Skanska USA Building Inc v. Map Mechanical Contractors Inc

CourtMichigan Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 19, 2019
Docket341589
StatusUnpublished

This text of Skanska USA Building Inc v. Map Mechanical Contractors Inc (Skanska USA Building Inc v. Map Mechanical Contractors Inc) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Skanska USA Building Inc v. Map Mechanical Contractors Inc, (Mich. Ct. App. 2019).

Opinion

If this opinion indicates that it is “FOR PUBLICATION,” it is subject to revision until final publication in the Michigan Appeals Reports.

STATE OF MICHIGAN

COURT OF APPEALS

SKANSKA USA BUILDING INC., UNPUBLISHED March 19, 2019 Plaintiff-Appellee,

v No. 340871 Midland Circuit Court M.A.P. MECHANICAL CONTRACTORS, INC., LC No. 13-009864-CK

Defendant,

and

AMERISURE INSURANCE COMPANY and AMERISURE MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY,

Defendant-Appellant.

SKANSKA USA BUILDING INC.,

Plaintiff-Appellant,

v No. 341589 Midland Circuit Court M.A.P. MECHANICAL CONTRACTORS, INC., LC No. 13-009864-CK AMERISURE INSURANCE COMPANY, and AMERISURE MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY,

Defendants-Appellees.

Before: SAWYER, P.J., and CAVANAGH and K. F. KELLY, JJ.

PER CURIAM.

-1- This is a commercial liability insurance coverage dispute, arising from the faulty installation of parts in the steam heat system of a hospital construction project. The resulting damage required extensive repairs, in excess of $1 million. In Docket No. 340871, the insurance carrier, defendant-appellant, Amerisure Insurance Company (“Amerisure”), appeals by leave granted an order denying its motion for summary disposition upon finding there were factual issues as to whether the faulty installation caused an “occurrence” within the meaning of the insurance policy. In Docket No. 341589, the construction manager, plaintiff-appellant Skanska USA Building Inc.’s (“plaintiff”), appeals by leave granted from the same order. Both parties on appeal assert that this Court can resolve the coverage issue as a matter of law. The matters have been consolidated for appeal. 1 We conclude that the trial court erred when it failed to grant Amerisure summary disposition. Consequently, we reverse the trial court’s order.

I. BASIC FACTS

Most of the facts are undisputed. Starting in 2008, plaintiff was the construction manager on a renovation project for Mid-Michigan Medical Center in Midland (“Medical Center” or “MMMC”). Plaintiff subcontracted the heating and cooling portion of the project to defendant M.A.P. Mechanical Contractors (“MAP”). MAP obtained a commercial general liability insurance policy (“CGL policy”) from Amerisure. Plaintiff and the Medical Center are named as additional insureds on the CGL policy.

In 2009, MAP installed a steam boiler and related piping for the Medical Center’s heating system. MAP’s installation included several expansion joints, which are designed to accommodate the expansion of the piping caused by the flowing steam. In 2010 the heating system became fully activated, but it did not function properly. Sometime between late December 2011 and late February 2012, plaintiff determined that MAP had installed some of the expansion joints backward. Significant damage to concrete, steel, and the heating system had occurred. Plaintiff notified MAP of the backward joints.

On March 2, 2012, MAP sent a notice of claim to Amerisure. The notice identified the date of occurrence as December 21, 2011, and stated that the “claimant” discovered the backward installation just before Christmas 2011. The notice further indicated that the claimant had not reported the problem to MAP until March 2012.

On March 28, 2012, the Medical Center sent a demand letter to plaintiff, asserting that plaintiff must pay for all costs of repair and replacement. The following day, March 29, plaintiff sent a demand letter to MAP, asserting that MAP was responsible for all costs of repair and replacement. Plaintiff proceeded to perform the work of repairing and replacing the damaged property. According to plaintiff, the cost of the repair and replacement work was approximately

1 Skanska USA Building Inc v MAP Mechanical Contractors Inc, unpublished order of the Court of Appeals, issued April 10, 2018 (Docket No. 340871); Skanska USA Building Inc v MAP Mechanical Contractors Inc, unpublished order of the Court of Appeals, issued April 10, 2018 (Docket No. 341589).

-2- $1.4 million. Plaintiff submitted a claim to Amerisure on June 6, 2012, seeking coverage as an insured. Plaintiff’s claim was denied.

In June 2013, plaintiff filed a complaint against MAP and Amerisure seeking payment for the cost of the repair and replacement work. Before the parties had completed discovery, Amerisure moved for summary disposition pursuant to MCR 2.116(C)(8) (failure to state a claim) and 2.116(C)(10) (no genuine factual issue). Amerisure asserted several grounds for summary disposition, including: (1) MAP’s defective construction was not a covered occurrence within the CGL policy; (2) plaintiff failed to provide proper notice of a claim; (3) plaintiff entered into a settlement without Amerisure’s consent; and (4) several exclusions barred coverage.

The trial court denied Amerisure’s motion in a 12-page opinion and order issued on November 18, 2014. The trial court first looked to the policy to determine whether installation of the backward expansion joints was an “occurrence.” The relevant provision provides:

a. We will pay those sums that the insured becomes legally obligated to pay as damages because of . . .“property damage” to which this insurance applies . . .

b. This insurance applies to . . . “property damage” only if:

(1) The . . . “property damage” is caused by an “occurrence” . . .

The policy defined “occurrence” as “an accident, including continuous or repeated exposure to substantially the same general harmful conditions.” However, the policy did not define the word “accident.” The trial court looked to Hawkeye-Security Ins Co v Vector Construction Co, 185 Mich App 369; 460 NW2d 329 (1990), which defined “accident” as “anything that begins to be, that happens, or that is not anticipated . . . takes place without the insured’s foresight or expectation and without design or intentional causation on his part.” However, citing Hawkeye, the trial court noted that “[d]efective workmanship, standing alone, is not an occurrence within the meaning of a general liability insurance contract, an occurrence exists where the insured’s faulty work product damages the property of another.” The trial court concluded:

Here, the injured parties and people affected by MAP’s negligence did not anticipate, foresee, or expect backward expansion joints or property damage to the entire length of the underground steam and condensate lines. Michigan courts have consistently focused on the particular property damaged to determine whether an “occurrence” has happened under a general liability policy and whether coverage exists. . . . No one has suggested MAP purposefully installed the expansion joints backward. All the parties agree the negligent installation was an unforeseen occurrence and not anticipated by any of the parties to the construction project. Under the plain language of the policy, this unforeseen incident means an “occurrence” may have happened which triggers Amerisure’s duty of coverage under the insurance policy. Whether an “accident” has occurred is evaluated “from the standpoint of the insured, not the injured party.” Frankenmuth Mutual Ins Co v Masters, 460 Mich 105, 114; 595 NW2d 832 (1999).

-3- Damage arising out of the insured’s defective workmanship confined to the insured’s own work product, i.e. the insured is the injured party, cannot be viewed as accidental within the meaning of the general liability policy.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
Skanska USA Building Inc v. Map Mechanical Contractors Inc, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/skanska-usa-building-inc-v-map-mechanical-contractors-inc-michctapp-2019.