Wausau Underwriters Insurance v. State Automobile Mutual Insurance

557 F. Supp. 2d 502, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 44612
CourtDistrict Court, D. New Jersey
DecidedJune 6, 2008
DocketCivil Action 07-1316(JEI)
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 557 F. Supp. 2d 502 (Wausau Underwriters Insurance v. State Automobile Mutual Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Jersey primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wausau Underwriters Insurance v. State Automobile Mutual Insurance, 557 F. Supp. 2d 502, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 44612 (D.N.J. 2008).

Opinion

OPINION

IRENAS, Senior District Judge:

This is an insurance coverage dispute among Defendant Schuylkill Stone, Inc., (“Schuylkill”), the insured, and its various insurers, Plaintiffs Wausau Underwriters Insurance Company, and Employers Insurance Company of Wausau (collectively, ‘Wausau”); and Defendants State Automobile Mutual Insurance Company, State Auto Property and Casualty Insurance Company (collectively, “State Auto”), and Erie Insurance Company (“Erie”). 1 Wau-sau is defending Schuylkill, under a complete reservation of rights, in a state court lawsuit involving stone fascia allegedly manufactured or distributed by Schuylkill. 2 Its defense of Schuylkill notwithstanding, Wausau asserts that under the relevant policies, it is not obligated to defend or indemnify Schuylkill in the Laurel Creek Litigation. Wausau further asserts that State Auto and Erie are obligated to participate in Schuylkill’s defense and indemnify Schuylkill. State Auto and Erie deny that their policies cover the Laurel Creek Litigation. Schuylkill asserts that the relevant Wausau policies cover the Laurel Creek Litigation. 3

Currently before the Court are: (1) Schuylkill’s Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings with respect to Wausau’s alleged duty to defend, and Motion for a Stay with respect to Wausau’s alleged duty to indemnify (Docket #45); (2) Wausau’s Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment against Schuylkill / Motion for Summary Judgment on its claims against State Auto and Erie (Docket #49); (3) State Auto’s Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment against Wausau (Docket # 56); and (4) Erie’s Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment against Wausau (Docket # 59).

I.

The relevant facts are undisputed.

*505 The Underlying State Court Litigation

Currently pending in the Superior Court of New Jersey is a lawsuit (the Laurel Creek Litigation) brought by The Town-homes at Laurel Creek Country Club Condominium Association, Inc. (the “Laurel Creek Plaintiffs”). 4 The Laurel Creek Plaintiffs seek compensation for many asserted defects in their property, 5 which were allegedly caused by the defective design, construction and workmanship of the various defendants to the litigation.

Schuylkill first became involved in the Laurel Creek Litigation on December 16, 2005, when Bell Supply Company (“Bell Supply”), an original defendant to the action, filed a third-party complaint against Schuylkill. (Shah Aff. Ex. 2) The Laurel Creek Plaintiffs allege that Bell Supply “supplied the materials for the stone fascia and other materials utilized in the construction of the Laurel Creek Carriage homes in question.” (Id.) Bell Supply, in its third-party complaint, seeks contribution and indemnification from Schuylkill. (Id.) The Bell Supply third-party complaint makes no allegations about Schuylkill’s relationship to Bell Supply, nor any allegations about Schuylkill’s involvement in the events and circumstances that gave rise to the Laurel Creek Litigation. 6

Sometime after Bell Supply filed its third-party complaint, the Laurel Creek Plaintiffs amended their complaint to include Schuylkill as a direct defendant. 7 The Laurel Creek Complaint makes no specific allegations as to Schuylkill, except to allege that, “[a]t all times relevant herein, Schuylkill Stone Inc., was a manufacturer and/or distributor of the materials utilized in the construction of the stone fascia of the Laurel Creek Carriage Homes in question.” (Shah Aff. Ex. 2) Judgment is demanded against “Defendants” (one of which is Schuylkill) for damages arising from: (1) breach of the implied warranty of habitability; (2) breach of the implied duty of good workmanship; (3) breach of the duty to exercise reasonable care in the design and construction of the homes; 8 and (4) “failure to properly design and/or manufacture the products listed herein which were used on the premises of Laurel Creek, and failed to adequately warn foreseeable users of the potential dangers of these products.” (Id.) 9 This last portion of the complaint seems to be referencing the list of all the alleged problems with the Laurel Creek properties. (Id.) The only item that appears to have any connection to Schuylkill is ¶ 13, *506 m.: “the stone fascia located on the outside of all the homes is deteriorating.”

The Insurance Policies at Issue

All three insurance companies (Plaintiff Wausau, Defendant State Auto, and Defendant Erie) agree that their Commercial General Liability (“CGL”) policies have the same provisions and exclusions, but differ with respect to policy periods.

In 2003, Environmental Materials, LLC (“Environmental Materials”), purchased CGL insurance from Plaintiff Employers Insurance Company of Wausau, with a policy period of April 1, 2003, to April 1, 2004. (Shah Aff. Ex. 7) Schuylkill was named an additional insured under the policy. (Id.) The following year, 2004, Environmental Materials purchased another CGL policy from Plaintiff Wausau Underwriters Insurance Company, with a policy period of April 1, 2004, to April 1, 2005. (Shah Aff. Ex. 8) Schuylkill was named an additional insured under that policy as well. (Id.) The Wausau policies’ relevant terms, quoted and discussed infra, are identical to each other.

In 1999, 2000, and 2001, State Auto issued CGL policies to Schuylkill with policy periods of May 10, 1999, to May 10, 2000; May 10, 2000, to May 10, 2001; and May 10, 2001, to May 10, 2002, respectively. (Shah Aff. Ex. 10-12) 10 The State Auto policies’ relevant terms, quoted and discussed infra, are identical to each other and are, in all substantive respects, identical to the Wausau policies’ terms. 11

In 1993, Erie issued CGL insurance to Schuylkill, with an inception date of May 10, 1993, and a cancellation date of May 10, 1999. (Shah Aff. Ex. 19) The Erie policy’s relevant terms, quoted and discussed infra, are identical to the Wausau policies’ terms and State Auto policies’ terms.

The Initiation of this Federal Suit

Sometime after Bell Supply filed its third-party complaint against Schuylkill, Wausau began defending Schuylkill under a complete reservation of rights. At the same time, Wausau wrote to State Auto and Erie, tendering the defense to them. (Shah Ex. 13) Neither company accepted the tender of defense. Both companies responded that their policies did not cover the Laurel Creek Litigation because there was no “occurrence” (as defined in the policies) that would trigger coverage, and because the alleged loss occurred outside the policy periods. (Shah Ex. 14, 21)

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
557 F. Supp. 2d 502, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 44612, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wausau-underwriters-insurance-v-state-automobile-mutual-insurance-njd-2008.