National Specialty Insurance v. ABS Freight Transporation, Inc.

91 F. Supp. 3d 1258, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 182962, 2014 WL 8183082
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedDecember 4, 2014
DocketCase No. 13-14431-CIV
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 91 F. Supp. 3d 1258 (National Specialty Insurance v. ABS Freight Transporation, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
National Specialty Insurance v. ABS Freight Transporation, Inc., 91 F. Supp. 3d 1258, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 182962, 2014 WL 8183082 (S.D. Fla. 2014).

Opinion

ORDER ON CROSS MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

DONALD L. GRAHAM, District Judge.

THIS CAUSE comes before the Court on Defendant Audrey Martin-Vegue’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment on Count II [D.E. 43], Defendants, Deborah Johnson, Benjamin Johnson, Herbert Lee Chapman, III and Michael Chapman’s Notice of Joinder in and Adoption of Defendant, Audrey Martin-Vegue’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment [D.E. 49], Plaintiffs Motion for Summary Judgment [D.E. 45], Audrey Martin-Vegue’s Supplement Brief in Support of Her Motion for Summary Judgment [D.E. 82], and Plaintiff National Specialty Insurance Company’s Supplemental Briefing to its Motion for Summary Judgment [D.E. 85].

THE COURT has considered the motions, the relevant portions of the record, and is otherwise fully advised in the premises. For the reasons set forth below; Defendant Audrey Martin-Vegue’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment on Count II [D.E. 43] is denied, and Plaintiffs Motion for Summary Judgment [D.E. 45] is granted.

I. BACKGROUND

This is a declaratory judgment action in which Plaintiff National Specialty Insurance Company (“NSIC”) seeks the Court’s determination of whether it has the duty to defend ABS Freight Transportation, Inc. and Andrii Plys in underlying proceedings known as Audrey Martin-Vegue v. Andrii Plys, ABS Transport, Inc. (“Transport”), and ABS Freight Transportation, Inc. (“Freight”), Case No. 12-2152 CA, pending in the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit in and for Martin County, Florida. Specifically whether policy number TFM 500980 issued to Defendant ABS Freight Transportation, Inc. (“Freight”), a motor carrier, provides liability insurance coverage to ABS Transport, Inc. (“Transport”), Andrii Plys (“Mr. Plys”) and Deen LLC (“Deen”) for a motor vehicle accident that occurred on November 29, 2012. The accident resulted in the death of Audrey Martin-Vegue’s husband, Howard Martin-Vegue. Plaintiff also seeks a separate declaration that it does not have any duties or obligations under the MCS-90 endorsement that is part of policy number TFM 500980.

The parties filed cross motions for summary judgment. The Johnson and Chapman Defendants are parties to underlying actions arising from the same accident and by motion join and adopt Defendant Audrey Martin-Vegue’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment .(“Defendants”).

II. FINDINGS OF FACT

NSIC issued and delivered an auto policy to Freight for the period January 30, 2012 to January 30, 2013 (“Freight Policy”). The Freight Policy provided $1 million combined-single limit liability coverage according to the terms and conditions of the policy. NSIC also issued a similar auto insurance policy to ABS Transport, Inc. (“Transport”) (“Transport Policy”).

[1260]*1260• On November 29, 2012, while driving a tractor-trailer for Transport, Mr. Plys collided with a vehicle driven by Howard Martin-Vegue in Martin County, Florida. Several subsequent collisions involving other vehicles took place. At the time of the accident, Mr. Plys was hauling Mexican Beach Pebbles previously picked up from Blue Daisy Cement Products, Inc. (“Blue Daisy”) in Gardena, California, and was enroute to Pebble Junction in Delray Beach, Florida.

The tractor, driver and trailer involved in the accident were leased by Transport. Specifically, Transport leased the tractor and driver from Deen LLC (“Deen”), an independent owner-operator. Transport also had lease agreement to use the trailer from Freight. Notwithstanding the lease agreements, at the time of the accident, Transport was operating under its U.S. D.O.T. authority as the motor carrier. Further, Transport’s name and its U.S. D.O.T. number were displayed on the tractor. At the time of the accident, Mr. Plys was an employee of Deen, and an independent contractor driver for Transport. Freight never employed Mr. Plys, and Mr. Plys was not an independent contractor driver for Freight.

Although the owners of Transport and Freight were once married, they subsequently divorced. After separation, but prior to their divorce, Ms. Mangarova, who previously worked for Freight, began Transport. Although their respective companies had similar names, and a lease agreement for equipment, each operated independently as separate trucking companies. Moreover, each company held a separate auto insurance policy from NSIC.

III. LAW & DISCUSSION

A. Legal Standard

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56 provides that summary judgment “shall be rendered forthwith if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R.Civ.P. 56(c). “Summary judgment is particularly suited for cases of insurance coverage because the interpretation of a written contract is a matter of law to be decided by the court.” Int’l Ship Repair & Marine Servs., Inc. v. N. Assur. Co. of Am., 2011 WL 5877505 at *4 (M.D.Fla. Nov. 23, 2011).

The moving party has the burden of production. See Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 157, 90 S.Ct. 1598, 26 L.Ed.2d 142 (1970). The movant meets this burden by showing that there is an “absence of evidence to support the non-moving party’s case.” Jeffery v. Sarasota White Sox, Inc., 64 F.3d 590, 593 (11th Cir.1995). When the moving party has met this burden by offering sufficient evidence to support the motion, the party opposing must then respond by attempting to establish the existence of a genuine issue of material fact. Adickes, 398 U.S. at 160, 90 S.Ct. 1598.

At the summary judgment stage, the judge’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 v. Liberty Lobby, 477 U.S. 242, 249, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). In making this determination, the Court must decide which issues are material. A material fact is one that might affect the outcome of the case. See Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc. 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). “Only disputes over facts that might affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law will properly preclude the entry of summary judgment. [1261]*1261Factual disputes that are irrelevant or unnecessary will not be counted.” Id.

The Court must also determine whether the dispute about a material fact is indeed genuine. “Where the record taken as a whole would not lead a rational trier of fact to find for the nonmoving party, there is no ‘genuine issue for trial’ ” and the court may grant the motion for summary judgment. Scott v. Harris, 550 U.S. 372, 380, 127 S.Ct. 1769, 167 L.Ed.2d 686 (2007) (quoting Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp.,

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91 F. Supp. 3d 1258, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 182962, 2014 WL 8183082, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/national-specialty-insurance-v-abs-freight-transporation-inc-flsd-2014.