PetroSantander (USA), Inc. v. HDI Global Ins. Co.

308 F. Supp. 3d 1207
CourtDistrict Court, D. Kansas
DecidedApril 9, 2018
DocketCase No. 16–CV–01320–EFM–GLR
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 308 F. Supp. 3d 1207 (PetroSantander (USA), Inc. v. HDI Global Ins. Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
PetroSantander (USA), Inc. v. HDI Global Ins. Co., 308 F. Supp. 3d 1207 (D. Kan. 2018).

Opinion

ERIC F. MELGREN, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

This case arose after Plaintiff PetroSantander (USA), Inc. sought coverage from its insurer following a saltwater spill in Meade County, Kansas. HDI-Gerling American Ins. Co. ("HDI-Gerling") issued the insurance policy in question, and HDI Global Ins. Co. ("HDI") is the successor in interest to HDI-Gerling. The matter is currently before the Court on the parties' cross-motions for partial summary judgment regarding whether the notice-prejudice rule applies to the current dispute. Specifically, the limited issue before the Court is whether Defendant must demonstrate that Plaintiff's alleged failure to provide notice as required by the pollution endorsement caused it prejudice before it may deny coverage based on Plaintiff's alleged failure to timely report the pollution incident. As detailed below, the Court grants Plaintiff's motion for partial summary judgment (Doc. 41) and denies Defendant's motion for partial summary judgment (Doc. 35). Plaintiff has also filed a motion for leave to amend to add a claim for reformation of the policy based on the arguments presented in its motion for partial summary judgment. Because the Court finds that Plaintiff need not assert a claim for reformation and Plaintiff has indicated it filed this motion out of an abundance of caution, the Court denies Plaintiff's motion for leave to amend (Doc. 42) as moot.

I. Factual and Procedural Background1 *1209Plaintiff PetroSantander (USA), Inc. ("Plaintiff") is an oil and gas company that operates a portion of its business in Kansas. At the time relevant to this dispute, Plaintiff was insured under an insurance policy issued by HDI-Gerling, identified as Policy No. GK091000081-01 (the "Policy"), with a policy period beginning on October 10, 2013, and ending October 10, 2014. The Policy was delivered to Plaintiff in Houston, Texas, and was reviewed by Plaintiff's Chief Financial Officer shortly after its receipt. After entering the Policy, HDI ("Defendant") took assignment of HDI-Gerling's rights and obligations under the Policy, and is the successor in interest to HDI-Gerling.

On the Common Policy Declarations Page, HDI-Gerling is listed under "Company Name" and IMA, Inc. (Wichita Division) ("IMA") is listed under "Producer Name." PetroSantander is listed as the "Named Insured" of the Policy. The Commercial General Liability Coverage Form ("CGL") states that "the words 'you' and 'your' refer to the Named Insured shown in the Declarations, and any other person or organization qualifying as a Named Insured under this policy," and states that "[t]he words 'we', 'us' and 'our' refer to the company providing this insurance."

The Insuring Agreement found in Section I, Coverage A of the CGL states, in relevant part, "[w]e 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." The exclusions found in Section I, Coverage A of the CGL include an exclusion for pollution, exclusion (f), that states that the insurance coverage afforded under the Policy does not apply to " 'property damage' arising out of the actual, alleged or threatened discharge, dispersal, seepage, migration, release or escape of 'pollutants' " under a variety of circumstances. The Policy also includes an Energy Limited Pollution Liability Extension Endorsement, which modified the insurance provided under the CGL by deleting exclusion (f) and replacing it with the following:

This insurance does not apply to:
f. Pollution
(1) "Bodily injury" or "property damage" arising out of the actual, alleged or threatened discharge, dispersal, seepage, migration, release or escape of "pollutants":
....
(2) Any loss, cost or expense arising out of [certain requests, demand, orders, requirements, claims, or suits]:
....
(3) Paragraphs (1) and (2) of this exclusion do not apply to that portion of any "occurrence" which is caused by a "pollution incident" which meets all of the following conditions:
(a) The "pollution incident" is a "sudden and accidental event" and also is neither expected or intended by any insured; and
(b) The "pollution incident" first commenced at a specific time and date during the policy period. Any "bodily injury" or "property damage" caused or contributed to by any "pollution incident" that commenced prior to the beginning of the policy period shown in the Declarations is excluded; and
(c) The "pollution incident" is first known within 60 days of its beginning by you or any of your employees, or your contractor, *1210subcontractor, or any of their employees: and
(d) An attempt to end the "pollution incident" is made as soon as possible after it first becomes known to you or any of your employees, or your contractor, subcontractor, or any of their employees; and
(e) The "pollution incident" is reported to us within 120 days after it first becomes known to you or any of your employees, or your contractor, subcontractor, or any of their employees; and
(f) The "pollution incident" does not originate from an "underground storage tank"; and
(g) The "pollution incident" does not result from your willful or deliberate failure to comply with any government statute, rule, regulation, or order.

On or about August 10, 2014, Plaintiff spilled salt water (the "Spill") over land in rural Meade County, Kansas (the "Subject Property"), resulting in property damage to the Subject Property. The Spill constitutes an "occurrence," defined in the Policy as "an accident, including continuous or repeated exposure to substantially the same general harmful conditions." The Spill also constitutes a "pollution incident," defined in the Policy as:

an "occurrence" consisting of any actual or alleged emission, discharge, release or escape of "pollutants" into or upon land, the atmosphere, or body of water provided that such emission, discharge, release or escape results in "environmental damage". The entirety of any such actual or alleged emission discharge, release or escape shall be deemed to be a single "pollution incident".

Plaintiff discovered the Spill on August 14, 2014. Plaintiff provided notice to IMA on September 19, 40 days after Plaintiff discovered the Spill. Defendant, however, did not receive notice of the Spill until December 29, 141 days after Plaintiff discovered the Spill. Defendant did not suffer actual prejudice in the investigation of the claim related to the Spill due to Plaintiff's failure to notify Defendant within 120 days after discovering the Spill.

Both parties have moved for partial summary judgment on the narrow issue of whether Defendant must demonstrate that it suffered prejudice as a result of Plaintiff's alleged failure to provide Defendant with timely notice of the Spill to deny coverage under the Policy on that basis. The parties also dispute whether providing notice to IMA satisfied Plaintiff's 120-day notice obligation, but this dispute is not currently before the Court.

II. Legal Standard

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Bluebook (online)
308 F. Supp. 3d 1207, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/petrosantander-usa-inc-v-hdi-global-ins-co-ksd-2018.