Same Day Delivery Service, Inc. v. Penn Star Insurance

151 F. Supp. 3d 380, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 168885, 2015 WL 9244399
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedDecember 16, 2015
Docket15-cv-2774 (KBF)
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 151 F. Supp. 3d 380 (Same Day Delivery Service, Inc. v. Penn Star Insurance) 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
Same Day Delivery Service, Inc. v. Penn Star Insurance, 151 F. Supp. 3d 380, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 168885, 2015 WL 9244399 (S.D.N.Y. 2015).

Opinion

OPINION & ORDER

KATHERINE B. FORREST, District Judge:

Plaintiff 'Same Day Delivery ■ Service, Inc. (“Same Day”) brought this action seeking a declaration that its ' insurer Penn-Star' Insurance Company (“Penn-Star”) must — pursuant to Same Day’s general liability insurance policy — insure, defend and indemnify Same Day in a personal injury lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. Pending before the Court is Penn-Star’s motion- for summary judgment on the grounds that Same Day 'failed to give timely notice of its insurance claim and because the underlying suit arose out of an event excluded from the policy’s coverage. For the reasons set forth below, the Court concludes that Penn-Star is entitled to summary judgment on' the basis of late notice. Accordingly, Penn Star’s motion is GRANTED and the action is DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE.

I. BACKGROUND

Penn-Star issued Same Day a commercial lines general liability policy (the “Policy”), bearing policy number PAC6692401, for the period of May 12, 2007- to May 12, 2008. (Penn-Star’s 56.1 ¶ l;1 see Deck of Lance J. Kalik, Ex. A (“Penn-Star Policy”), ECF No. 20.) The Policy contains a coverage exclusion provision, as follows:

This insurance does not apply to:

g. Aircraft, Auto or Watercraft

“Bodily injury” or “property damage” arising out of the ownership, maintenance, use or entrustment.to others of any aircraft, “auto” or watercraft owned or operated by or rented or loaned to any insured. Use includes operation and “loading or unloading.”

(Penn-Star Policy át Penn-Star00028.) The Policy defines “loading or unloading” as the “handling of property: (a) After it is moved from the place where it is accepted [383]*383for ■ movement into or onto an aircraft, watercraft or ‘auto’ (b) While it is in or on an aircraft, watercraft or “auto”; or “While it-is being moved from an aircraft, watercraft or “auto” to the place where it is finally delivered.” (Penn-Star Policy at Penn-Star00037.)

The Policy also contains a provision imposing certain conditions on coverage, including a duty on the insured to provide timely notice to Penn-Star, This provision reads as follows: - 1.

2. Duties In The Event of Occurrence, Offense, Claim or Suit
a. You must see to it that we are notified as soon as practicable of an “occurrence” or an offense which may result in a claim. To the extent possible,' notice should include:
(1) How, when and where the “occurrence” or offense took place;
(2) The names and addresses of any injured persons and witnesses; and .
(3) The nature and location of any injury or damage arising out of the “occurrence” or offense. '
b. If a claim is made or “suit” is brought against any insured, you must:
(1) Immediately record the specifics of the claim or “suit” and the date received; and
(2) Notify us as soon as practicable.
You must see to it that we receive written notice of the claim or “suit” as, soon as practicable.

(Penn-Star Policy at Penn-Star00034.) The Policy defines “occurrence” as “an accident, including continuous or repeated exposure to substantially the same general harmful, conditions.” (Penn-Star Policy at Penn-Star00038.)

On December 23,, 2007, Andrew Lee arrived at a ShopRite supermarket in Morris Plains, New Jersey, which is owned and operated by Village Supermarkets, Inc. (“Village”), in order to pick up groceries and other goods from ShopRite, load the items into his vehicle,, and deliver the items to ShopRite’s customers as part of the services that Same Day provided to ShopRite. (Penn-Star’s 56,1 ¶ 2.) The parties dispute whethér Lee was an employee of Same Day or its independent contractor. (Penn-Star’s 56.1 ¶2; Same Day’s 56.1 Counterstatement ¶¶ 2-3.) While Lee was moving a metal cart loaded with containers of groceries with the intent to load the containers into his vehicle, the metal cart came, into contact with the leg of Debra Sansone, a ShopRite employee. (Decl. of Andrew Lee (“Lee Decl.”) ¶¶ 3-5, EOF No. 21.) (Resolution of the issue of whether Lee was. “loading” the containers into his vehicle at the time of the. accident is not necessary to resolve Penn-Star’s motion on the basis set forth herein.) After this incident, Lee-finished loading the items and made his scheduled deliveries. (Lee Decl. ¶ 6.)

The parties disagree as to when Same Day first received notice of Ms. Sansone’s incident. -Penn-Star asserts that later that day, Lee received a telephone call from Scott Weinstein, Same Day’s vice president, requesting details about the'accident (Penn-Star’s 56.1 ¶5); Penn-Star"also contends that Lee discussed the accident with Ron Lowe, his immediate supervisor at Same Day, within one month of the accident and that Lowe participated in drafting an accident report prepared by Village on December 24, 200.7 (Penn-Star’s 56.1 ¶ 6). Same Day disputes these facts, con- . tending that Weinstein has no recollection of speaking with Lee concerning the incident and dismissing as speculative Penn-Star’s assertion that-Lowe participated in drafting the accident report. (Same Day’s 56.1 Response ¶¶ 3-4; Decl. of Scott Wein-stein ¶¶ 9-10, 13, ECF No. 28.) (Resolution of this issue is not necessary for determi[384]*384nation of Penn-Star’s motion on the basis set forth herein.)

The parties do not, however, dispute the relevant events that followed. Village’s workers’ compensation insurer, Liberty-Mutual Insurance Company (“Liberty Mutual”), paid for Ms. Sansone’s medical treatment. (Penn-Star’s 56.1 ¶ 7.) On or about April 18, 2008, Liberty Mutual called Same Day regarding the accident and later that day sent a letter (the “April 18 Letter”) to Scott Weinstein in which Liberty Mutual informed Same Day of the potential claim against Same Day for the money that Liberty Mutual had paid in workers’ compensation benefits. (Penn-Star’s 56.1 ¶8; see Decl. of Lance J. Kalik, Ex. F, ECF No, 20-9.) The letter requested that Same Day “notify [its] insurance carrier of this potential claim.” (Penn-Star’s 56.1 ¶ 8.) On December 23, 2008, Liberty Mutual sent another letter (the “December 23 Letter”) to Same Day stating that its investigation had found Same Day to be “legally liable for [Ms. Sansone’s] accident” and claiming a lien in the .amount of $178,749.80; the December 23 Letter also stated, “We have previously notified you of our .lien interest.” (Penn-Star’s 56.1 ¶9; see Decl. of Lance J. Kalik, Ex. H, ECF No, 20-11.)

By letter dated February 2, 2009, Same Day notified its excess insurer, Scottsdale Insurance Company, of Ms. Sansone’s accident, enclosing the December 23 Letter fi'om Liberty Mutual. (Penn-Star’s 56.1 ¶ 11; see Decl. of Lance J. Kalik, Ex. J, ECF No, 20-13.) On or about February 26, 2009, Same Day notified its insurance agent, the James B. Oswald Company (“Oswald”), of the accident, which in turn notified Penn-Star. (Penn-Star’s 56.1 ¶ 12; see Decl. of Lance J. Kalik, Ex. K, ECF No, 20-14.) By letter dated March 9, 2009, Penn-Star denied coverage to Same Day for Ms. Sansone’s accident based on the Policy’s auto exclusion and.

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151 F. Supp. 3d 380, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 168885, 2015 WL 9244399, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/same-day-delivery-service-inc-v-penn-star-insurance-nysd-2015.