Mount Vernon Fire Insurance v. Olmos

808 F. Supp. 2d 1305, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 42475, 2011 WL 1483385
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Oklahoma
DecidedApril 19, 2011
DocketNo. CIV-10-33-FHS
StatusPublished

This text of 808 F. Supp. 2d 1305 (Mount Vernon Fire Insurance v. Olmos) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Oklahoma 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 v. Olmos, 808 F. Supp. 2d 1305, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 42475, 2011 WL 1483385 (E.D. Okla. 2011).

Opinion

ORDER

FRANK H. SEAY, District Judge.

Before the court for its consideration is the Plaintiffs Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. # 46) and the Motion for Partial Summary Judgment by Defendant Okmulgee Inn Venture, LLC (Doc. # 45). In the Plaintiffs Motion for Summary Judgment it argues it is entitled to judgment in its favor because the loss in question did not arise out of the “selling, serving or furnishing” of alcoholic beverages. In the Motion for Partial Summary Judgment by Defendant Okmulgee Inn Venture, LLC defendant requests the court to enter a finding that Mount Vernon Insurance Company has a duty to defend it in the [1307]*1307underlying state court lawsuit. The court rules as follows on the motions.

STANDARD FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

Summary Judgment is appropriate “if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c); See also Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 247-48, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). The moving party has the burden of demonstrating the absence of a genuine issue of fact. Celotex v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 325, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). If this initial burden is satisfied, the nonmoving party then has the burden of coming forward with specific facts showing there is a genuine issue for trial as to elements essential to the nonmoving party’s case. Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 586-87, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986); Bacchus Indus., Inc. v. Arvin Indus., Inc., 939 F.2d 887, 891 (10th Cir.1991). The nonmoving party cannot rest on the mere allegations of the pleadings, but must go beyond the pleadings and “set forth specific facts showing there was a genuine issue for trial as to those dispositive matters for which [it] carries the burden of proof.” Applied Genetics v. First Affiliated Securities, 912 F.2d 1238, 1241 (10th Cir.1990).

“A fact is ‘material’ only if it ‘might affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law,’ and a dispute about a material fact is ‘genuine’ only ‘if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party.’ ” Thomas v. IBM, 48 F.3d 478, 486 (10th Cir.1995) (quoting Anderson, 477 U.S. at 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505). In this regard, the court examines the factual record and reasonable inferences therefrom in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. Deepwater Invs. Ltd. v. Jackson Hole Ski Corp., 938 F.2d 1105, 1110 (10th Cir.1991). This court’s function is not “to weigh the evidence and determine the truth of the matter but to determine whether there is a genuine issue for trial.” Anderson, 477 U.S. at 249, 106 S.Ct. 2505. With these standards in mind, the court turns to the merits of the motions.

FINDINGS OF FACT

The court finds the facts as follows: Mount Vernon Fire Insurance Company (Mount Vernon) issued a liquor liability insurance policy with assault and battery coverage to La Margarita Mexican Restaurant, with a policy period of March 22, 2006 to March 22, 2007. Okmulgee Inn was an additional insured on the insurance policy issued by Mount Vernon. The policy of insurance issued by Mount Vernon to La Margarita Mexican Restaurant provides coverage for liquor liability only. The insuring agreement provides in relevant part at Section I Liquor Liability Coverage:

1. Insuring Agreement.
We will pay those sums that the insured becomes legally obligated to pay as damages because of “injury” to which this insurance applies if liability for such “injury” is imposed on the insured by reason of the selling, serving or furnishing of any alcoholic beverage.

Steve Perry, Michael Wilson, and Randy James filed personal injury lawsuits against Francisco Olmos and Okmulgee Inn Venture, in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma. The underlying personal injury lawsuits filed in state court allege two of the plaintiffs who were underage were served alcoholic beverages in a nightclub named “On the Rocks”. The nightclub [1308]*1308was owned by La Margarita Restaurant and was operated by Franciso Olmos. The premises was owned by Okmulgee Inn/Best Western Hotel. On September 8, 2006, a fight erupted which resulted in injury to the three plaintiffs. The underlying personal injury lawsuits pending in Okmulgee County State Court are unresolved and remain pending.

The lawsuit brought in this court is a declaratory judgment action arising out of the injuries sustained by the three plaintiffs in the underlying state court lawsuit. Mount Vernon is providing a defense in the underlying state court lawsuits under a reservation of right. Defendants Perry and James were properly served in this matter and failed to answer. The clerk has entered default against them. Wilson could not be found and has not been served. Olmos was properly served and did not answer. The clerk has entered default in this matter against him. The only party to the underlying case who has answered in this matter is Okmulgee Inn Venture, LLC (defendant). Defendant is also insured under its own commercial general liability policy issued by Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Company and is being defended under that policy in the underlying case.

Before this court is the issue of whether the policy of insurance in question covers the loss for injuries being sought in the personal injury state law cases and whether the plaintiff has a duty to defend defendant in the underlying state court lawsuits.

The court will first address whether the loss is covered by the policy. “A policy of insurance is a contract and should be construed as every other contract, that is, where not ambiguous, according to its terms.” Wiley v. Travelers Ins. Co., 534 P.2d 1293, 1296 (Okla.1974). The interpretation of an unambiguous policy and its exclusions is a question of law for the court. Id. The language in question in this lawsuit is clear and unambiguous. The provision in question provides:

We will pay those sums that the insured becomes legally obligated to pay as damages because of “injury” to which this insurance applies if liability for such “injury” is imposed on the insured by reason of the selling, serving or furnishing of any alcoholic beverage.

The court finds there is no evidence the injuries in question were a result of the “selling, serving, or furnishing of alcoholic beverages.” The court has reviewed the allegations in the state court petitions, as well as the exhibits submitted with these motions.

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808 F. Supp. 2d 1305, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 42475, 2011 WL 1483385, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mount-vernon-fire-insurance-v-olmos-oked-2011.