Netherlands Insurance Co. v. United Specialty Insurance Co.

276 F. Supp. 3d 94
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedAugust 30, 2017
Docket16 Civ. 7397
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 276 F. Supp. 3d 94 (Netherlands Insurance Co. v. United Specialty Insurance Co.) 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
Netherlands Insurance Co. v. United Specialty Insurance Co., 276 F. Supp. 3d 94 (S.D.N.Y. 2017).

Opinion

OPINION

Sweet, D.J.

Plaintiffs The Netherlands Insurance Company (“Netherlands”) and Arthur Lange, Inc. (“Lange”) (collectively, the “Plaintiffs”) have moved pursuant to Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure for partial summary judgment declaring that the defendant United Specialty Insurance Company (“United” or the “Defendant”) owes Lange a duty to defend and indemnify in the action Donizete Jose Defreitas v. Penta Painting & Decorating Corp., Arthur Lange, Inc., and Nikman Contracting, Inc. (the “Underlying Action”) and that Netherlands’ policy has an applicable excess “Other Insurance” provision. The Defendant has cross-moved for summaiy judgment pursuant to Rule 56 seeking a declaration that it owes no coverage for the Underlying Action. Based upon the facts and conclusions set forth below, the motion of the Plaintiffs is denied and the motion of the Defendant is granted.-

I. Prior Proceedings

The complaint in the instant action was filed on September 22, 2016, The motion for partial summary judgment was submitted April 18, 2017, the cross-motion for. summary judgment was submitted May 2, 2017, and both motions were heard and marked fully submitted on May 31, 2017.

II. The Facts

The facts have been set forth in the Plaintiffs’ Local Civil Rule 56.1 Statement (“PL’s 56.1 Stmt.”) and the Defendant’s Response to Plaintiffs’ Statement of Undisputed Material Facts and Counterstatement (“Def.’s 56.1 Stmt.”). They are not in dispute except as no.ted below.

On or about September 5, 2013, the Underlying Action was commenced in the Supreme' Court of the State of New York, County of Bronx. See Declaration of Michael Ince, executed April 6, 2017 ("Ince Dec!.”) 13. In the Underlying Action, Don-izete Jose Defreitas (“Defreitas”) seeks to recover damages for injuries he allegedly sustained on June 17,2013, while he was in the course of his employment with Energy Paving, Inc. (“Energy”) on a construction project at the premises located at 4 North Lake Road, Armonk, New York (the “Project”). Id. ¶4. Defreitas, in his Verified Complaint in the Underlying Action, alleges that he was injured in the course of his work on the Project when a wooden plank/elevated platform on which he was working collapsed, causing him to. fall to the ground (the “Accident”). See Ince Decl. Id., Ex. 1. He also alleges that at the time of the Accident, Lange was the general contractor for the Project and retained Energy as subcontractor pursuant to written contract. Id. Defreitas asserts claims against Lange for negligence and violation of N.Y. Labor Law §§ 200, 240, and 241. Id. ¶ 8; Ex. 1. On December ,8, 2016, the Underlying Action was transferred to.the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Westchester, where it was assigned Index No. 68525/16. See Ince Deck, Ex. 2.

[97]*97United denies any inference that the-complaint in the Underlying Action identifies Energy as Defreitas’ employer. Def.’s 56.1 Stmt. ¶¶11 2-5. United also denies that Lange is alleged to be both the general contractor and .construction manager, and states that Defreitas alleges that all defendants to the Underlying Action retained Energy. Id. ¶ 4 (citing to Ince Decl., Ex. 1 ¶¶20, 32, 36, 52). • •

On or about December 13, 2012, Lange and Energy entered into a written agreement concerning work to be performed on the Project (the “Subcontract”). See Declaration of David R. Shyer, executed April 14, 2017 (“Shyer Decl.”), Ex. 10. The Subcontract identifies Lange as “General Contractor” and Energy as “Subcontractor.” Id. Pursuant to the. Subcontract, Energy agreed to perform “masonry walls, walkways and patios” work for the Project. Id. The Subcontract provides, in part, as follows concerning Energy’s insurance procurement obligations for the Project:

4. Subcontractor shall' maintain) or cause to be maintained, in full force and effect during the term of this Agreement, at its expense, Workers’ Compensation Insurance, public liability insurance covering personal injury and property damage, and other insurance with minimum coverages as listed below. Such policies are to be in the broad form available on usual commercial terms and shall be written by- insurers of recognized financial standing satisfactory to General Contractor. Except for Workers’ Compensation, General Contractor shall be named as an additional insured on all such policies with the understanding that any obligations imposed upon the insured Subcontractor (including, without limitation, the liability to pay premiums) shall be the sole obligations of Subcontractor and not those of General Contractor. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, Subcontractor irrevocably waives all claims against General Contractor for all losses, damages, claims or expenses resulting from risks commercially insurable under the insurance described in this Section 4. The provisions of insurance by Subcontractor shall not in any way limit Subcontractor’s liability under, this Agreement,
* * *
Comprehensive General Liability, including Bodily injury, property damage and broad form contractual liability
$2,000,000 aggregate
$1,000,000 each occurrence
* * *
b) Each policy of -insurance shall contain clauses to the effect that- (i) -such insurance shall be primary without right of pontribution of any other insurance carried by or on behalf of General Contractor with respect to its interests, (ii) it shall not be cancelled, including without limitation, for non-payment of premium, or materially changed or not renewed without thirty (30) days prior written notice to General Contractor, (iii) no act or omission of Subcontractor shall affect or limit the obligation of the insurance company to pay General Contractor the amount of any loss sustained and (iv) policies cannot contain residential work exclusion.

Id.

United issued Commercial General" Liability (“CGL”) policy, No. USA 4000300, with a policy period from September 2, 2013 to September 2, 2014, which it issued to Energy as Named Insured (the “United Policy”), Id., Ex. 11. The.United Policy has “Each Occurrence” limits of $1 million. Id. The United Policy provides claims-made and reported coverage, and only applies to claims “first made against the insured, and reported to [United],” during the policy period, Id., Ex. 11 at p. United 0364. The [98]*98claim at issue in the Underlying Action was made and reported to United during the policy period of the United Policy. See Ince Decl., Exs. 1, 5. The United Policy’s insuring agreement provides, in part, as follows:

a. We will pay those sums that the insured becomes legally obligated to pay as damages because of “bodily injury” or “property damage” to which this insurance applies. We will have the right and duty to defend the insured against any “suit” seeking those damages.

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Bluebook (online)
276 F. Supp. 3d 94, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/netherlands-insurance-co-v-united-specialty-insurance-co-nysd-2017.