TIG Insurance Co. v. San Antonio YMCA

172 S.W.3d 652, 2005 Tex. App. LEXIS 5402, 2005 WL 1629801
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJuly 13, 2005
Docket04-04-00017-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 172 S.W.3d 652 (TIG Insurance Co. v. San Antonio YMCA) 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
TIG Insurance Co. v. San Antonio YMCA, 172 S.W.3d 652, 2005 Tex. App. LEXIS 5402, 2005 WL 1629801 (Tex. Ct. App. 2005).

Opinion

OPINION

Opinion by

SANDEE BRYAN MARION, Justice.

This is an appeal from the denial of a motion for summary judgment filed by appellant, TIG Insurance Company, and the granting of a motion for summary judgment filed by appellee, San Antonio YMCA d/b/a YMCA of San Antonio. The below suit is a declaratory judgment action filed by TIG and involves the construction of an insurance contract issued by TIG to the YMCA.

BACKGROUND

The YMCA operates a youth camp in Hunt, Texas known as YMCA Camp Flaming Arrow. In the summer of 1999, Kenneth Trimble, a YMCA counselor, allegedly sexually and physically assaulted six children attending the camp. The parents or guardians of the children sued the YMCA for negligent hiring practices. Three of the lawsuits were collectively settled for $6 million, with TIG contributing $1 million towards the settlement.

To resolve the issue of whether the YMCA had coverage under the TIG insurance policy for the remaining three lawsuits, TIG filed a petition for declaratory judgment, asserting the $1 million payment towards the settled lawsuits exhausted the policy limits and it had no duty to defend the YMCA in the remaining lawsuits. TIG subsequently moved for summary judgment on the grounds that the policy’s coverage for acts of sexual abuse was limited to a single occurrence, the incidents of sexual abuse alleged by all six children and the negligent hiring allegations against the YMCA were a single occurrence under the policy, the policy limits of $1 million for each occurrence were exhausted by the settlement payment, and, as a result, TIG had no duty to defend the YMCA in the remaining lawsuits.

The YMCA filed a cross-motion for summary judgment on the grounds that a separate new “occurrence” was triggered for each victim of Trimble’s alleged abuse; therefore, the policy limits have not been exhausted. The YMCA also argued TIG had a duty to defend against allegations of physical abuse that did not involve sexual abuse.

The trial court denied TIG’s motion, granted the YMCA’s motion, and declared TIG had a continuing duty to defend the YMCA in the remaining lawsuits and the YMCA was entitled to indemnity in each of the lawsuits, “subject only to the exhaustion of the policy’s aggregate limit.” This appeal by TIG ensued.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

Summary judgment movants have the burden of showing there are no genuine *656 issues of material fact, and that they are entitled to summary judgment as a matter of law. Nixon v. Mr. Prop. Mgmt. Co., 690 S.W.2d 546, 548 (Tex.1985). In deciding whether there is a disputed issue of material fact, evidence favorable to the nonmovant must be taken as true, every reasonable inference must be indulged in favor of the nonmovant, and all doubts must be resolved in his or her favor. Id. at 548^19.

When both parties file motions for summary judgment, each must carry its burden and neither may prevail because of the failure of the other to discharge its burden. Villarreal v. Laredo Nat’l Bank, 677 S.W.2d 600, 605 (Tex.App.-San Antonio 1984, writ refd n.r.e.). Where there are competing motions for summary judgment, and one is granted and the other denied, the appellate court determines all questions presented to the trial court. Jones v. Strauss, 745 S.W.2d 898, 900 (Tex.1988). The reviewing court may affirm the judgment or reverse the judgment and render the judgment the trial court should have rendered, including rendering judgment for the other movant. Id.

THE TIG POLICY

TIG issued an insurance policy to the YMCA that contains a General Liability Section, included in which is a Commercial General Liability Coverage Form (“the CGLCF”). The declaration page of the policy contains a $2 million “General Aggregate Limit” and a $1 million “Each Occurrence Limit.” The policy also contains a Sexual Abuse Occurrence Coverage endorsement form. At the top of this form, above the title, is the statement: “THIS ENDORSEMENT CHANGES THE POLICY. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY.” Below the title is the statement: “This endorsement modifies coverage provided under the following COMMERCIAL GENERAL LIABILITY COVERAGE FORM.” The endorsement then lists various additions or amendments to the CGLCF. Below are the pertinent sections of the CGLCF, with the italicized language representing the language from the Sexual Abuse Occurrence Coverage endorsement form that modifies the CGLCF.

Section I of the CGLCF, entitled “Section 1-Coverages,” contains three grants of coverage: “Coverage A. Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability,” “Coverage B. Personal and Advertising Injury Liability,” and “Coverage C. Medical Payments.” Coverage A states as follows:

1. Insuring Agreement
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b. This insurance applies to “bodily injury” and “property damage” only if
(1) the “bodily injury” or “property damage” is caused by an “occurrence” that takes place in the “coverage territory”; and
(2) The “bodily injury” or “property damage” occurs during the policy period.
c. Damages because of “bodily injury” include damages claimed by any person or organization for care, loss of services or death resulting at any time from the “bodily injury.”
d. This insurance applies to “bodily injury” caused by a “Sexual Abuse Occurrence.”

Section III of the CGLCF, entitled “Limits of Insurance,” states as follows:

1. The Limits of Insurance shown in the Declarations and the rules below fix the amount we will pay regardless of the number of:
a. Insureds;
*657 b. Claims made or “suits” brought; or
c. Persons or organizations making claims or bringing “suits”.
2. The General Aggregate Limit is the most we will pay for the sum of
a. Medical expenses under coverage C;
b. Damages under Coverage A, except damages because of “bodily injury” or “property damage” included in the “products-completed operations hazard”; and
c. Damages under Coverage B.
3. The Products-Completed Operations Aggregate Limit is the most we will pay....
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A Subject to 2. or 3. above, whichever applies, the Each Occurrence Limit is the most we will pay for the sum of:
a. Damages under Coverage A; and
b. Medical expenses under Coverage C
because of all “bodily injury” and “property damage” arising out of any one “occurrence” or any one “Sexual Abuse Occurrence.”

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Bluebook (online)
172 S.W.3d 652, 2005 Tex. App. LEXIS 5402, 2005 WL 1629801, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tig-insurance-co-v-san-antonio-ymca-texapp-2005.