Texas Farm Bureau Underwriters v. Terry Graham, Jr.

450 S.W.3d 919, 2014 Tex. App. LEXIS 13029, 2014 WL 6911570
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 5, 2014
Docket06-13-00132-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 450 S.W.3d 919 (Texas Farm Bureau Underwriters v. Terry Graham, Jr.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Texas Farm Bureau Underwriters v. Terry Graham, Jr., 450 S.W.3d 919, 2014 Tex. App. LEXIS 13029, 2014 WL 6911570 (Tex. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

OPINION

Opinion by

Chief Justice MORRISS.

Terry Graham, Jr., shot and killed would-be burglar, Hiram Joshua Chambers, at Graham’s ranch house in Smith County, Texas. 1 In successfully defending the resulting wrongful death lawsuit by Chambers’ family members, 2 Graham incurred $130,841.43 in defense costs, which Graham seeks to recover from Texas Farm Bureau Underwriters (Underwriters), the issuer of Graham’s Texas Farm and Ranch Owner’s Insurance Policy. 3 From competing motions for summary judgment, contesting the question of whether Underwriters had the duty to defend Graham in the Chambers lawsuit, the trial court awarded Graham judgment. Underwriters appeals. Because, under the terms of the policy, there was no duty to defend the Chambers lawsuit, we reverse the trial court’s judgment and render a take-nothing judgment in favor of Underwriters.

We review de novo a trial court’s grant of summary judgment. Thompson v. Weaver, 429 S.W.3d 897, 901 (Tex.App.-Tyler 2014, no pet.) (citing Frost Nat’l Bank v. Fernandez, 315 S.W.3d 494, 508 (Tex.2010)); see Transp. Int’l Pool, Inc. v. Cont’l Ins. Co., 166 S.W.3d 781, 784 (Tex.App.-Fort Worth 2005, no pet.) (“Because the question of an insurance carrier’s contractual duty to defend is one of law, we must conduct a de novo review.”). In a traditional summary judgment motion, the *922 movant has the burden to demonstrate no fact issue exists. Thompson, 429 S.W.3d at 901 (citing Tex.R. Civ. P. 166a(c); Nixon v. Mr. Prop. Mgmt. Co., 690 S.W.2d 546, 548 (Tex.1985)). “Once the movant has established a right to summary judgment, the burden of proof shifts to the nonmov-ant to respond to the motion and present to the trial court any issues that would preclude summary judgment.” Id. (citing City of Houston v. Clear Creek Basin Auth., 589 S.W.2d 671, 678-79 (Tex.1979)). We examine the entire record in the light most favorable to the nonmovant, indulging every reasonable inference and resolving any doubts against the movant. Id. (citing Sudan v. Sudan, 199 S.W.3d 291, 292 (Tex.2006); KPMG Peat Marwick v. Harrison Cnty. Hous. Fin. Corp., 988 S.W.2d 746, 748 (Tex.1999)).

When there are cross-motions for summary judgment, each movant claims that there is no fact issue. Id. at 902 (citing Lambrecht & Assocs., Inc. v. State Farm Lloyds, 119 S.W.3d 16, 20 (Tex.App.-Tyler 2003, no pet.)). Thus, “[i]f one motion is granted and the other denied, we must review the summary judgment evidence presented by both sides and determine all questions presented.” Id. If we find that the grant of one summary judgment was improper, we may reverse and render the judgment the trial court should have rendered. Id.

It is uncontested (1) that Graham was an insured under the policy, (2) that he had paid all premiums required under the policy, (3) that he had personal liability coverage for bodily injury occurring on the resident premises as of the date of the incident, (4) that the incident occurred on the resident premises, and (5) that Underwriters received timely notice of Graham’s request for defense. Seeking reimbursement of the money he paid to his defense attorneys, Graham sued Underwriters for breach of contract, breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing under Chapter 542 of the Texas Insurance Code (the Prompt Payment of Claims Act), and attorney fees in bringing this lawsuit. 4

Underwriters filed a legal denial based on the governing “eight corners rule,” which provides that an insurer is entitled to rely solely on the factual allegations contained in the four corners of the complaint in conjunction with the four corners of the liability policy to determine whether it has a duty to defend. See Nat’l Union Fire Ins. Co. of Pittsburgh, Pa. v. Merchs. Fast Motor Lines, Inc., 939 S.W.2d 139, 141 (Tex.1997). In its answer, Underwriters argued that the eight corners rule precluded recovery because (1) the Chambers family’s petition established that the incident was not a covered occurrence and (2) the policy expressly excluded coverage for bodily injury caused by an intentional act of the insured. Underwriters filed a traditional motion for summary judgment on its legal defense. In response, Graham filed a cross-motion for summary judgment, arguing (1) that Underwriters’ duty to defend was established by the jury’s finding of no wrongdoing on Graham’s part and (2) that the policy’s exclusion for intentional acts did not apply to the Chambers family’s allegations of negligence and gross negligence.

After reviewing the summary judgment evidence, the trial court denied Underwriters’ motion and granted Graham’s cross- *923 motion, ruling that Underwriters should have defended Graham in the Chambers lawsuit. In its final judgment for Graham on his breach of contract claim, the trial court recited, “[T]he parties hereto had stipulated to the amount of damages following the Court’s ruling on the liability issue” and awarded $225,286.92 in damages to Graham in accordance with the stipulation. Relying on the eight corners rule, Underwriters appeals.

Underwriters is correct in its assertion that this case is governed by the eight corners rule. “ ‘[A]n insurer is entitled to rely solely on the factual allegations contained in the petition in conjunction with the terms of the policy to determine whether it has a duty to defend.’ ” Pine Oak Builders, Inc. v. Great Am. Lloyds Ins. Co., 279 S.W.3d 650, 654 (Tex.2009) (quoting Merchs. Fast Motor Lines, Inc., 939 S.W.2d at 142; Trinity Universal Ins. Co. v. Cowan, 945 S.W.2d 819, 829 (Tex.1997)). “If a petition does not allege facts within the scope of coverage, an insurer is not legally required to defend a suit against its insured.” Id. at 654.

When applying the eight corners rule, “we construe the allegations in the pleadings liberally.” GEICO Gen. Ins. Co. v. Austin Power Inc., 357 S.W.3d 821

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450 S.W.3d 919, 2014 Tex. App. LEXIS 13029, 2014 WL 6911570, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/texas-farm-bureau-underwriters-v-terry-graham-jr-texapp-2014.