Nestle Foods Corp. v. Aetna Casualty & Surety Co.

135 F.R.D. 101, 1990 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20125, 1990 WL 267392
District Court, D. New Jersey·Decided November 13, 1990·No. Civ. A. No. 89-1701(CSF)·Published·Cited by 98 cases

Opinion

ORDER

CLARKSON S. FISHER, District Judge.

This matter having come before the court on appeal from the August 31, 1990 order issued by United States Magistrate Freda L. Wolf son by defendant Liberty Mutual Insurance Company; and the court having considered the oral arguments and written submissions of counsel; and for good cause shown,

IT IS on this 13th day of November, 1990,

ORDERED that the August 31, 1990 order of the magistrate be and hereby is affirmed in its entirety.

[103]*103OPINION

FREDA L. WOLFSON, United States Magistrate.

Plaintiff, Nestle Foods Corporation (“Nestle”), commenced this declaratory judgment action against defendants Aetna Casualty and Surety Company (“Aetna”), Insurance Company of North America (“INA”), Liberty Mutual Insurance Company (“Liberty”), and the American Insurance Company,1 pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2201, seeking a determination of coverage. Defendants issued comprehensive general liability (“CGL”) insurance policies to Nestle from 1959 through 1984.2 These policies have been called into question as a result of federal and state environmental claims brought against Nestle. Defendants deny that their respective policies were intended to cover the environmental property damage caused by Nestle and have refused to indemnify Nestle for any of the costs associated with the contamination of Lone Pine.3

Nestle has filed extensive discovery requests which the defendants categorically oppose on grounds of relevancy, undue burden, and privilege. Plaintiff has moved to compel discovery of documents and interrogatories which fall into seven distinct areas: (1) drafting history of the policy language, (2) the handling of claims of other insureds, (3) information concerning Lone Pine, (4) evaluations of environmental risks, (5) deposition and trial transcripts of defendants’ witnesses from other actions, (6) inter-insurer communications, and (7) contention interrogatories. The primary battle amongst these parties, and currently being waged by parties in environmental coverage cases across the nation, concerns the drafting history and the materials relating to other insureds.

Also before the Court is INA’s cross-motion for expedited discovery on the question of the applicable choice of law. INA contends that New York law controls its policy with Nestle and that under New York law there can be no coverage for the type of damage caused by plaintiff. Thus, INA argues it would be expeditious to resolve this discovery issue now.

NESTLE’S MOTION TO COMPEL DISCOVERY

(1) DRAFTING HISTORY

Initially the Court must determine whether materials relating to the drafting history of the policy language in question is relevant to this action. The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure embrace a liberal policy for providing discovery. Rule 26(b)(1) contains the general provision governing the scope of discovery and provides in part, that “[pjarties may obtain discovery regarding any matter, not privileged, which is relevant to the subject matter involved in the pending action, whether it relates to the claim or defense of the party seeking discovery or to the claim or defense of any other party ... It is not ground for objection that the information sought will be inadmissible at the trial if [104]*104the information sought appears reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence.”

Courts have construed Rule 26(b)(1) liberally, creating a broad vista for discovery which would encompass any matter that bears on, or that reasonably could lead to other matters that could bear on, any issue that is or may be in the case. Tele-Radio Systems Ltd. v. DeForest Electronics, Inc., 92 F.R.D. 371, 375 (D.N.J.1981), citing, Oppenheimer Fund, Inc. v. Sanders, 437 U.S. 340, 351, 98 S.Ct. 2380, 2389, 57 L.Ed.2d 253 (1978); see also, Hickman v. Taylor, 329 U.S. 495, 507, 67 S.Ct. 385, 391, 91 L.Ed. 451 (1947). The parties must be permitted to scrutinize all relevant evidence so that each will have a fair opportunity to present its case at trial. Goldy v. Beal, 91 F.R.D. 451, 454 (M.D.Pa.1981). Moreover, the question of relevancy is to be more loosely construed at the discovery stage than at the trial. Therefore, it is important to distinguish the right to obtain information by discovery from the right to use it at trial. Leksi v. Federal Insurance Co., 129 F.R.D. 99, 104 (D.N.J.1989), citing, 8 Wright & Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure, §§ 2007, 2008.

The coverage question requires interpretation of such policy language as “pollution exclusion”, “sudden occurrence”, and “property damage.” Plaintiff contends that material relating to the drafting history for these pertinent policy provisions is relevant to proving that the policies plainly and unambiguously provide coverage to Nestle for the Lone Pine claims.4 Alternatively, should the policies be deemed ambiguous, plaintiff argues that the drafting history will establish through extrinsic evidence that Nestle’s interpretation is correct and that contra proferentum applies.

Defendants dispute Nestle’s relevancy claims on several grounds. First, defendants argue that plaintiff’s reliance on the contra proferentum doctrine is misplaced since there has been no determination of ambiguity. Moreover, defendants point to Nestle’s sophistication in purchasing insurance with their own in-house risk management insurance department as well as outside brokers to establish that the doctrine is inapplicable. Second, defendants Liberty and Aetna maintain that under New Jersey case law, the undisclosed intent of one party to a contract is immaterial. Defendants principally rely on the cases of Garden State Plaza Corp. v. S.S. Kresge Co., 78 N.J.Super. 485, 500, 189 A.2d 448 (App. Div.), cert, denied, 40 N.J. 226, 191 A.2d 63 (1963) and Kook v. American Surety Co. of New York, 88 N.J.Super. 43, 210 A.2d 633 (App.Div.1965). INA has offered to produce its drafting history documents for the years 1966 through 1974, but to the extent that INA’s offer does not satisfy plaintiff’s request, INA shares the defendants’ position that undisclosed intent is irrelevant. INA directs the Court to several unreported decisions. See Asbestos Insurance Coverage Cases, J.C.C.P. No. 1072 (Super. Ct. San Francisco Co., May 29, 1987); Schering Corp. v. Evanston Ins. Co., L-97311-88 (N.J.Super.Ct., Law Div. September 6, 1989).

The party resisting discovery has the burden of clarifying, explaining and supporting its objections. Tele-Radio Systems Ltd. v. De Forest Electronics, 92 F.R.D. 371, 375 (D.N.J.1981).

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Nestle Foods Corp. v. Aetna Casualty & Surety Co., 135 F.R.D. 101, 1990 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20125, 1990 WL 267392 (D.N.J. 1990).

135 F.R.D. 101 (Nestle Foods Corp. v. Aetna Casualty & Surety Co.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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