Pennsylvania National Mutual Casualty Insurance v. Retirement Systems of Alabama

104 F. Supp. 3d 1313, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 52055, 2015 WL 1810463
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Alabama
DecidedApril 21, 2015
DocketCivil Action No. CV-14-S-248-NW
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 104 F. Supp. 3d 1313 (Pennsylvania National Mutual Casualty Insurance v. Retirement Systems of Alabama) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pennsylvania National Mutual Casualty Insurance v. Retirement Systems of Alabama, 104 F. Supp. 3d 1313, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 52055, 2015 WL 1810463 (N.D. Ala. 2015).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDERS

C. LYNWOOD SMITH, JR., District Judge.

Plaintiff, Pennsylvania National Mutual Casualty Insurance Company, filed this ac[1315]*1315tion on February 12, 2014.1 The company seeks a judgment declaring that it has-no duty to defend or indemnify defendant Quality Coatings & Drywall, Inc., and its sureties, defendants The Ohio Casualty Insurance Company, and Liberty Mutual Group, Inc., for claims asserted against those entities by defendants Retirement Systems of Alabama, and Alabama Real Estate Holdings, Inc., in the state court action pending in the Circuit Court of Lauderdale County, Alabama, as Civil Action No. CV-2013-900131 (The Retirement Systems of Alabama, et al. v. Quality Coatings and Drywall, Inc., et al.).2

Defendants Quality Coatings & Drywall, Inc., The Ohio Casualty Insurance Company, and Liberty Mutual Group, Inc. assert counterclaims for breach of contract and bad faith denial of coverage.3 Those counterclaims are based upon plaintiffs alleged refusal to defend The Ohio. Casualty Insurance Company and Liberty Mutual Group, Inc., in the underlying action.

The case presently is before the court on two motions: plaintiffs motion for summary judgment, and defendants’ cross-motion for partial summary judgment on plaintiffs claim for declaratory relief and on their own counterclaim for breach of contract.4 Upon consideration, the court concludes that summary judgment is due to be entered in favor of plaintiff on its motion for summary judgment, as well as on defendants’ cross-motion for partial summary judgment.

I. RELEVANT PROCEDURAL HISTORY

The underlying, state-court action arose out of the. construction of the “River Heritage Hotel” in Florence, Alabama (“the Hotel”). Defendant Quality Coatings & Drywall, Inc. (“Quality Coatings”), entered into a Construction Trade Contract with defendant Alabama Real Estate Holdings (“AREH”) in March of 2004. Among other work to be performed, Quality Coatings was responsible for cold formed metal wall framing, gypsum drywall, and wall installation at the Hotel.5 AREH and defendant The Ohio Casualty Insurance Company (“Ohio Casualty”) later executed a performance bond' in ■ the ’' amount of $2,151,655. Ohio- Casualty subsequently was acquired by defendant Liberty Mutual Group, Inc: (“Liberty Mutual”), and both companies are parties to the underlying, state-court action, based upon Ohio Casualty’s agreement to act as a surety for Quality Coatings under the Construction Trade Contract.6

The Retirement Systems of Alabama (“RSA”) is a successor-in-interest to AREH on Quality Coatings’ Construction Trade Contract. RSA and AREH commenced the underlying, state-court action against Quality Coatings and its sureties, Ohio Casualty and Liberty Mutual, seeking the recovery of damages arising out of the allegedly defective construction work performed by Quality Coatings at the Hotel.7

[1316]*1316Plaintiff, Pennsylvania National Mutual Casualty Insurance Company, issued Commercial General Liability Policy No. CX9 0675702 (“the Policy”) to Quality Coatings for the period beginning September 1, 2011.8 Plaintiff currently is providing a defense to Quality Coatings in the underlying, state-court action under a reservation of rights, and Ohio Casualty and Liberty Mutual also have sought a defense and indemnity from plaintiff.9

II. DISCUSSION

The complaint filed by RSA and AREH in the underlying, state-court action alleges, among other things, that

RSA and AREH were damaged by these Defendants as a result of their negligent conduct in performing their scope of work such that there was a separation in the firewall, a separation which renders the firewall noncompliant with the City of Florence’s ordinances and defective, and caused the growth of mold in the subject building.
38. As a direct and proximate consequence of the negligence of Defendants Quality Coatings ..., RSA and AREH have suffered damages, including costs of remediation and repair.

Doc. no. 1-1 (State Court Complaint), ¶¶37 & 38, at ECF 10 (emphasis supplied).10

Plaintiff contends in the action pending in this court that it does not owe a duty to defend or indemnify defendants in the underlying state-court action because the claims asserted there are not covered under the terms of its Policy.11

“Whether there is a duty to indemnify under the policy will depend on the facts adduced at the trial” in the underlying action. Hartford Casualty Insurance Co. v. Merchants & Farmers Bank, 928 So.2d 1006, 1013 (Ala.2005) (emphasis supplied). Even so, the duty to defend is broader than the duty to indemnify. See id. at 1009. Accordingly, where the court finds that there is no duty to defend, it also must find that there is no duty to indemnify.

When liability insurance coverage is disputed, the insured has the burden to establish that the claim at issue is “covered under the policy.” State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. v. Shady Grove Baptist Church, 838 So.2d 1039, 1043 (Ala.2002). Once coverage is established, the insurer “has the burden of proof in asserting that a claim is excluded under its policy.” Id.; see also Appleman on Insurance § 1.07 (Law Library ed.2013).

The Alabama Supreme Court summarized the law for determining whether an insurance company has a duty to provide a defense for its insured in the case of Tan[1317]*1317ner v. State Farm Fire & Casualty Co., 874 So.2d 1058 (Ala.2003), saying that the question of

[w]hether an insurance company owes its insured a duty to provide a defense in proceedings instituted against the insured is determined primarily by the allegations contained in the complaint.
In three cases, this Court held that, if the complaint against the insured does not, on its face, allege a covered accident or occurrence, “other facts which did exist but were not alleged could be taken into consideration” to establish coverage because the policy “should be liberally construed in favor of the insured.” However, this Court has never held that, even though the allegations of a complaint do allege a covered accident or occurrence, the courts may consider evidence outside the allegations to disestablish the duty to defend....
Accordingly, we will summarize the law for determining the existence or nonexistence of an insurer’s duty to defend. If the allegedly injured person’s complaint against the insured alleges a covered accident or occurrence, then the insurer owes the duty to defend even though the evidence may eventually prove that the gravamen of the complaint was not a covered accident or occurrence. If the complaint against the insured does not, on its face, allege a covered accident or occurrence, but the evidence proves one, then the Insurer likewise owes the duty to defend.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
104 F. Supp. 3d 1313, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 52055, 2015 WL 1810463, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pennsylvania-national-mutual-casualty-insurance-v-retirement-systems-of-alnd-2015.