Scottsdale Insurance v. GFM Operations, Inc.

789 F. Supp. 2d 1278, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 39696, 2011 WL 1399080
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedApril 12, 2011
DocketCase 10-20204-CIV
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 789 F. Supp. 2d 1278 (Scottsdale Insurance v. GFM Operations, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Scottsdale Insurance v. GFM Operations, Inc., 789 F. Supp. 2d 1278, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 39696, 2011 WL 1399080 (S.D. Fla. 2011).

Opinion

*1281 OPINION GRANTING FINAL DECLARATORY JUDGMENT

JAMES LAWRENCE KING, District Judge.

THIS CAUSE comes before the court upon the Parties’ Cross-Motions for Summary Judgment (DE #20; DE #21). The Court has been fully briefed on the matter. 1

I. Background

This is a declaratory judgment action related to an insurance coverage dispute. Plaintiff Scottsdale Insurance Company (“Scottsdale”) seeks interpretation of an insurance policy it issued to Defendant GFM Operations, Inc. (“GFM”). More specifically, Plaintiff seeks a judgment declaring that it has no duty to defend its insured, GFM, in an ongoing state court lawsuit revolving around a shooting that occurred on GFM’s premises in 2006. 2 (DE # 1). Plaintiff also seeks judgment declaring that it has no duty to indemnify its insured against any claims or losses resulting from the 2006 shooting, or, alternatively, that any coverage under the policy is limited to $50,000 pursuant to a sub-limit clause in the policy. Id. The Court initially ordered the Parties to engage in limited discovery and submit briefs on the relevant legal issues. (DE # 12). Upon review of the briefs, the court ordered further discovery and set deadlines for filing summary judgment motions. (DE # 18). The instant Cross Motions for Summary Judgment followed.

II. Legal Standard

Summary judgment is appropriate where the pleadings and supporting materials establish that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. See Fed.R.Civ.P. 56; Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). If the record as a whole could not lead a rational fact-finder to find for the nonmoving party, there is no genuine issue of fact for trial. See Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 587, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986).

The moving party bears the burden of pointing to the part of the record that shows the absence of a genuine issue of material fact. See Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 157, 90 S.Ct. 1598, 26 L.Ed.2d 142 (1970); Allen v. Tyson Foods, Inc., 121 F.3d 642, 646 (11th Cir.1997). Once the moving party establishes the absence of a genuine issue of material fact, the burden shifts to the nonmoving party to go beyond the pleadings and designate “specific facts showing that there is á genuine issue for trial.” Celotex, 477 U.S. at 324, 106 S.Ct. 2548; see also Chanel, Inc. v. Italian Activewear of Fla., Inc., 931 F.2d 1472, 1477 (11th Cir.1991) (holding that the nonmoving party must “come forward with significant, probative evidence demonstrating the existence of a triable issue of fact.”).

On a motion for summary judgment, the court must view the evidence and resolve *1282 all inferences in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. See Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 255, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). However, a mere scintilla of evidence in support of the nonmoving party’s position is insufficient to defeat a motion for summary judgment. See id. at 252, 106 S.Ct. 2505. If the evidence offered by the nonmoving party is merely colorable or is not significantly probative, summary judgment is proper. See id. at 249-50, 106 S.Ct. 2505.

III. Undisputed Facts

A. The Shooting

Defendant GFM owns and operates a flea market. Defendant Tonnie Steen worked for GFM at the flea market. He worked in maintenance, which entailed welding, electrical and plumbing repairs, carpentry, and occasionally collecting money from patrons entering the flea market. Defendant Steen worked three twelve-hour shifts at GFM each week, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. He ran his own welding business during the remaining four days each week, and GFM permitted Defendant Steen to keep some of his welding equipment on the flea market premises. Although Steen had a regular work schedule, GFM occasionally asked him to perform tasks on days Steen was not scheduled to work.

On Wednesday, June 7, 2006, Defendant Steen was not scheduled to work. Nonetheless, GFM’s general manager asked Steen to move a concrete barrier with a forklift if Steen was going to be on the GFM premises that day. Steen was in fact going to GFM that day to pick up his welding tools, and he moved the barrier with a forklift while he was there. Steen, who is a salaried employee, was not paid extra for what he characterized as this “favor.” GFM’s general manager also described the task as a “favor,” but explained that Steen could have moved the barrier on Wednesday while he was there, or simply waited to do it until he was scheduled to work later in the week.

After moving the barrier, Steen returned the forklift to its storage location and began to leave the GFM premises. Steen had recently purchased a new pickup truck, and wanted to show it to a friend on the way out. About two to five minutes after moving the barrier, Steen and his friend walked toward the truck. Suddenly, Steen heard a woman screaming and saw a man running. Steen instinctively grabbed the man as he ran by, and attempted to hold the man down. During this struggle, a second unidentified man shot Steen in the stomach. The unidentified men, who were attempting to rob an automatic teller machine (“ATM”) on the GFM premises, fled the scene. Steen was rushed to the hospital by one of the flea market’s merchants. Although Steen was later told by GFM’s manager that Florida’s workers’ compensation laws would not apply to his case, GFM applied for workers’ compensation benefits on Steen’s behalf. Subsequently, GFM’s workers’ compensation insurance carrier paid Steen’s medical bills. Steen continued to receive his salary for several months after the shooting, but he never returned to work at GFM and GFM ultimately stopped paying him.

B. The Scottsdale Insurance Policy

Scottsdale issued Policy number BCS001126 (“the policy”) to Defendant GFM. (DE #21-1). The policy, which covers “general commercial liability,” was in effect from September 19, 2005 to September 19, 2006. Id. By its terms, the policy provides insurance coverage for “bodily injury” if the injury is caused by an “occurrence” that takes place within the “coverage territory” during the policy period. 3 There is no dispute that Steen sus *1283

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789 F. Supp. 2d 1278, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 39696, 2011 WL 1399080, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/scottsdale-insurance-v-gfm-operations-inc-flsd-2011.