State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. v. Neuman

186 F. Supp. 3d 643, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 63213, 2016 WL 2858956
District Court, W.D. Texas·Decided May 13, 2016·No. Case No. A-14-CA-1105-SS·Published·Cited by 3 cases

Opinion

ORDER

SAM SPARKS, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

BE IT REMEMBERED on this day the Court reviewed the file in the above-styled cause, and specifically Plaintiff State Farm Fire and Casualty Company’s Motion for Full and Final Summary Judgment [#28]; Defendant Jena Kirkpatrick, individually [646] and as representative of the estate of Ellis McClane’s Response [#32] in opposition; Plaintiffs Reply [#37] in support; Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment [#29]; Plaintiffs Response [#31] in opposition; Defendant’s Reply [#35] in support; and Defendant Clayton J. Neuman’s Motion for Summary Judgment and Response to Plaintiffs Motion for Full and Final Summary Judgment [#33]. Having reviewed the documents, the relevant law, and the file as a whole, the Court now enters the following opinion and orders.

Background

This is an insurance coverage dispute arising out of a fatal automobile accident which occurred on November 11, 2011. Defendant Clayton J. Neuman, the driver of the vehicle, was severely injured in the crash. Defendant Jena Kirkpatrick’s son, Ellis McClane, one of two passengers in the car, was tragically killed. Plaintiff State Farm Fire and Casualty Company filed this action seeking a declaration that no coverage exists for Clayton under his parents’ Personal Liability Umbrella Policy (the “Umbrella Policy”), thereby negating its duty to defend or indemnify Clayton in an underlying state tort lawsuit brought by Kirkpatrick. The sole issue before the Court is whether Clayton is insured under the Umbrella Policy State Farm issued to his parents.

I. The Umbrella Policy and Underlying Lawsuit

State Farm issued the Umbrella Policy to Grover and Laura Neuman (the Neu-mans), Clayton’s parents, in September 2009. The Umbrella Policy was in addition to a related automobile policy (Auto Policy) they had purchased previously. The Umbrella Policy provides that State Farm will pay on behalf of and defend against any “insured” for damages due to a loss for which the insured is liable and to which the policy applies. See Def.’s Mot. Summ. J. [#29-1] Ex. A (Umbrella Policy) at 14. The Umbrella Policy defines “insured” as “you and your relatives whose primary residence is your household.” Id. at 10. It is undisputed “you” and “your” refer to Grover and Laura Neuman—the Named Insureds—and that the Neumans’ household, as listed in the Umbrella Policy, is located on Lynncrest Cove in Austin (the Lynncrest House). See Pl.’s Mot. Summ. J. [#28-2] Ex. B (Decís. Page) at 82; id. [#28-4] Ex. D (Grover Neuman Dep.) 10:8-13:5. Consequently, the Umbrella Policy defines “insured” as Grover and Laura Neuman as well as Grover and Laura Neu-man’s relatives whose primary residence is the Lynncrest House.

On August 29, 2013, Kirkpatrick filed a negligence action against Clayton in state court arising out of the car accident that killed her son. Clayton sought coverage under the Auto Policy and the Umbrella Policy. State Farm admitted Clayton was covered under his parents’ Auto Policy and has provided him a defense and agreed to indemnify him within the policy limits. See Pl.’s Mot. Summ. J. [#29-4] Ex. D (Stamps Dep.) at 129:20-25.1 However, State Farm denied coverage to Clayton under the Umbrella Policy. Although it is undisputed Clayton was raised at the Lynncrest House, State Farm determined Clayton had moved away from home in June 2009 and was residing in an apartment on West Parmer Lane in Austin (the “West Parmer Apartment”) when the accident occurred. Consequently, State Farm concluded Clayton’s “primary residence” was not the Lynncrest House, and therefore he did not qualify as an “insured” under the Umbrella Policy. Defendants concede Clayton was temporarily residing at the West Parmer [647] Apartment, but maintain that his primary residence for purposes of the Umbrella Policy was the Lynncrest House.

II. Clayton’s Residence History

Clayton lived with his parents in the Lynncrest House from the time he was born in October 1991 until he graduated high school in June 2009. Immediately upon graduating, Clayton signed a yearlong lease and moved into an apartment located on U.S. Highway 183 North (the “183 Apartment”) in Austin. Clayton’s girlfriend at the time, Sarah Boggess Weaver, and their newborn daughter, Chloe, moved in with Clayton three months later. According to Sarah, the couple moved out of the Lynncrest House because Clayton’s parents did not approve of Sarah. See PL’s Mot. Summ. J. [#28-5] Ex. E (Weaver Dep.) at 10:2-5. In June 2010, Clayton and Sarah were married. The couple lived together with their daughter in the 183 Apartment for approximately one year, after which they moved to the Parmer Apartment.

Clayton and Sarah lived together at the Parmer Apartment from August 2010 until April 2011, when Sarah and Clayton separated and Sarah moved back in with her parents. Clayton remained in the West Parmer Apartment and renewed the lease for an additional .year in August 2011. While living at the West Parmer Apartment with Sarah, Clayton was employed as a waiter at a local pizzeria, but after renewing his lease, left his job and enrolled at Austin Community College. After leaving his job, Clayton received financial assistance from his parents and, although Chloe primarily lived with Sarah and her parents, Clayton maintained custody of his daughter at the West Parmer Apartment for approximately three days per week." On November 11, 2011, the night of the accident, Clayton had lived at the West Parmer Apartment for approximately fifteen months and had approximately nine months remaining on his renewed lease. Due to his injuries, Clayton’s lease was terminated after the accident and Clayton moved back into the Lynncrest House with his parents.

In the months directly preceding the accident, Clayton admitted to spending most of his time at the West Parmer Apartment. Id. [#28-8] Ex. H (Req. for Admis.) at 5. Sarah also testified that, before separating, she and Clayton would spend most nights at the West Parmer Apartment and slept over at the Lynncrest House only during the holidays. See Weaver Dep. at 12:8-12, 13:21-24. According to Clayton’s father, Clayton spent the night at the West Parmer Apartment “[a]lmost all the time”; Clayton only visited the Lynncrest House one or twice per week and spent the night approximately once per month. Grover Neuman Dep. at 30:5-15. Clayton testified he visited his parents’ house “once every couple of weeks” to watch television and so that Chloe could visit with her grandparents. Clayton Dep at 14:4-10. Clayton did not significantly contribute to the maintenance, upkeep, taxes or other costs related to the Lynnc-rest House, but he did occasionally mow the yard and help cook dinner when he was there. Grover Neuman Dep. at 35:17-36:3.

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State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. v. Neuman, 186 F. Supp. 3d 643, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 63213, 2016 WL 2858956 (W.D. Tex. 2016).

186 F. Supp. 3d 643 (State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. v. Neuman) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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