National Union Fire Insurance v. McMurray

342 F. App'x 956
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
DecidedAugust 28, 2009
Docket08-11039
StatusUnpublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 342 F. App'x 956 (National Union Fire Insurance v. McMurray) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
National Union Fire Insurance v. McMurray, 342 F. App'x 956 (5th Cir. 2009).

Opinion

PER CURIAM: *

This dispute concerns the denial of a claim for accidental death benefits under a blanket accident insurance policy issued by National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. National Union denied coverage for the claim on the grounds that the circumstances of death did not fall within the policy’s coverage. The district court agreed, granting summary judgment in favor of National Union. The spouse of the decedent policyholder appeals that decision. For the following reasons, we AFFIRM.

I. BACKGROUND

After a September 2004 wedding, Joe and Mary McMurray went on a honeymoon cruise with Oceania Cruises. Joe McMurray purchased the cruise with his Platinum Select Citibank Mastercard, which included a $1,000,000 accidental death or dismemberment insurance policy issued by National Union. As Joe’s spouse, Mary McMurray was eligible for benefits under the policy. Among the covered hazards for which accidental death benefits were provided was injury or death that occurred while an insured person was “riding as a passenger in or on (including getting in or out of, or on or off of) any Common Carrier.” The policy defined “common carrier” as “any licensed land, water or air conveyance operated by those whose occupation or business is the transportation of persons for hire.” “Passenger” was defined as “a person not performing as a pilot, operator or crew member of a conveyance.”

While on the cruise, the McMurrays purchased a separate whitewater rafting excursion operated by Rios Tropicales in Costa Rica. This excursion was charged to the McMurrays’ cruise account and became an additional charge on Mr. McMur-ray’s Citibank Mastercard. During the rafting trip, Mr. McMurray tragically was thrown from his raft and drowned. Ms. McMurray submitted a claim for accidental death benefits under the National Union policy. National Union denied the claim, concluding that the raft in which the McMurrays were riding was not a common *958 carrier, and they were not passengers under the policy.

National Union then filed a declaratory judgment action. It sought a determination of the policy’s coverage and a declaration that no benefits were owed. Ms. McMurray filed a counterclaim, alleging breach of express and implied warranties, breach of contract, breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing, and breach of a Texas prompt payment of claims statute.

The district court granted summary judgment in favor of National Union. It held that benefits were not payable because Rios Tropicales was not a common carrier under the policy. National Union received a judgment as a matter of law on the counterclaims. Ms. McMurray timely appealed.

II. DISCUSSION

We review a grant of summary judgment de novo, applying the same standard as the district court. Noble Energy, Inc. v. Bituminous Cas. Co., 529 F.3d 642, 645 (5th Cir.2008). Summary judgment is proper when the “pleadings, the discovery and disclosure materials on file, and any affidavits show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c). “In determining whether a genuine issue as to any material fact exists, we must view the evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party.” Fahim v. Marriott Hotel Servs., Inc., 551 F.3d 344, 348-49 (5th Cir.2008).

This is a diversity case involving interpretation of a contract entered in Texas. Texas substantive law controls. Bexar County Hosp. Dist. v. Factory Mut. Ins. Co., 475 F.3d 274, 276 (5th Cir.2007). Under Texas law, insurance policies are interpreted according to the ordinary rules of contract interpretation. Kelley-Coppedge, Inc. v. Highlands Ins. Co., 980 S.W.2d 462, 464 (Tex.1998). The court’s primary concern in construing the policy is to determine the intent of the parties. Nat’l Union Fire Ins. Co. of Pittsburgh, Pa. v. CBI Indus., Inc., 907 S.W.2d 517, 520 (Tex.1995). “The terms used in the policy are given their plain, ordinary meaning unless the policy itself shows that the parties intended the terms to have a different, technical meaning.” Am. Nat’l Gen. Ins. Co. v. Ryan, 274 F.3d 319, 323 (5th Cir.2001) (citing Puckett v. U.S. Fire Ins. Co., 678 S.W.2d 936, 938 (Tex.1984)). When a term is defined in the policy, that definition controls. Provident Life & Accident Ins. Co. v. Knott, 128 S.W.3d 211, 219 (Tex.2003); Trinity Universal Ins. Co. v. Cowan, 945 S.W.2d 819, 823 (Tex.1997). “[I]f an insurance contract is subject to more than one reasonable interpretation, the contract is ambiguous and the interpretation that most favors coverage for the insured will be adopted.” Grain Dealers Mut. Ins. Co. v. McKee, 943 S.W.2d 455, 458 (Tex.1997).

We close this litany of basic rules by noting one more. The fact of conflicting interpretations by parties in litigation does not prove ambiguity. Commonwealth Lloyds Ins. Co. v. Downs, 853 S.W.2d 104, 110 (Tex.App.-Fort Worth 1993, writ denied). It may only be evidence of zealous advocacy.

Ms. McMurray alleges that the district court erred by looking beyond the policy’s definition of “common carrier.” In interpreting the policy definition, the district court noted that Texas law similarly defines “common carriers” as “[t]hose in the business of carrying passengers and goods who hold themselves out for hire by the public.” Mount Pleasant Indep. Sch. Dist. v. Estate of Lindburg, 766 S.W.2d 208, 213 (Tex.1989). The Texas common-carrier *959 analysis focuses on the business of transportation and “whether the business of the entity is public transportation or whether such transportation is ‘only incidental’ to its primary business.” Speed Boat Leasing, Inc. v. Elmer,

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Bluebook (online)
342 F. App'x 956, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/national-union-fire-insurance-v-mcmurray-ca5-2009.