MDC Acquisition Co. v. North River Insurance

898 F. Supp. 2d 942, 2012 WL 4483411, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 139229
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Ohio
DecidedSeptember 27, 2012
DocketCase No. 5:10 CV 2855
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 898 F. Supp. 2d 942 (MDC Acquisition Co. v. North River Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
MDC Acquisition Co. v. North River Insurance, 898 F. Supp. 2d 942, 2012 WL 4483411, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 139229 (N.D. Ohio 2012).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

DOWD, District Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

Plaintiffs, MDC Acquisition Co. (“MDC”) and GRH Enterprises, Inc. (“GRH”) (collectively, “Plaintiffs”), brought this declaratory relief action seeking a declaration that defendant Travelers’ Property Casualty Company of America (“Travelers” or “Defendant”), has a duty to defend and indemnify Plaintiffs in a putative class action law suit filed in California. Now before the Court is the motion for summary judgment filed by Travelers’ on November 4, 2011. ECF Dkt. # 36. Plaintiffs, MDC Acquisition Co. (“MDC”) and GRH Enterprises, Inc. (“GRH”) (collectively “Plaintiffs”) filed an opposition brief on February 7, 2012. ECF Dkt. # 43. On February 24, 2012, Travelers filed its reply brief. ECF Dkt. #44.

Magistrate Judge George J. Limbert issued a report and recommendation recommending that the Court grant Travelers’ motion. ECF Dkt. # 46. Plaintiffs timely filed objections to the Magistrate Judge’s Report and Recommendation. ECF Dkt. # 47. On June 12, 2012, Defendant filed a response to Plaintiffs’ objections. ECF Dkt. #48. On June 26, 2012, Plaintiffs filed a surreply to Defendant’s response. ECF # 49.

After review of all materials, it appeared to this Court that summary judgment would be appropriate on the issue of Plaintiffs’ claim of “Property Damage” coverage, even though this was not argued in [945]*945the Defendant’s moving papers. On September 12, 2012 the Court advised the parties of this, and by Order to Show Cause offered the Plaintiffs the opportunity for additional briefing on the issue. ECF # 53.

For the following reasons, summary judgment is granted to Travelers.

II. THE UNDERLYING ACTION AND THE INSURANCE POLICIES1

In June of 2009, Universal Health Resources (“UHR”) sued Plaintiffs in a putative class action lawsuit captioned Universal Health Resources, et al. v. MDC Acquisition, et al., Case No. BC415244, in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles (“underlying action”). In the complaint, UHR alleged that Plaintiffs violated provisions of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (“TCPA”), as amended by the Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2005 (“Junk Fax Act”), 47 U.S.C. § 227, and the regulations promulgated under the Junk Fax Act by the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”), by sending unsolicited facsimile advertisements to UHR. ECF Dkt. #1-1 at 9, ¶ 1. The complaint specifically alleges that “defendants, in furtherance of promotional campaigns, sent facsimile transmissions of unsolicited advertisements to Plaintiff and the Plaintiff Class in violation of the [Junk Fax Act] and FCC regulations.” Id. The complaint explains that there are two affirmative defenses to a Junk Fax Act claim, the prior express invitation or permission defense and the established business relationship defense. Id. at 18, ¶20. These defenses may only be invoked by companies that include a notice of opt-out opportunity on their facsimile transmissions. Id. at 18-21, ¶¶ 20, 21, 22. The complaint alleges that none of the facsimile transmissions sent by Plaintiffs contained the opt-out notice. Id. at 21, ¶ 23.

According to the online docket for the Superior Court of California, Los Angeles County, an order granting a motion for preliminary approval of a class wide settlement of the underlying action was filed on April 20, 2012. Magistrate Judge Limbert’s Report and Recommendation reflects that, at a telephonic status conference held on that same day, Plaintiffs’ counsel informed the Magistrate that a settlement had been reached in the underlying action, and that Plaintiffs would dismiss Defendant, North River Insurance Company, as soon as a final entry of settlement was entered. Plaintiffs’ counsel represented to Magistrate Judge Limbert that Plaintiffs settled the case for approximately $6 million, $4.1 million in damages and $1 to 2 million in attorneys fees, which is within the Travelers’ policies’ limits. ECF Dkt# 46 at 1934.

MDC is primarily engaged in the business of selling supplies to the chiropractic industry. RGH is primarily engaged in the sale of durable medical goods. MDC and RGH are “sister corporations.” ECF Dkt. # 1-3 at 31. Plaintiffs have been continuously insured by Travelers since at least 2001. ECF Dkt. #43-1 at 1363. At all times relevant to the underlying action,2 [946]*946Plaintiffs were insured by two types of policies issued by Travelers: a general commercial liability insurance policy (“commercial general liability policies”) and a commercial excess liability insurance policy (“umbrella policies”).3

Upon receipt of the underlying action, Plaintiffs timely tendered the defense of the lawsuit to Travelers. Id. at 1364. Travelers denied Plaintiffs’ defense and indemnification under the insurance policies, on the basis the claims in the underlying action did not constitute “bodily injury” or “property damage” under the policies, and were not covered as a “personal injury”, “advertising injury”, or “website injuries.” ECF Dkt. 6-1 at 238-244. Travelers further asserted that the “Unsolicited Communications Endorsement” specifically excludes coverage for TCPA claims, including those under the Junk Fax Act, an amendment to TCPA. Id.

III. THE PRESENT ACTION

Plaintiffs filed the above-captioned action seeking a declaration that the exclusions upon which Travelers relies to deny defense and indemnification be ruled null and void and of no effect and the policies at issue be reformed to afford Plaintiffs the same coverage that was in existence prior to the promulgation of the exclusions by Travelers. ECF Dkt. # 1-3 at 33. Plaintiffs seek reformation of the insurance policies because they contend that they did not receive notice of material changes in the policies.

In its opposition to Travelers’ summary judgment motion, Plaintiffs state that “[a] substantial portion of the Plaintiffs’ sales are generated by sending fax advertisements to existing customers. MDC alone has approximately 25,000 customers in its database who receive fax advertisements. In fact, discovery in the underlying action reveals that MDC sent 645,375 fax transmissions during the putative class period.” ECF Dkt. # 43 at 1342 (internal citations omitted). As a consequence, Plaintiffs contend that the lack of notice they received from Travelers regarding the change in coverage prevented them from either purchasing appropriate coverage from another carrier, or negotiating with Travelers to delete the exclusionary language from the policies for an increased premium. Id. at 1342-1343. Plaintiffs contend the insurance policy should be reformed by removal of the Unsolicited Communications Exclusion.

In its counterclaim, Travelers seeks a declaration that it has no contractual obligation, or any other legal or equitable obligation, to provide Plaintiffs with a de[947]*947fense or indemnification for the underlying action. ECF Dkt. # 6 at 234. Travelers contends that Plaintiffs received actual notice of the changes to the policies, and the policies specifically exclude coverage for the injuries alleged in the underlying action.

IV.STANDARD OF REVIEW OF A MAGISTRATE JUDGE’S REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
898 F. Supp. 2d 942, 2012 WL 4483411, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 139229, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mdc-acquisition-co-v-north-river-insurance-ohnd-2012.