Progressive American Insurance v. Steele

15 F. Supp. 3d 1240, 2014 WL 1613292, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 54218
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedApril 18, 2014
DocketCase No. 8:13-cv-2171-T-33AEP
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 15 F. Supp. 3d 1240 (Progressive American Insurance v. Steele) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Progressive American Insurance v. Steele, 15 F. Supp. 3d 1240, 2014 WL 1613292, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 54218 (M.D. Fla. 2014).

Opinion

ORDER

VIRGINIA M. HERNANDEZ COVINGTON, District Judge.

This cause comes before the Court in consideration of Plaintiff Progressive American Insurance Company’s Motion for Entry of Final Summary Judgment (Doc. # 26) filed on January 9, 2014. Defendant Dorothy Mae Murphy-Smith filed a response in opposition to the Motion (Doc. # 33) on February 10, 2014. Progressive filed a reply (Doc. # 34) to Murphy-Smith’s response on February 14, 2014. For the reasons that follow, the Motion is granted.

I. .Background

On May 4, 2011, Dr. Paul Steele signed an application for personal umbrella insurance with Progressive. (Dedrick Aff. Doc. #26-1 at 3). The next day, Progressive issued to Dr. Steele a personal umbrella policy for the policy period of May 10, 2011, to May 10, 2012, under Policy No. [1243]*124345855372-0. (Id.). That policy listed Dr. Steele as a “named insured” and reflected a “rated” status for Dr. Steele’s son, Graham. (Doc. # 26-2 at 3).

According to Progressive Product Analyst Brian Dedrick, “[i]n March 2012, Progressive prepared for the policy’s renewal by performing its standard underwriting review. At that time, Progressive determined that there were several serious traffic violations on Graham Steele that made the umbrella policy unacceptable for renewal.” (Dedrick Aff. Doc. #26-1 at 3). Consistent with this determination, on March 7, 2012, Progressive mailed to Dr. Steel a non-renewal notice. (Doc. # 26-2 at 5). The non-renewal notice stated succinctly: ‘Tour personal umbrella policy will expire at 12:01 a.m. on May 10, 2012. You will not receive an offer to renew because: The number of violations/accidents listed on policy exceeds the acceptable limit. If you have any questions, please call your agent.” (Id.).

Dr. Steele acknowledges receiving the non-renewal notice in the mail at his home. (Steele Dep. Doc. #27 at 7). Furthermore, Dr. Steele understood that the “violations/accidents” mentioned in the notice referred specifically to citations received by his son, Graham. (Id. at 9). Upon receipt of the non-renewal notice, Dr. Steele contacted his insurance agent, Ryan Clegg. (Id.).

When Clegg became aware of the non-renewal notice, he “called Progressive to find out what was going on.” (Clegg Dep. Doc. #28 at 8). Progressive informed Clegg that, due to Graham Steele’s driving record, Progressive would not renew its policy with Dr. Steele. (Id. at 8-9). Clegg recalls that he “negotiated terms where we could keep the policy in force with Progressive, pending Graham was excluded from the umbrella policy.” (Id. at 9). Clegg then communicated to Dr. Steele that “[t]here was no other way to continue umbrella coverage unless Graham was excluded.” (Id. at 11). Furthermore, Clegg explained to Dr. Steele that no coverage would be afforded to Dr. Steele himself “should something happen while Graham’s on the road.” (Id. at 12).

Based on this conversation with Clegg, Dr. Steele understood that the only way to continue umbrella coverage with Progressive was to exclude Graham as a driver on the policy. (Steele Dep. Doc. #27 at 10; Doc. # 27-1 at 10). Because he wanted to continue the umbrella policy with Progressive, Dr. Steele authorized Progressive to write the umbrella policy for the next policy term excluding Graham as a driver. (Steele Dep. Doc. # 27 at 10; Doc. # 27-1 at 10-11). Dr. Steele maintains, however, that he misunderstood the implications of excluding Graham as a driver; Dr. Steele understood “that Graham was gonna be excluded, so he wouldn’t be covered under the umbrella,” but Dr. Steele nonetheless thought that he personally “was still covered under the umbrella.” (Steele Dep. Doc. # 27-1 at 7). Dr. Steele offers no explanation as to the basis for this assumption. (Id. at 7-8).

“Pursuant to Progressive’s producer agreement with its agents, in order to exclude a named driver from coverage, the agent is required to secure a signed copy of the Named Driver Exclusion Election from the policyholder and maintain a copy in their files.” (Dedrick Aff. Doc. # 26-1 at 4).1 Clegg accordingly “had [Dr. Steele] sign an exclusion form.” (Clegg Dep. Doc. # 38 at 8).

[1244]*1244In conjunction with obtaining the signed exclusion form from Dr. Steele, Clegg “utilized Progressive’s electronic quoting application, wherein he indicated that [Graham Steele] was to be excluded from coverage,” in order to secure a replacement policy. (Dedrick Aff. Doc. # 26-1 at 3-4).

In accordance with Clegg’s use of Progressive’s software (Id. at 4), Progressive issued a personal umbrella insurance policy under Policy No. 66613589-0 (“the Policy”) to Dr. Steele for the policy period from May 10, 2012, to May 10, 2013 (Policy Doc. #26-3 at 2). The Policy listed Dr. Paul Steele as the “named insured” and Graham Steele as an “excluded” driver. (Id. at 3). The Policy additionally contained a “Named Driver Exclusion Endorsement” which provided as follows:

If you have asked us to exclude any person from coverage under this policy, then we will not provide coverage for any claim arising from an accident or loss involving a motorized vehicle being operated by that excluded driver. This includes any claim for damages made against you, a relative, or any other person or organization that is vicariously liable for an accident arising out of the operation of a motorized vehicle by the excluded driver.

(Id. at 9) (emphasis in original). Progressive mailed the Policy to Dr. Steele on May 12, 2012. (Dedrick Aff. Doc. # 26-1 at 5).

On September 12, 2012, Graham Steele allegedly was operating Dr. Steele’s- 2008 Jeep Commander, a vehicle insured under the Policy, when he was involved in a motor vehicle accident with Dorothy Mae Murphy-Smith (“the Accident”). (Doc. # 1 at ¶ 13). Murphy-Smith allegedly attempted to settle with Progressive under the Policy “based on the alleged negligence of Graham Steele and the vicarious liability of Paul Steele as the owner of the motor vehicle operated by Graham Steele.” (Id. at ¶ 14).

Progressive consequently initiated this declaratory judgment action, in accordance with the federal Declaratory Judgment Act, 28 U.S.C. § 2201, on August 22, 2013, requesting that the Court enter a declaratory judgment finding: (1) that the Policy does not provide bodily injury liability coverage to Dr. Paul Steele or Graham Steele as a result of the Accident, (2) that Progressive has no duty to indemnify Dr. Steele or Graham Steele for any damages claimed by Murphy-Smith, and (3) that, should Murphy-Smith file a separate action as a result of the Accident, Progressive has no duty to defend Dr. Steele or Graham Steele in that action. (Doc. # 1 at 5-6).

On January 9, 2014, Progressive filed the instant Motion for Entry of Final Summary Judgment. (Doc. #26). Murphy-Smith filed a response in opposition to the Motion (Doc. #33) on February 10, 2014. Progressive filed a reply (Doc. #34) on February 14, 2014. The Court has reviewed the Motion, the response, and the reply, and is otherwise fully advised in the premises.

II. Legal Standard

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15 F. Supp. 3d 1240, 2014 WL 1613292, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 54218, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/progressive-american-insurance-v-steele-flmd-2014.