Mount Vernon Fire Insurance Co. v. Munoz Trucking Corp.

213 F. Supp. 3d 594, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 136618, 2016 WL 5793402
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedSeptember 30, 2016
Docket13 Civ. 6268 (ER)
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 213 F. Supp. 3d 594 (Mount Vernon Fire Insurance Co. v. Munoz Trucking Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mount Vernon Fire Insurance Co. v. Munoz Trucking Corp., 213 F. Supp. 3d 594, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 136618, 2016 WL 5793402 (S.D.N.Y. 2016).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

Ramos, District Judge

Mount Vernon Fire Insurance Company (“Mount Vernon”) brings this action against Munoz Trucking Corp. (“Munoz”), Mendez Trucking Inc. (“Mendez”), Rebco Contracting Corp. (“Rebco”), Diego A. Ulloa-Tapia (“Ulloa-Tapia”), S3 Tunnel Constructors (“S3”), Skanska USA, Inc. (“Skanska”), Schiavone Construction Co. LLC (“Schiavone”), J.F. Shea Construction Inc. (“J.F. Shea”), and Brice Mastro-luca (“Mastroluca”) (collectively, “Defendants”), seeking a declaratory judgment that Mount Vernon is not obligated to indemnify or provide a defense to the defendants in the lawsuit Brice Mastroluca, individually and as Administrator of the Estate of Laurence Renard, deceased, and on behalf of all heirs and next-of-kin of Laurence Renard, deceased v. Diego A. Tapia-Ulloa, S3 Tunnel Constructors, Skanska USA Inc., Schiavone Construction Co. LLC, J.F. Shea Construction, Inc., Mendez Trucking, Inc., Munoz Trucking Corp., and Rebco Contracting Corp., Index No. 100585/2012 (the “Underlying Action”), pursuant to a policy of insurance. Before the Court is Mount Vernon’s motion for summary judgment, Doc. 89. For the reasons stated herein, Mount Vernon’s motion is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part.

I. BACKGROUND

A. The Underlying Action1

On January 18, 2012, Mastroluca commenced the Underlying Action by filing a complaint (the “Underlying Complaint”) against Munoz, Mendez, Rebco, Ulloa-Tapia, S3, Skanska, Schiavone, and Shea (collectively, the “Underlying Defendants”) in the Supreme Court of New York, New York County. PI. 56.1 ¶ 1; see Declaration of Steven Verveniotis, filed in support of Plaintiffs Motion for Summary Judgment (“Verveniotis Deck”), Doc. 92, Ex. A (“Underlying Compl.”).2 Mastroluca alleges that the Underlying Defendants are collectively liable for an accident, in which his wife Laurence Renard (“Renard”) was hit by a dump truck driven by Ulloa-Tapia and killed. Pl. 56.1 ¶ 2; Underlying Compl. ¶ 67.

According to Mastroluca, the Underlying Defendants were agents to each other and acting in concert at the time of the accident. Underlying Compl. ¶ 18. Mastro-luca alleges that Defendant S3 was a joint venture comprised of defendants Skanska, Schiavone, and J.F. Shea. Id. ¶ 19. On January 24, 2011, S3 and non-party Metropolitan Transportation Authority (“MTA”) agreed to a contract regarding the construction of a portion of the Second Avenue subway tunnels extending from 92nd to 63rd Street (the “Second Avenue Subway Project”). Pl. 56.1 ¶3; Underlying Compl. ¶ 25. S3 then contracted with Defendant Rebco to perform debris removal from the Second Avenue Subway Project, and Rebco contracted with Munoz and Mendez to provide trucks and personnel for the debris removal. Pl. 56.1 ¶ 4; Underlying Compl. ¶¶ 29-30.

Munoz is described in the Underlying Complaint as the “parent, principal and/or alter ego” of Mendez, and is alleged to have “ordered, directed, contracted or otherwise arranged for” Mendez to provide [598]*598personnel and equipment for Munoz’s use in performing the debris removal. Underlying Compl. ¶¶34, 43. According to the Underlying Complaint, Mendez was the registered owner of the truck involved in the underlying accident, and Ulloa-Tapia, the driver of the truck, was an employee of both Munoz and Mendez. Id. ¶¶ 37-44.

Mastroluca claims that Munoz, as well as the other Underlying Defendants, were negligent and reckless in “the ownership, oversight, supervision, selection, maintenance, operation, control and/or direction of’ the dump truck driven by Ulloa-Tapia. Id. ¶ 75. The Underlying Complaint further alleges that “dump trucks traveling to and from the [Second Avenue Subway] work zone were required to adhere to designated truck routes,” that those trucks were “required to use E. 86th Street when traveling West or East between Second and First Avenues,” and that the trucks were expressly “prohibited from using the one-way numbered cross-streets, including 90th Street between Second and First Avenues,” where the accident occurred. Id. ¶¶ 56-58. It asserts that Munoz was on actual notice that the hauling of construction debris was taking place on prohibited one-way, numbered streets, including E. 90th Street, id. ¶ 60, and that Munoz was negligent by, inter alia, failing “to ensure that dump trucks traveling to and from the work zone followed the designated haul routes”; failing “to ensure that the subject truck ... did not travel on 90th Street between Second and First Avenues”; and failing “to administer the work zone in a reasonably safe and careful manner.” Id. ¶ 75. The Underlying Complaint asserts that these actions and omissions were proximate causes of Renard’s death. Id. ¶ 78.

B. The Insurance Policy

Mount Vernon issued a commercial general liability (“CGL”) insurance policy to Munoz bearing the policy number CL 2359277B, which covered the period from November 11, 2010 to November 11, 2011 (the “Policy”). See Affidavit of Iqbal Lall, filed in support of Plaintiffs Motion for Summary Judgment (“Lall Aff.”), Doc. 93, Ex. A, Policy Declaration at 1, Pl. 56.1 ¶ 38.

The Policy provides in Section I(1)(a) that Mount Vernon will “pay those sums that [Munoz] becomes legally obligated to pay as damages because of ‘bodily injury’ or ‘property damage’ to which [the Policy] applies”; however, Mount Vernon “will have no duty to defend [Munoz] against any ‘suit’ seeking damages for ‘bodily injury’ or ‘property damage’ to which [the Policy] does not apply.” Lall Aff., Ex. A, Commercial General Liability Coverage Form (“CGL Form”) at 1. As set forth in Section I(2)(g), the Policy’s coverage does not apply to: “Bodily Injury” or “property damage” arising out of the ownership, maintenance, use or entrustment to others of any ... ‘auto’ ... owned or operated by or rented or loaned to any insured.... ” (the “Auto Exclusion”). CGL Form at 4; PI. 56.1 ¶ 39. The Auto Exclusion applies:

even if the claims against any insured allege negligence or other wrongdoing in the supervision, hiring, employment, training or monitoring of others by that insured, if the ‘occurrence’ which caused the ‘bodily injury* or ‘property damage’ involved the ownership, maintenance, use or entrustment to others of any ... ‘auto’ ... that is owned or operated by or rented or loaned to any insured.3

Id.

The Policy also includes an endorsement for additional insured coverage, which provides:

[599]*599Section II—Who Is An Insured is amended to include as an additional insured any person(s) or organization(s) for whom you [Munoz] are performing “your work” under a written contract or agreement, that requires such person(s) or organization(s) to be added as an additional insured on your policy. Such person(s) or organization(s) is an additional insured only with respect to liability for “bodily injury”, “property damage” or “personal and advertising injury” occurring after the effective date of such contract or agreement that is caused, in or whole or in party by:
1. Your acts or omissions; or
2. The Acts or omissions of those acting on your behalf;
in the performance of ‘your work’ for the additional insured.

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Bluebook (online)
213 F. Supp. 3d 594, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 136618, 2016 WL 5793402, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mount-vernon-fire-insurance-co-v-munoz-trucking-corp-nysd-2016.