Louisiana Maintenance Services, Inc. v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's of London

600 So. 2d 1335, 1991 La. App. LEXIS 3140, 1991 WL 244358
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 13, 1991
DocketNo. 91-CA-248
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 600 So. 2d 1335 (Louisiana Maintenance Services, Inc. v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's of London) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Louisiana Maintenance Services, Inc. v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's of London, 600 So. 2d 1335, 1991 La. App. LEXIS 3140, 1991 WL 244358 (La. Ct. App. 1991).

Opinions

BOWES, Judge.

Defendant, Certain Underwriters At Lloyd’s of London, appeals a judgment of the trial court finding that coverage existed under an insurance policy issued by Lloyd’s to LMS and granting a motion for summary judgment in favor of plaintiff, Louisiana Maintenance Service (“LMS”) to this effect. LMS also appeals alleging that the trial court erred in denying to it statutory penalties and attorney’s fees with the motion for judgment. We affirm in part, annuli and set aside in part and remand.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

In her reasons for judgment, the trial judge gave a comprehensive narration of the relevant facts leading up to this litigation, which we adopt, in part, as our own for the purposes of this appeal as follows:

By contract dated April 30, 1981, Louisiana Maintenance Services, Inc. (“LMS”) [1336]*1336agreed to provide skilled construction and maintenance labor to Occidental Chemical Corporation (“Oxychem”) at Oxychem’s chemical manufacturing plant. The contract contained an indemnity provision and required LMS to procure . specified insurance.1
In 1985, LMS contacted Richard Ba-glow of North Star Agency in order to transfer their insurance coverage. A copy of the contract between LMS and Occidental was furnished to Baglow. North Star obtained a liability policy from Lloyd’s, effective June 1, 1986 to June 1, 1987, and renewed the policy through North Star for the period June 1, 1987 to June 1, 1988.
On October 2, 1987, a thirty ton Grove hydraulic crane (cherry picker) was damaged while being negligently operated by an LMS employee at the Oxychem plant.2 The crane had been loaned to LMS by Oxychem, who had leased it from Nic-holls Construction Company. LMS immediately notified its agent, Richard Ba-glow, of its claim. Lloyd’s denied the claim, asserting it was not covered under the Lloyd’s policy because it involved equipment in the care, custody and control of the insured, a clearly stated exclusion in the policy.
Pursuant to their indemnification obligation under their contract with Oxy-chem, LMS executed a settlement and release agreement [with Oxychem] and the owner of the crane, whereby LMS agreed to pay $98,115.94 for the damage, and pursued its claim against Lloyd’s.

LMS filed suit against Lloyd’s, seeking recovery of the amount it had paid Oxy-chem, alleging coverage under the policy issued by Lloyd’s. LMS also named as defendants North Star and Richard Baglow alleging that, should the court find that Lloyd’s policy did not provide insurance coverage, then North Star was liable to LMS for failing to procure appropriate coverage.

Lloyd’s filed a motion for summary judgment, alleging that its contract with LMS specifically excluded coverage and, therefore, it was entitled to judgment as a matter of law. LMS filed a cross-motion for summary judgment alleging that coverage did exist and that they were entitled to statutory penalties and attorney’s fees for Lloyd’s arbitrary and capricious failure to pay their claim.

Following a combined trial of both motions, the trial court rendered judgment in favor of LMS and against Lloyd’s finding Lloyd’s policy did provide coverage. The trial court also found that there was no showing that Lloyd’s was arbitrary and capricious in its failure to pay LMS’s claim and, therefore, it denied LMS’s claim for penalties and attorney’s fees. LMS’s claims against North Star and Richard Ba-glow were not considered. This appeal followed.

ANALYSIS

On appeal, Lloyd’s argues that the trial court erred in failing to construe the [1337]*1337policy as a whole, which would require a finding that liability for damages was ex-eluded in this case.

LMS argues that the policy does provide coverage for the claim in question, or alternatively, that the policy is ambiguous and should be construed to provide coverage.

The pertinent part of the CGL policy form provided in pertinent part:

I. COVERAGE A — BODILY INJURY LIABILITY
COVERAGE B — PROPERTY DAMAGE LIABILITY
The company will pay on behalf of the insured all sums which the insured shall become legally obligated to pay as damages because of
A. bodily injury or
B. property damage
to which this insurance applies, caused by an occurrence, and the company shall have the right and duty to defend any suit against the insured seeking damages on account of such bodily injury or property damage even if any of the allegations of the suit are groundless, false or fraudulent, and may make such investigation and settlement of any claim or suit as it deems expedient, but the company shall not be obligated to pay any claim or judgement or to defend any suit after the applicable limit of the company’s liability has been exhausted by payment of judgements or settlements. Exclusions:
This insurance does not apply:
a) to liability assumed by the Insured under any contract or agreement except an incidental contract but this exclusion does not apply to a warranty of fitness or quality of the named insured’s products or a warranty that work performed by or on behalf of the named insured will be done in a workmanlike manner;
* * * * * *
k) to property damage to
(1) property owned or occupied by or rented to the insured,
(2) property used by the insured, or
(3) property in the care, custody or control of the insured or as to which the insured is for any purpose exercising physical control;
* * * * * *
o) to property damage to work performed by or on behalf of the named insured arising out of the work or any portion thereof, or out of materials, parts or equipment furnished in connection therewith;
[Emphasis added].

As can be seen above, by the terms of this policy, coverage for liability for damages to property in the control of LMS and property damage to equipment furnished to LMS, such as the cherry picker owned by Oxychem, is excluded.

The CGL policy was amended by the Endorsement as follows:

I. CONTRACTUAL LIABILITY COVERAGE
(A) The definition of incidental contract is extended to include any oral or written contract or agreement relating to the conduct of the named insured’s business.
* * * * * *
(C) The following exclusions applicable to Coverages A (Bodily Injury) and B (Property Damage) do not apply to this Contractual Liability Coverage: (b), (c)(2), (d) and (e).
******
VI. BROAD FORM PROPERTY DAMAGE LIABILITY COVERAGE (Including Completed Operations)
The insurance for property damage liability applies, subject to the following additional provisions:

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Related

La. Maintenance Services, Inc. v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's of London
616 So. 2d 1250 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1993)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
600 So. 2d 1335, 1991 La. App. LEXIS 3140, 1991 WL 244358, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/louisiana-maintenance-services-inc-v-certain-underwriters-at-lloyds-of-lactapp-1991.