liberty Mutual brought this suit for declaratory relief against Westchester, Great American, and other defendants who have since been dismissed from the case. Liberty Mutual seeks to recover the $4,375 million that it paid to settle the Joseph and Mabry lawsuits. (4th [632]*632Supp. Am. Compl., Rec. Doc. 149 at 16-17). Westchester and Great American have also filed counterclaims for their portions of the settlement payments. (Rec. Docs. 51, 87).

A trial has already been held on the disputed coverage issue described above. At the time that the Joseph and Mabry lawsuits were settled, Fluor argued that Liberty Mutual owed it coverage under two theories: (1) that MMR owed indemnity to Fluor pursuant to the contract between those parties, and (2) that Fluor was covered as an additional insured under MMR’s excess insurance policy. On February 17, 2012, a different section of this Court issued an Order and Reasons holding that both of these assertions were incorrect. (Rec. Doc. 267).

Following the completion of that trial, Liberty Mutual moved for summary judgment against Great American and Westchester (Rec. Doc. 284), and the case was transferred to this Section of the Court. Liberty Mutual argued that in light of the findings at trial, it was entitled to reimbursement from Great American and Westchester for the portion of the settlement payments as to which it did not waive recovery. Liberty Mutual argued that Fluor and McLin were entitled to indemnity from Great American and Westchester, and that Liberty Mutual was subrogated to Fluor and McLin’s contractual rights against those parties. The Court agreed, holding that Liberty Mutual was entitled to recover from Great American and Westchester the amounts it had paid to settle claims on Fluor and McLin’s behalf. With respect to the Mabry lawsuit, the Court held that the settlement agreement unambiguously stated that Liberty Mutual had paid to settle claims against Fluor and McLin only. With respect to the Joseph lawsuit, however, the Court held that the settlement agreement was ambiguous on the allocation of Liberty Mutual’s payments, and the conflicting extrinsic evidence submitted by the parties presented a genuine issue of material fact to be resolved at trial.

C. Present Matter

On March 18, 2013, the Court held a bench trial on the single remaining issue in the case: the allocation of the Joseph settlement. The Court has carefully considered the testimony of all of the witnesses and the exhibits entered into evidence during the trial, as well as the record. Pursuant to Rule 52(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Court issues the following Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law. To the extent that any finding of fact may be construed as a conclusion of law, the Court hereby adopts it as such, and to the extent that any conclusion of law constitutes a finding of fact, the Court adopts it as such.

Furthermore, the Court adopts all previous findings of fact listed in the February 17, 2012, 853 F.Supp.2d 607 (E.D.La.2012) Order and Reasons (Rec. Doc. 267) and September 13, 2012 Order and Reasons (Rec. Doc. 321).

FINDINGS OF FACT

A. Background

1. The Parties

(1) Liberty Mutual is a citizen of Wisconsin and Massachusetts. (Pre-Trial Order, Rec. Doc. 336 at 19).

(2) Westchester is a citizen of New York and Pennsylvania. Id.

(3) Great American is a citizen of Ohio. Id.

(4) In July 2005, Fluor contracted with FEMA to provide assistance to individuals after natural disasters. (Feb. 17, 2012 O & R, Rec. Doc. 267 at 5).

(5) Under the Fluor/FEMA contract, Fluor managed the delivery and instaba[633]*633tion of FEMA trailers in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Id. at 1, 5.

(6) The Fluor/FEMA contract required Fluor to haul and install the trailers to designated locations and to provide separate lease-in services to each individual receiving a trailer. Id. at 5,13.

(7) Fluor subcontracted with MMR to haul and install the FEMA trailers. Id. at 5.

(8) On September 16, 2005, Fluor and MMR entered into a Blanket Ordering Agreement (BOA) to perform certain work, as specified in the BOA. Id.

(9) Liberty Mutual issued to MMR a commercial general liability (“CGL”) policy with a limit of $1 million. (Sept. 19, 2012 O & R, Rec. Doc. 321 at 2).

(10) Liberty Mutual issued to MMR an excess liability policy with a limit of $20 million, in excess of the $1 million CGL policy. (Sept. 19, 2012 O & R, Rec. Doc. 321 at 2; Pre-Trial Order, Rec. Doc. 336 at 20).

(11) CNA issued to Fluor a commercial general liability policy with a $2 million limit. (Sept. 19, 2012 O & R, Rec. Doc. 321 at 2; Pre-Trial Order, Rec. Doc. 336 at 20).

(12) Westchester issued to Fluor an excess policy with a limit of $5 million in excess of the CNA policy. (Sept. 19, 2012 O & R, Rec. Doc. 321 at 2).

(13) Great American issued to Fluor an excess policy with a limit of $3 million, in excess of both the CNA policy and the Westchester policy.

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Bluebook (online)
938 F. Supp. 2d 630, 2013 WL 1395719, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 48914, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/liberty-mutual-fire-insurance-v-westchester-fire-insurance-laed-2013.