Webcor Constr., LP v. Zurich Am. Ins. Co.
Opinion
In pertinent part, the Policy specifically excluded from coverage:
j. Damage to Property
'Property damage' to ... (5) [t]hat particular part of real property on which you or any contractors or subcontractors working directly or indirectly on your behalf are performing operations, if the 'property damage' arises out of those operations, or (6) [t]hat particular part of any property that must be restored, repaired, or replaced because 'your work' was incorrectly performed on it ... [unless] included in the 'products-completed operations hazard.'3
k. Damage to Your Product
'Property damage' to 'your product' arising out of it or any part of it.
l . Damage to Your Work
'Property damage' to 'your work' arising out of it or any part of it and included in the 'products-completed operations hazard.' This exclusion does not apply if the damaged work or the work out of which the damage arises was performed on your behalf by a subcontractor.
m. Damage to Impaired Property Or Property Not Physically Injured
'Property damage' to 'impaired property' or property that has not been physically injured, arising out of [¶ ...] [a] defect, deficiency, inadequacy or dangerous condition in 'your product' or 'your work' after it has been put to its intended use.
(Id. at MM000229-30, 240-41.) The Policy also defined certain terms relevant here, including:
8. 'Impaired property' means tangible property, other than 'your product' or 'your work,' that cannot be used or is less useful because:
a. It incorporates 'your product' or 'your work' that is known or thought to be defective, deficient, inadequate or dangerous; or
b. you have failed to fulfill the terms of a contract or agreement;
if such property can be restored to use by:
a. the repair, replacement, adjustment or removal of 'your product' or 'your work'; or
b. Your fulfilling the terms of the contract or agreement.
* * *
21. 'Your product':
*1068a. Means:
(1) Any goods or products, other than real property, manufactured, sold, handled, distributed or disposed of by:
(a) You;
(b) Others trading under your name; or
(c) A person or organization whose business or assets you have acquired; and
(2) Containers (other than vehicles), materials, parts or equipment furnished in connection with such goods or products.
b. Includes:
(1) Warranties or representations made at any time with respect to the fitness, quality, durability, performance or use of 'your product'; and
(2) The providing of or failure to provide warnings or instructions....
22. 'Your work':
a. Means:
(1) Work or operations performed by you or on your behalf; and
(2) Materials, parts or equipment furnished in connection with such work or operations.
b. Includes:
(1) Warranties or representations made at any time with respect to the fitness. quality, durability, performance or use of 'your work,' and
(2) The providing of or failure to provide warnings or instructions....
(Id. ) After the end of the effective period of the policy on June 30, 2007, Midwest was insured by Acuity Mutual Insurance Company through June 30, 2014. (Motorists Additional Fact 6.)
C. Defense of the Underlying Action
Both AGA and Webcor tendered their defense to Motorists, and Motorists denied a duty to defend them. (Old Republic Facts 39-41 and 45-47.) Motorists provided a defense to Midwest under the Policy, though it did so under a reservation of rights. (Old Republic Facts 29-30.) Old Republic provided a defense for AGA and Webcor in the underlying action. The underlying action settled on April 24, 2017. (Old Republic Fact 28.)4 Old Republic filed the instant third-party complaint against Motorists for contribution toward the costs of defense paid by Old Republic on behalf of Webcor and AGA on July 12, 2017. (Dkt. No. 69.)
II. APPLICABLE STANDARDS
A. Summary Judgment
The parties each have filed motions for summary judgment on the issue of whether Motorists had a duty to defend Webcor and AGA. Summary judgment is appropriate when "there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law." Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). Summary judgment is mandated "against a party who fails to make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element essential to that party's case, and on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial." Celotex Corp. v. Catrett ,
*1069Fair Hous. Council of Riverside Cty., Inc. v. Riverside Two ,
B. Duty to Defend
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In pertinent part, the Policy specifically excluded from coverage:
j. Damage to Property
'Property damage' to ... (5) [t]hat particular part of real property on which you or any contractors or subcontractors working directly or indirectly on your behalf are performing operations, if the 'property damage' arises out of those operations, or (6) [t]hat particular part of any property that must be restored, repaired, or replaced because 'your work' was incorrectly performed on it ... [unless] included in the 'products-completed operations hazard.'3
k. Damage to Your Product
'Property damage' to 'your product' arising out of it or any part of it.
l . Damage to Your Work
'Property damage' to 'your work' arising out of it or any part of it and included in the 'products-completed operations hazard.' This exclusion does not apply if the damaged work or the work out of which the damage arises was performed on your behalf by a subcontractor.
m. Damage to Impaired Property Or Property Not Physically Injured
'Property damage' to 'impaired property' or property that has not been physically injured, arising out of [¶ ...] [a] defect, deficiency, inadequacy or dangerous condition in 'your product' or 'your work' after it has been put to its intended use.
(Id. at MM000229-30, 240-41.) The Policy also defined certain terms relevant here, including:
8. 'Impaired property' means tangible property, other than 'your product' or 'your work,' that cannot be used or is less useful because:
a. It incorporates 'your product' or 'your work' that is known or thought to be defective, deficient, inadequate or dangerous; or
b. you have failed to fulfill the terms of a contract or agreement;
if such property can be restored to use by:
a. the repair, replacement, adjustment or removal of 'your product' or 'your work'; or
b. Your fulfilling the terms of the contract or agreement.
* * *
21. 'Your product':
*1068a. Means:
(1) Any goods or products, other than real property, manufactured, sold, handled, distributed or disposed of by:
(a) You;
(b) Others trading under your name; or
(c) A person or organization whose business or assets you have acquired; and
(2) Containers (other than vehicles), materials, parts or equipment furnished in connection with such goods or products.
b. Includes:
(1) Warranties or representations made at any time with respect to the fitness, quality, durability, performance or use of 'your product'; and
(2) The providing of or failure to provide warnings or instructions....
22. 'Your work':
a. Means:
(1) Work or operations performed by you or on your behalf; and
(2) Materials, parts or equipment furnished in connection with such work or operations.
b. Includes:
(1) Warranties or representations made at any time with respect to the fitness. quality, durability, performance or use of 'your work,' and
(2) The providing of or failure to provide warnings or instructions....
(Id. ) After the end of the effective period of the policy on June 30, 2007, Midwest was insured by Acuity Mutual Insurance Company through June 30, 2014. (Motorists Additional Fact 6.)
C. Defense of the Underlying Action
Both AGA and Webcor tendered their defense to Motorists, and Motorists denied a duty to defend them. (Old Republic Facts 39-41 and 45-47.) Motorists provided a defense to Midwest under the Policy, though it did so under a reservation of rights. (Old Republic Facts 29-30.) Old Republic provided a defense for AGA and Webcor in the underlying action. The underlying action settled on April 24, 2017. (Old Republic Fact 28.)4 Old Republic filed the instant third-party complaint against Motorists for contribution toward the costs of defense paid by Old Republic on behalf of Webcor and AGA on July 12, 2017. (Dkt. No. 69.)
II. APPLICABLE STANDARDS
A. Summary Judgment
The parties each have filed motions for summary judgment on the issue of whether Motorists had a duty to defend Webcor and AGA. Summary judgment is appropriate when "there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law." Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). Summary judgment is mandated "against a party who fails to make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element essential to that party's case, and on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial." Celotex Corp. v. Catrett ,
*1069Fair Hous. Council of Riverside Cty., Inc. v. Riverside Two ,
B. Duty to Defend
An "insurer has a duty to defend an insured if it becomes aware of, or if [a] third party lawsuit pleads, facts giving rise to the potential for coverage under the insuring agreement." Waller v. Truck Ins. Exch., Inc. ,
"Any doubt as to whether the facts establish the existence of the defense duty must be resolved in the insured's favor." Montrose I ,
"The duty to defend is determined by reference to the policy, the complaint, and all facts known to the insurer from any source." Montrose I ,
"An insurer may rely on an exclusion to deny coverage only if it provides conclusive evidence demonstrating that the exclusion applies." Atlantic Mut. Ins. Co. v. J. Lamb, Inc. ,
III. DISCUSSION
Old Republic's third-party complaint alleges a single claim for contribution against Motorists. "In the insurance context, the right to contribution arises when several insurers are obligated to indemnify or defend the same loss or claim, and one insurer has paid more than its share of the loss or defended the action without any participation by the others." Fireman's Fund Ins. Co. v. Maryland Cas. Co. ,
Old Republic contends that, at the time of tender, the facts known to Motorists regarding the underlying action established a potential for coverage based upon "property damage" resulting from Midwest's work during the period of the Policy. Thus, Old Republic argues, Motorists had a duty to defend AGA and Webcor as additional insureds of Midwest under the Policy's Additional Insured provisions, and now must contribute to the costs of the defense wrongly denied them. Motorists disagrees, contending for several reasons that no potential for coverage as to AGA and Webcor exists.
A. "Property Damage" Alleged In the Underlying Action
Motorists argues first that the complaint in the underlying action, and the facts known to Motorists regarding those claims, demonstrate that the underlying litigation did not concern "property damage" as defined by the Policy. Motorists argues the only purported "property damage"
*1071was Midwest's defective work itself, not damage to other property. As such, Motorists contends, there was no "physical injury to tangible property" as defined by the Policy.
Under California law, "the prevailing view is that the incorporation of a defective component or product into a larger structure does not constitute property damage unless and until the defective component causes physical injury to tangible property in at least some other part of the system. " F & H Constr. v. ITT Hartford Ins. Co. ,
This understanding of the meaning of "property damage" arises from the principle that general liability policies, such as the Commercial General Liability ("CGL") policy here, "are not designed to provide contractors and developers with coverage against claims their work is inferior or defective ... [since t]he risk of replacing and repairing defective materials or poor workmanship has generally been considered a commercial risk which is not passed on to the liability insurer." Maryland Cas. Co. v. Reeder ,
The court in Regional Steel summarized the two lines of cases interpreting "property damage." Regional Steel ,
Other decisions interpreting California law are in accord, holding that defective products or workmanship, even when they require repairs that affect other physical structures, do not constitute "property damage" under a CGL policy. See F&H Construction ,
Here, the undisputed evidence shows that the claims of the underlying action, and the facts known to Motorists regarding that action, concerned only defects in the curtainwall system supplied by Midwest. The purchase order between Midwest and AGA required Midwest to "furnish [a] complete factory[-]assembled and glazed curtain wall system ... [including] all design, engineering calculations, system drawings, embed layout drawings and necessary coordination for all details." (Midwest Exh. 2, Dkt. No. 212-9, at ECF p. 92.) Per the agreement, Midwest was "completely responsible for system design" and "responsible to coordinate all necessary sealant compatibility testing." (Id. )5 The damage in the underlying action was limited *1073to the curtainwall system itself. (Old Republic Facts 2, 3, 12, 13, 14, and response thereto.)
Old Republic focuses on the second line of cases and argues that the potential for "property damage" under the terms of the Policy existed because the IGUs themselves were damaged due to Midwest's faulty workmanship. More specifically, Old Republic argues that gluing the IGUs into the curtainwall frame irreversibly damaged them, resulting in property damage under the Policy. The IGUs were manufactured by Viracon and purchased by AGA for inclusion in the curtainwall system. Thus, Old Republic contends the IGUs constitute AGA's "property" damaged by Midwest's work, rather than an integral part of Midwest's "work" or "product" itself.
For its proposition, Old Republic relies on Shade Foods, Inc. v. Innovative Prod. Sales & Mktg., Inc. ,
The Shade Foods court distinguished the circumstances there and in similar contamination cases from those cases holding that "diminution in the value of a product by reason of a defective part or faulty workmanship does not constitute property damage." Id. at 865,
Pulte Home , also relied upon by Old Republic, is likewise distinguishable and offers no support for its arguments. Pulte Home Corp. v. Am. Safety Indem. Co. ,
The Court notes that Old Republic has not argued that any other property was damaged aside from the IGUs. However, the Court is mindful that the underlying complaint alleged claims against AGA, Webcor, and Midwest for "substantial additional costs to repair the deficient work, [and] costs to repair property damaged by deficient work. " (See Old Republic RJN, Exh. A, CDC San Francisco complaint, at ¶¶ 29, 34, 41, 45, 51, 57, 61, 67, 72, 77, 81, 86, 90, and 95, emphasis supplied.) Old Republic has not argued such allegations, without other factual allegations to support them, would give rise to a duty to defend without more. The Court agrees with that tacit admission. The underlying complaint did not include factual allegations of damage to property other than the curtainwall system itself. It is the factual allegations of the underlying complaint, and not boilerplate allegations of "costs to repair property damaged by deficient work" that are the basis for the Court's analysis. See Advent, Inc. v. Nat'l Union Fire Ins. Co. of Pittsburgh, PA ,
In sum, there is no disputed issue of material fact that the matters alleged in the underlying action or otherwise known to Motorists created a potential for property damage covered by the Policy. Accordingly, Motorists is entitled to summary judgment that it had no duty to defend.
*1075B. Exclusions from Coverage Under the Policy
Even if the Court were to consider damage to the IGUs to be "property damage" under the terms of the Policy, the exclusions in the Policy would have eliminated any potential for coverage based upon Midwest's defective construction of the curtainwall system. To demonstrate that an exclusion eliminates the duty to defend, the insurer must provide "conclusive evidence [proving] that the exclusion applies in all possible worlds." Atlantic Mutual Ins. Co. v. J. Lamb, Inc. ,
First, the policy exclusions in paragraph (k) and (l ) preclude coverage for damage to, and arising out of, the insured's "product" and the insured's "work." (Campos Decl. Exh. 2 at MM000230-31.) The Policy defined the insured's "work" as "(1) Work or operations performed by you or on your behalf; and (2) Materials, parts or equipment furnished in connection with such work or operations." (Id. at MM000240-41.) It defines the insured's "product" as "[a]ny goods or products, other than real property, manufactured, sold, handled, distributed or disposed of by" the insured including "[w]arranties or representations made at any time with respect to the fitness, quality, durability, performance or use of" the product. Here, Midwest manufactured a curtainwall system, using parts it manufactured itself as well as parts supplied by others. The complaint in the underlying action alleged damage arising from Midwest's "work" or "product." California courts have interpreted nearly identical exclusions to "preclud[e] coverage for liability for damage to and deficiencies of the insured contractor's work product [and] applies to the insured's defective work as well as to the insured's satisfactory work that is damaged by the insured's defective work." Diamond Heights Homeowners Assn. v. Nat'l Am. Ins. Co. ,
Second, the Policy's exclusions at paragraphs (j)(5) and (6) deny coverage for property damage to "real property" that "arises out of" the insured's operations, and damage to any property "that must be restored, repaired, or replaced because 'your work' was incorrectly performed on it ... [unless] included in the 'products-completed operations hazard.' " (Campos Decl. Exh. 2 at MM000229-30.)7 The Policy defined "your work" as "(1) Work or operations performed by you or on your behalf; and (2) Materials, parts or equipment furnished in connection with such work or operations." (Id. at MM000240-41.) Interpreting similar faulty workmanship exclusions, California courts have held that such provisions preclude coverage for deficiencies in the insured's work. See, e.g., Clarendon Am. Ins. Co. v. Gen. Sec. Indem. Co. of Arizona ,
Examining the same exclusion as in the Policy here, the court in Clarendon held that "[t]he exclusion found in j(6) excludes coverage for the physical injury to, or loss of use of, that part of the property that must be replaced" because the insured's work was performed incorrectly. The exclusion therefore eliminates the potential for coverage of claims for alleged defects and deficiencies 'resulting from poor workmanship and/or materials.' "
Here, the undisputed facts evidence that the underlying litigation arose from claims that the sealant in the IGUs was breaking down and the components of the curtainwall system were comprised of incompatible materials, leading to discoloration to and possible breakdown of the sealant. (Old Republic Facts 2 and 3.) The project owner only sought repair, namely by removing and replacing the curtainwall system. (Motorists Fact 17.)8 Old Republic has offered no evidence that the litigation raised the specter of damage other than to the curtainwall system. Indeed, the only evidence cited by Old Republic in support of its own motion concerned damage to the curtainwall system itself. (Old Republic Facts 5-24.) As in Clarendon , Old Republic's failure to "cite to any specific examples of damage to the work of others that *1077might have been caused by [Midwest's] allegedly faulty work" fails to create a triable issue of fact. Clarendon,
Finally, the Policy also excluded, under paragraph (m), coverage for property damage "to 'impaired property' or property that has not been physically injured, arising out of [¶ ...] [a] defect, deficiency, inadequacy or dangerous condition in 'your product' or 'your work' ...." (Id. at MM000229-30.) "Impaired property" includes property "that cannot be used or is less useful because ... [i]t incorporates 'your product' or 'your work' that is known or thought to be defective, deficient, inadequate or dangerous" and can be restored to use by repairing or replacing that work or product. (Id. at MM000240-41.) It defined "your product" as "goods or products, other than real property, manufactured, sold, handled, distributed or disposed of by" the insured. (Id. ) The California Court of Appeal in Regional Steel held that a nearly identical "impaired property" exclusion barred coverage because the underlying action alleged "arose from deficiencies in [the insured's] performance of its work or from [its] failure to perform a contract in accordance with its terms, or both." Regional Steel ,
In sum, the undisputed facts here establish that the Policy's exclusions would also preclude coverage for the damage in the underlying action. Consequently, Motorists had no duty to defend under the Policy.
IV. CONCLUSION
Because Motorists has established by undisputed evidence that no potential for coverage of the damage in the underlying action existed, the Court finds as a matter of law that it had no duty to defend AGA and Webcor.9
Therefore, Motorists' motion for summary judgment is GRANTED and Old Republic's motion for summary judgment is DENIED .
Within five business days of this Order, Motorists shall submit a proposed form of judgment, approved as to form by Old Republic, which will be entered forthwith.
This terminates Docket Nos. 211 and 212.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
372 F. Supp. 3d 1061 (Webcor Constr., LP v. Zurich Am. Ins. Co.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.