Selective Insurance Co. of America v. Smiley Body Shop, Inc.

260 F. Supp. 3d 1023
District Court, S.D. Indiana·Decided May 26, 2017·No. No. 1:16-cv-00062-JMS-MJD·Published·Cited by 6 cases

Opinion

ORDER

Hon. Jane Magnus-Stinson, Chief Judge

On February 26, 2015, Defendants Jeffrey Smiley and Greg Callahan were riding in a pickup truck owned by Defendant Smiley Body Shop, Inc. (“SBS”) when they were involved in a single car accident. Mr. Callahan was injured in the accident, and filed a lawsuit in Indiana State Court against Mr. Smiley, SBS, and General Motors, LLC (the “Underlying Lawsuit”). Plaintiff Selective Insurance Company of America (“Selective”) agreed to defend Mr. Smiley and SBS in the Underlying Lawsuit pursuant to an insurance policy it had issued to SBS, although it did so under a reservation of rights. In January 2016, Selective initiated this litigation seeking a declaration that it does not owe a duty to defend or any coverage to Mr. Smiley or SBS in connection with the Underlying Lawsuit. Additionally, Cincinnati Insurance Company (“Cincinnati”), which issued an automobile insurance policy and [1028] an umbrella liability policy to Mr. Smiley and his wife, has intervened in this litigation and requests a declaration that neither policy provides coverage for the Underlying Lawsuit. All parties have moved for summary judgment, [Filing No. 88; Filing No. 90; Filing No. 93], and the motions are now ripe for the Court’s decision.

I.

Standard of Review

A motion for summary judgment asks the Court to find that a trial is unnecessary because there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and, instead, the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). As the current version of Rule 56 makes clear, whether a party asserts that a fact is undisputed or genuinely disputed, the party must support the asserted fact by citing to particular parts of the record, including depositions, documents, or affidavits. Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c)(1)(A). A party can also support a fact by showing that the materials cited do not establish the absence or presence of a genuine dispute or that the adverse party cannot produce admissible evidence to support the fact. Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c)(1)(B). Affidavits or declarations must be made on personal knowledge, set out facts that would be admissible in evidence, and show that the affiant is competent to testify on matters stated. Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c)(4). Failure to properly support a fact in opposition to a movant’s factual assertion can result in the movant’s fact being considered undisputed, and potentially in the grant of summary judgment. Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(e)..

In deciding a motion for summary judgment, the Court need only consider disputed facts that are material to the decision. A. disputed fact is material if it might affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law. Hampton v. Ford Motor Co., 561 F.3d 709, 713 (7th Cir. 2009). In other words, while there may be facts that are in dispute, summary judgment is appropriate- if those facts are not outcome determinative. Harper v. Vigilant Ins. Co., 433 F.3d 521, 525 (7th Cir. 2005). Fact disputes that are irrelevant to the legal question will not be considered. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248 (1986).

On summary judgment, a party must show the Court what evidence it has' that would convince a trier of fact to accept its version of the events. Johnson v. Cambridge Indus., 325 F.3d 892, 901 (7th Cir. 2003). The moving party is entitled to summary judgment if no reasonable fact-finder could return a verdict for the non-moving party. Nelson v. Miller, 570 F.3d 868, 875 (7th Cir. 2009), The Court views the record in the light most favorable to the non-moving party and draws all reasonable inferences in .that party’s favor. Darst v. Interstate Brands Corp., 512 F.3d 903, 907 (7th Cir. 2008). It cannot weigh evidence or make credibility determinations on summary judgment because those tasks are left to the fact-finder, O’Leary v. Accretive Health, Inc., 657 F.3d 625, 630 (7th Cir. 2011). The Court need only consider the cited materials, Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c)(3), and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has “repeatedly assured the district courts that they are not required to scour every inch of the record for evidence, that is potentially relevant to the summary judgment motion before them,” Johnson, 325 F.3d at 898. Any doubt as to the existence of a genuine issue for trial is resolved against the moving party. Ponsetti v. GE Pension Plan, 614 F.3d 684, 691 (7th Cir. 2010).

“The existence of cross-motions for summary judgment does not, however, im[1029] ply that there are no genuine issues or material fact.” R.J. Corman Derailment Servs., LLC v. Int’l Union of Operating Engineers, 335 F.3d 643, 647 (7th Cir. 2003). Specifically, “[p]arties have different burdens of proof with respect to particular facts; different legal theories will have an effect on which facts are material; and the process of taking the facts in. the light most favorable to.the non-movant, first for one side and then for the other, may highlight the point that. neither side has enough to prevail without a trial.” Id. at 648.

II.

Statement op Facts

A.The Selective Policy

Selective issued Policy No. S ,103647007 to SBS, doing business as Chameleon Carts, with a policy period of January 31, 2015 to January 31, 2016 (the “Selective Policy”). [Filing No. 88-2.] Subject to several exclusions, the Selective Policy provides:

• “Business Auto Coverage,” which provides that “[Selective] will pay all sums an ‘insured’ legally must pay as. damages because of ‘bodily injury’ or ‘property damage’ to which this insurance applies, caused by an ‘accident’ and resulting from the ownership, maintenance or use of a covered ‘auto’.” [Filing No. 88-2 at 32.]

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Selective Insurance Co. of America v. Smiley Body Shop, Inc., 260 F. Supp. 3d 1023 (S.D. Ind. 2017).

260 F. Supp. 3d 1023 (Selective Insurance Co. of America v. Smiley Body Shop, Inc.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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