State Auto Insurance Companies v. Whirlpool Corp.

62 F. Supp. 3d 857, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 147747, 2014 WL 5293089
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Wisconsin
DecidedOctober 15, 2014
DocketNo. 13-cv-602-wmc
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 62 F. Supp. 3d 857 (State Auto Insurance Companies v. Whirlpool Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Wisconsin primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State Auto Insurance Companies v. Whirlpool Corp., 62 F. Supp. 3d 857, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 147747, 2014 WL 5293089 (W.D. Wis. 2014).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

WILLIAM M. CONLEY, District Judge.

In this subrogation action, plaintiff State Automobile Insurance Corporation d/b/a State Auto Insurance Companies (“State Auto”) seeks to recover payments made to the involuntary plaintiffs, each of whom had insurance policies through three of State Auto’s member companies — State Auto Insurance Company of Wisconsin, State Auto Property and Casualty Insurance Company, and State Auto Insurance Company (collectively, “the original plaintiffs”).1 These involuntary plaintiffs all suffered property damage and submitted insurance claims due to an alleged defect in a valve manufactured by Elbi of America, Inc. (“Elbi”), which was in turn installed in dishwashers and washing machines manufactured and sold by defendant Whirlpool Corporation (“Whirlpool”). (Am. Compl. (dkt. # 18).)

Because none of the original plaintiffs who filed this suit on August 28, 2013, had an individual claim worth $75,000 or more in controversy, 28 U.S.C. § 1332(a), this [860]*860court granted Whirlpool’s original motion to dismiss, but also granted the original plaintiffs’ request to substitute the parent company, State Auto, as plaintiff. (Dkt. # 15.) On December 28, 2013, State Auto filed an amended complaint bringing essentially the same claims against Whirlpool. (Dkt. # 16.)2 As the holding company for the three original plaintiffs, State Auto alleges that the aggregate value of its members’ combined claims meet the amount in controversy requirement.

In response, Whirlpool again moved to dismiss. This time, Whirlpool argues that: (1) “State Auto Insurance Companies” is merely a trade name and not a legal entity with the capacity to sue; (2) even if a trade name could bring a lawsuit, State Auto lacks standing to assert a right to subrogation based merely on the fact that it directly paid the insureds’ claims; (3) the court should dismiss the entiré case for improper vénue; (4) the court should dismiss the entire case for failure to join required parties; and (5) State Auto cannot assert a claim against Earl Baines, one of the insureds, because it did not pay his deductible. (Dkt. # 18.) Whirlpool’s motion will be denied in part and granted in' part.

ALLEGATIONS OF FACT3

The amended complaint advances various state law claims for negligence and strict liability, invoking this court’s diversity jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1332(a). State Auto alleges that Whirlpool negligently designed and installed the faulty Elbi valves into appliances it sold to five individuals in five different states: Shulfer; Baines; Kowalski; Smith; and Brown (collectively, “the insureds”). State Auto further alleges that the faulty valves in these appliances failed, causing significant water damage to the insureds homes.

The original plaintiffs are actually all “members” of the “State Auto Group,” a collection of insurance companies. (Chris-tenson Deck, Ex. 1 (dkt. # 13-1) 2.) Some of the companies in the State Auto Group, including two of the original plaintiffs, State Auto Insurance Company and State Auto Property and Casualty Insurance Company, are consolidated subsidiaries of State Auto Financial Corporation. (Springer Decl., Ex. 1 (dkt. #20-1) 5.) State Automobile Mutual Insurance Corporation owns 62% of the outstanding shares of State Auto Financial Corporation. (Id.) The third original plaintiff, State Auto Insurance Company of Wisconsin, is a pooled subsidiary of State Automobile Mutual Insurance Corporation. (Id.) Thus, while the three original plaintiffs fall along distinct branches of subsidiaries, State Automobile Mutual Insurance Corporation ultimately sits on top of the corporate umbrella that includes each of them.

State Automobile Mutual Insurance Corporation is an Ohio corporation with its principal place of business in Columbus, Ohio. (Id., Ex. 3 (dkt. # 20-3) 1.) State Auto has registered for and operated under the trade name “State Auto Insurance Companies,” the name used here. (Am. Compl. (dkt. # 16) ¶ 3.) Defendant Whirlpool is a Delaware corporation, with its principal place of business .in Michigan. (Id. ¶ 9.) As such, complete diversity exists [861]*861between the parties.4 To meet the amount in controversy requirement, State Auto proposes to aggregate the amounts ,it paid to each of the insureds, which would total $156,336.90. (Am. Compl., Ex. A (dkt. # 16-1).)

OPINION

Whirlpool identifies five, separate reasons why this court should dismiss State Auto’s amended complaint, either in part or in its entirety. The court will address each argument in turn.5

I. State Auto’s Capacity to Bring Suit

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 17(a) requires a “real party in interest” to prosecute a case. Here, State Auto signed the checks to the insureds and controlled the bank account that provided the funds for the insureds’ claims. (Pl.’s Opp’n (dkt. #21) 5; Butters Deck, Ex. 1 (dkt. #23-1).) As State Auto now seeks reimbursement for those payments, it is a real party in interest. Krueger v. Cartwright, 996 F.2d 928, 931 (7th Cir.1993) (“The general rule in federal court is that if an insurer has paid the entire claim of its insured, the insurer is the real party in interest under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 17(a) and must sue in its own name.”).

Even though State Auto is the party in interest, it must still have the capacity to sue under Rule 17(b). Whirlpool argues that “State Auto Insurance Companies” is merely a trade name, and not a legal entity. In support, Whirlpool cites. Fed. R.Civ.P. 17(b)(3), which provides that for parties who are not corporations or individuals, the capacity to sue is determined “by the law of the state where the court is located.” Thus, according to Whirlpool, Wisconsin law should determine whether State Auto can sue using its trade name.6

[862]*862State Auto counters by arguing that Rule 17(b)(2) governs its capacity to' sue. This provision, applicable to corporations, provides that capacity to sue is determined “by the law under which [the corporation] was organized.” If 17(b)(2) applies, Ohio law determines whether State Auto can sue as a trade name and not surprisingly, Ohio law permits corporations to sue in their trade names, so long as the name is registered with the Ohio Secretary of State. See Ohio Rev.Code § 1329.10(B).7

The parties propose two distinct approaches for analyzing State Auto’s capacity to sue.

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62 F. Supp. 3d 857, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 147747, 2014 WL 5293089, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-auto-insurance-companies-v-whirlpool-corp-wiwd-2014.