Pittsburgh Bridge & Iron Works v. Liberty Mutual Insurance

311 F. Supp. 1079, 1970 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12008
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedApril 21, 1970
DocketCiv. A. No. 68-1189
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 311 F. Supp. 1079 (Pittsburgh Bridge & Iron Works v. Liberty Mutual Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pittsburgh Bridge & Iron Works v. Liberty Mutual Insurance, 311 F. Supp. 1079, 1970 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12008 (W.D. Pa. 1970).

Opinion

OPINION

GOURLEY, District Judge:

This is an action for damages brought by the insured, Pittsburgh Bridge & Iron Corporation, against the insurer, Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, resulting from defendant’s failure to assume the defense of a claim brought by Fort Brannaum, Inc. and Colorado Fuel & Iron Corporation against plaintiff and for defendant’s failure to pay the settlement and expenses incurred by plaintiff in defending the claim.

Plaintiff is a Pennsylvania corporation with its principal office and place of business in Rochester, Pennsylvania. [1080]*1080Defendant is a Massachusetts corporation with its principal office and place of business in Boston, Massachusetts. Jurisdiction is founded upon diversity of citizenship and the amount in controversy exceeds ten thousand dollars ($10,-000.00), exclusive of interest and costs.

Following the parties’ compliance with the pre-trial procedures prescribed in Local Rule 5 of this Court, the matter was heard non-jury. The essential facts have been set forth in a Pretrial Stipulation of the parties and supplemented by exhibits offered at trial. No oral testimony was offered. On the basis of the facts before the Court, and outstanding arguments and briefs presented by counsel for the respective parties, I find that judgment should be entered in fa,vor of the defendant and against the plaintiff.

In the Pretrial Stipulation filed, the parties agreed to the following facts:

(1) That at all times relevant to this cause of action, plaintiff was an insured of defendant under a Comprehensive General Liability Insurance Policy, designated Policy No. LPI — 181-001368-023.

(2) That the policy provided that the insurer would “pay on behalf of the insured, all sums which the insured shall become legally obligated to pay as damages because of injury to or destruction of property, incuding the use of loss thereof, caused by the accident”.

(3) The policy further provided that the insurer would “defend any suit against the insured alleging such injury, sickness, disease or destruction and seeking damages on account thereof; even if such suit is groundless, false or fraudulent”.

(4) That the policy included “products hazard” insurance, products hazard insurance being partially defined as follows in paragraph 3c (2):

“The term, ‘products hazard’ means operations, if the accident occurs after such operations have been completed or abandoned and occurs away from premises owned, rented or controlled by the named insured; provided, operations shall not be deemed incomplete because improperly or defectively performed or because further operations may be required pursuant to an agreement.”

(5) That under Exclusions Section (h) of the policy no coverage was provided for injury to or destruction of “any goods, products or containers thereof manufactured, sold, handled, distributed, premises alienated by the named insured or work completed by or for the named insured out of which the accident arises”.

(6) That in 1963, plaintiff erected a tramway system in Kentucky for Fort Brannaum, Inc. under a subcontract with John A. Roebling Sons Division of the Colorado Fuel & Iron Corporation.

(7) Pursuant to its obligations under the contract, Pittsburgh Bridge & Iron Corporation, had fabricated and installed in the tramway system a “saddle”, which specifications deviated from the plans submitted to Pittsburgh Bridge & Iron by Colorado Fuel & Iron Corporation.

(8) That the cable utilized in the tramway system was manufactured and sold by Colorado Fuel & Iron Corporation. The same cable was installed in the tramway of Pittsburgh Bridge & Iron.

(9) Upon the completion of the tramway system in 1963, the tramway began to operate.

(10) In 1965, Fort Brannaum, Inc. notified plaintiff and Colorado Fuel & Iron Corporation that two of the outer strands of a cable had broken.

(11) That Pittsburgh Bridge & Iron notified defendant Liberty Mutual of Fort Brannaum’s claim against Pittsburgh Bridge & Iron and that Liberty Mutual caused an investigation to be made of Fort Brannaum’s complaints.

(12) That, as a result of Liberty Mutual’s investigation of the inoperative tramway, Liberty Mutual received the attached letter from Frederick L. Walker, Engineer.

[1081]*1081(13) That plaintiff requested defendant to assume defense of the action, but defendant denied coverage of the claim under the policy.

(14) Plaintiff secured the representation of the law firm of Meyer, Unkovic & Scott in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the law firm of Harbison, Kessinger, Lisle & Bush in Lexington, Kentucky, to represent its interests in the Fort Brannaum and Colorado Fuel & Iron company’s claims.

(15) That on September 27, 1966, October 10, 1966, January 13, 1967, March 2, 1967, April 26, 1967, June 3, 1967, September 13, 1967, January 16, 1968 and January 19, 1968, plaintiff through its attorneys communicated with defendant, advising defendant of the status of the action and requesting defendant to assume the defense of the action.

(16) That on January 18, 1968, a tentative settlement was reached between the parties in which Pittsburgh Bridge & Iron agreed to pay ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) in cash to Colorado Fuel & Iron Company and to assume the cost of removing the tramway system.

(17) That defendant was notified by letter of this settlement on January 19, 1968.

The letter to which paragraph (12) above refers and which was introduced in evidence as plaintiff’s Exhibit 6 reads as follows:

October 6,1965

Liberty Mutual Insurance Company

109 Walton Avenue

Lexington, Kentucky

Attention: Mr. Charles Gibbons

Re: Fort Brannaum Tramway Cable

Support Investigation

October 1, 1965

Gentlemen:

A visual inspection by this firm revealed two broken outer strands at a main cable supporting saddle.

By virtue only of this visual examination of conditions existing, considering the newness of this structure which would discount normal wear factors, we reached the following conclusions.

The seating of the cable at the saddle support was not designed to allow for horizontal movement. It appeared to us that a horizontal movement of the cable caused a pressure of the cable against an edge of the saddle seat creating a crimping or cutting action at a fairly sharp angle to the cable strand.

There is definite evidence on the top of saddle edge indicating this action having taken place.

We judge that this cutting or crimping action to be the immediate cause of the two broken strands.

Sincerely,.

/signed/ Frederick L. Walker

Frederick L. Walker

The legal issues presented are:

(1) Whether, under a general comprehensive insurance policy which provides operations coverage but excludes damage to any goods, products or containers thereof, manufactured, sold, handled, [1082]

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
311 F. Supp. 1079, 1970 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12008, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pittsburgh-bridge-iron-works-v-liberty-mutual-insurance-pawd-1970.