LodgeNet Entertainment Corp. v. American International Specialty Lines Insurance

299 F. Supp. 2d 987, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 24188, 93 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 222, 2003 WL 23175475
CourtDistrict Court, D. South Dakota
DecidedSeptember 29, 2003
DocketCIV 02-4051
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 299 F. Supp. 2d 987 (LodgeNet Entertainment Corp. v. American International Specialty Lines Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. South Dakota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
LodgeNet Entertainment Corp. v. American International Specialty Lines Insurance, 299 F. Supp. 2d 987, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 24188, 93 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 222, 2003 WL 23175475 (D.S.D. 2003).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

PIERSOL, Chief Judge.

Plaintiff, LodgeNet Entertainment Corporation (“LodgeNet”), filed a Motion for Partial Summary Judgment (Doc. 12) (asserting a claim of breach of insurance contract), and a Motion for Partial Summary Judgment on Damage Issues. (Doc. 28.) Defendant American International Specialty Lines Insurance Company (“American”), filed a Motion for Summary Judgment. (Doc. 32.) The motions have been fully briefed by the parties and oral argument was heard on the motions during the pretrial conference held on March 10, 2003.

During the pretrial conference, the Court informed the parties that summary judgment would be entered in favor of the Defendant on Plaintiffs bad faith claim. The Court determined there was no genuine issue of material fact that there was an absence of a reasonable basis for Defendant’s denial of coverage and knowledge or reckless disregard of a reasonable basis for denying coverage. See Champion v. United States Fidelity and Guar. Co., 399 *989 N.W.2d 320 (S.D.1987) (adopting the two-pronged test for bad faith requiring a plaintiff to demonstrate an absence of a reasonable basis for denying policy benefits and knowledge or reckless disregard of a reasonable basis for denying coverage). After announcing the Court’s ruling on the bad faith claim during the pretrial conference, the parties concurred with the Court’s conclusion that the issues remaining in this action are questions of law that may be resolved on the basis of the written record without a court or jury trial.

BACKGROUND

LodgeNet purchased a series of consecutive Employment Practices Liability (“EPL”) insurance policies from American beginning April 10, 1995 through April 10, 2002. LodgeNet seeks coverage under the EPL policy issued by American for the period April 10, 1999 to April 10, 2000 (“Policy”), for a nearly $400,000 Judgment against LodgeNet in a sexual harassment action. 1 The Policy provides coverage for sexual harassment claims, with a policy limit of $1,000,000.

On March 18, 1999, Brenda Jaros, a former LodgeNet employee, filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) and the South Dakota Division of Human Rights a sexual harassment charge against LodgeNet. LodgeNet was served with this administrative charge on March 25, 1999, but it did not notify American of the charge. On the same day it received notice of Jaros’ administrative charge, LodgeNet received a revised price quotation for the renewal of its EPL policy with an inception date of April 10, 1999 through April 10, 2000. The written revised price quotation included a statement that if there was a material change in the risk between the date of the quotation and the inception date of the Policy that American could modify or withdraw the quote.

On August 27, 1999 the South Dakota Division of Human Rights issued a determination of no probable cause. The EEOC issued a Dismissal and Notice of Rights on October 20, 1999. Jaros filed a civil lawsuit in this Court on January 24, 2000, alleging sexual harassment based upon the same conduct at issue in the administrative proceedings. LodgeNet, through its attorney Steven Zabel, notified American of the filing of the lawsuit by letter dated March 14, 2000. American responded six months later with an initial coverage evaluation dated September 14, 2000. The September 14, 2000 letter requested copies of the administrative charges and determinations and included the following coverage opinion:

Kindly note that, pursuant to clause 2(b), the definition of a Claim includes the filing of an administrative charge or similar document of which notice has been given to an Insured. As the charges were filed prior to the effective date of the policy, we must advise that if the Insured also received notice of the filings prior to the policy’s inception date, coverage would be precluded for this matter.

(Zabel Aff., Doc. 15, Ex. C.) LodgeNet, knowing that it had received notice of the administrative charge prior to the 1999-2000 Policy’s inception date, interpreted this letter to deny coverage. Nevertheless, LodgeNet responded by sending a letter dated September 25, 2000 purporting to enclose the requested documents *990 from the administrative proceedings. American asserts, and LodgeNet is willing to assume for purposes of the present motions, that the documents were not enclosed and American did not receive them in September 2000. American, however, did not immediately notify LodgeNet that it did not receive the documents and waited another six months to . contact Lod-geNet. On April 9, 2001, American again contacted LodgeNet to request the information it had first requested in September 2000. American contends that again it did not receive the requested information. LodgeNet, however, asserts that the documents were provided to American following the April 9, 2001 contact.

The jury returned a verdict of $500,000 in compensatory damages against Lod-geNet in the Jaros action. The damages award was subsequently reduced to $300,000 because of a statutory cap on damages. LodgeNet notified American of the verdict and continued to seek coverage under the 1999-2000 Policy.

Several provisions in the 1999-2000 Policy are relevant in this action. Part 1, entitled “INSURING AGREEMENTS,” provides that the Policy is a “claims-made” policy and establishes the types of claims for which coverage is provided. This provision states, in relevant part: “[t]his policy shall pay the Loss of each and every Insured arising from a Claim first made against such Insured during the Policy Period ... and reported to the Insurer pursuant to the terms of this policy for any actual or alleged Employment Practices Violation.” (Johnson Affidavit, Doc. 16, Ex. E). All of the capitalized words in Part 1 are defined in Part 2 of the Policy.

The Policy further provides in Part 7, entitled “NOTICE/CLAIM REPORTING PROVISIONS,” that “[a] Claim shall be considered to have been first made against an Insured when written notice of such Claim is received by any Insured, by the Company on the behalf of any Insured or by the Insurer, whichever comes first.” (Id.) The notice provisions in the Policy further provide in Part 7(a) that written notice of a “Claim” shall be given “as soon as practicable and either: (1) anytime during the Policy Period ...; or (2) within 30 days after the end of the Policy Period • (Id.)

In addition to the affirmative grant of insurance provision and the notice provisions, the definition of “Claim” is discussed in detail below. Furthermore, several other provisions are reviewed below in order to interpret the language of the Policy.

DISCUSSION

Summary judgment is appropriate if the moving party establishes that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c); see Anderson v. Liberty Lobby Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 256, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986).

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299 F. Supp. 2d 987, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 24188, 93 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 222, 2003 WL 23175475, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lodgenet-entertainment-corp-v-american-international-specialty-lines-sdd-2003.