JOSEPH R. GOODWIN, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE.
Pending before the court are the plaintiff Arch Insurance Company's Motion for Summary Judgment [ECF No. 94] ("Arch's Motion"), the plaintiff Steadfast Insurance Company's Motion for Summary Judgment [ECF No. 92] ("Steadfast's Motion"; together, with Arch's Motion, "the plaintiffs' Motions"), and the defendants Berkley National Insurance Company and Stric-Lan Companies, LLC's Motion for Summary Judgment [ECF No. 89] ("the Defendants' Motion"). The parties have fully briefed each motion, and the matter is ripe for adjudication. For the following reasons, the court
In this declaratory judgment action, I am asked to resolve a dispute regarding the parameters of an insurance policy. Specifically, I must determine whether, when read together with an underlying
HG Energy, LLC ("HG"), a West Virginia LLC, operates oil and gas wells in West Virginia. On October 1, 2012, HG entered into a Master Service and Supply Agreement ("MSSA") with Stric-Lan Companies, LLC ("Stric-Lan"). Steadfast Mot. Summ. J. Ex. A, at 7 [ECF No. 92-1] ("Berkeley Admis."); Steadfast Mot. Summ. J. Ex. C, at 1 [ECF No. 92-3] ("MSSA"). Under this agreement, Stric-Lan, a Louisiana LLC, agreed to provide certain natural gas well services for HG. See MSSA. Importantly, the MSSA requires Stric-Lan to procure insurance and name HG as an "additional insured" under that insurance. Id. at 7. Moreover, the procured insurance is to "be primary in relation to any policies in which any member of [HG] is a named or additional insured." Id.
In addition to the insurance obligations, the MSSA also establishes indemnity obligations for both HG and Stric-Lan. Id. at 8-13. Under the MSSA, Stric-Lan's indemnity obligations are as follows:
Id. at 9 (emphasis added).
Finally, the MSSA requires Stric-Lan to defend any claim for which it indemnifies HG. Id. at 12. Should Stric-Lan fail to defend and indemnify a claim that falls under the agreement, Stric-Lan is liable for any amount paid to settle the claim. Id. at 13.
To satisfy its duty to procure insurance pursuant to the MSSA, Stric-Lan issued a certificate of insurance, which evidenced that HG was a "Blanket Additional Insured as Required by Written Contract" on two Berkley policies purchased by Stric-Lan. Steadfast Mot. Summ. J. Ex. D, at 2 [ECF No. 92-4]. Specifically, HG was
In the course of performing its duties under the MSSA, Stric-Lan hired Tyler Kunz to work at an HG well site. Steadfast Mot. Summ. J. Ex. B, at 10 [ECF No. 92-2] ("Stric-Lan Admis."). While he was working for Stric-Lan at the HG site, Mr. Kunz lit a cigarette near a natural gas hazard, resulting in an explosion and significant injury to himself. Id; Steadfast Mot. Summ. J. Ex. H, at ¶¶ 5-7 [ECF No. 92-8] ("Kunz Compl."). In the present case, Stric-Lan and Berkley both admitted that Mr. Kunz's ill-fated smoke break constituted negligence on Mr. Kunz's part. Stric-Lan Admis. 11; Berkley Admis. 11 [ECF 92-1].
Following his injury, Mr. Kunz sued HG and Stric-Lan, alleging that HG was negligent in maintaining its workplace and Stric-Lan was liable under West Virginia's deliberate intent statute. Kunz Compl. ¶¶ 8-13. Pursuant to the terms of the MSSA and insurance policy, HG sought defense in the Kunz litigation from Stric-Lan and Berkley. See Notice Removal Ex. A, at ¶¶ 44-45 [ECF No. 1-1] ("Compl."). Both Berkley and Stric-Lan refused to defend or indemnify HG. Berkley Admis. 17; Stric-Lan Admis. 17. As a result of Berkley and Stric-Lan's refusal to defend, Arch and Steadfast — companies that provided separate insurance policies for HG — paid for the defense and settlement of the Kunz litigation. Steadfast Mot. Summ. J. ¶¶ 37, 49.
After Stric-Lan and Berkley refused to defend or indemnify HG, Arch and Steadfast brought the present suit to determine whether (1) the Berkley policy provided "additional insured" coverage for HG in the Kunz litigation and (2) the Berkley policy provided primary, non-contributory coverage for the defense and settlement of the Kunz litigation. Compl. ¶ 44.
To obtain summary judgment, the moving party must show that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). In considering a motion for summary judgment, the court will not "weigh the evidence and determine the truth of the matter." Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 249, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). Instead, the court will draw any permissible inference from the underlying facts in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574,
Although the court will view all underlying facts and inferences in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party, the nonmoving party nonetheless must offer some "concrete evidence from which a reasonable juror could return a verdict" in his or her favor. Anderson, 477 U.S. at 256, 106 S.Ct. 2505. Summary judgment is appropriate when the nonmoving party has the burden of proof on an essential element of his or her case and does not make, after adequate time for discovery, a showing sufficient to establish that element. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322-23, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). The nonmoving party must satisfy this burden of proof by offering more than a mere "scintilla of evidence" in support of his or her position. Anderson, 477 U.S. at 252, 106 S.Ct. 2505. Likewise, conclusory allegations or unsupported speculation, without more, are insufficient to preclude the granting of a summary judgment motion. See Dash v. Mayweather, 731 F.3d 303, 311 (4th Cir. 2013); Stone v. Liberty Mut. Ins. Co., 105 F.3d 188, 191 (4th Cir. 1997).
This case presents several distinct issues. First, because neither Arch nor Steadfast were parties to the contracts at issue in this case, I must resolve whether they have standing to bring their claims. Next, I must establish which state's contract law to apply in the present dispute. Finally, I must determine the parameters of the policy at issue and decide whether, under those parameters, Berkley had a duty to provide primary, non-contributory coverage in the Kunz litigation.
Before proceeding, I will address the parties' unhelpful briefing.
This case presents a novel question of standing that neither party raised: May a plaintiff maintain a declaratory judgment action based upon a contract between the defendants? Often, the answer will be no; however, where, as here, the contract between the defendants affects the legal relationship between the plaintiff and the defendant, sufficient standing exists to maintain a declaratory judgment action.
In order to maintain an action in federal court, a plaintiff must show that they have standing under federal law. Miller
Here, the plaintiffs' Complaint asks me to interpret a contract to which the plaintiffs were not a party.
Accordingly, I
Next, I must determine which state's law to apply. Berkley vacillates, arguing at one point that Pennsylvania law applies and at another point that Louisiana law applies. See Berkley Mem. Supp. Mot. Summ. J. 6, 8-18. Arch and Steadfast instead argue that West Virginia law should apply to this case. Arch Resp. 7-10 [ECF No. 100]; Steadfast Mem. Supp. Resp. 11-12 [ECF No. 99]. For the following reasons, Pennsylvania law must be applied to this dispute.
In determining which state's law applies, I must follow the choice of law rules of the state in which it sits. Klaxon Co. v. Stentor Elec. Mfg. Co., 313 U.S. 487, 496, 61 S.Ct. 1020, 85 S.Ct. 1477 (1941); Cavcon Inc. v. Endress + Hauser, Inc., 557 F.Supp.2d 706, 719 (S.D. W. Va. 2008). In West Virginia, interpretation of insurance coverage is analyzed as a contract issue for conflict of laws purposes. Liberty Mut. Ins. Co. v. Triangle Indus., Inc., 182 W.Va. 580, 390 S.E.2d 562, 566-67 (1990). Specifically,
Id at 567. Courts must consider "where the last event necessary to make a contract binding occurs" to decide where the contract was formed. McGough v. Nalco Co., 496 F.Supp.2d 729, 742 (N.D. W. Va. 2007). Finally, in determining whether a state has a "more significant relationship" to the transaction, courts must consider
Restatement (Second) of Conflict of Laws § 6(2)(a)-(g) (Am. Law Inst. 1971); Triangle, 390 S.E.2d at 567.
Here, it is unclear where, exactly, the contract was formed. However, even assuming that the contract was formed in Louisiana, the current dispute is most significantly related to Pennsylvania. Therefore, as an initial matter, Louisiana must be ruled out because its interest in interpreting the insurance policies of an LLC within the state pale as the LLC leaves the state to conduct business with entities located in other states. As will be discussed below, Louisiana's interest in the case cannot overcome the interest of Pennsylvania.
The current dispute involves the "additional insured" coverage of a West Virginia LLC, the Kunz litigation filed in West Virginia, and a district court located in West Virginia. Indeed, the relevant policies and interests of West Virginia certainly favor applying West Virginia law to a matter so tied to the state. However, despite the dispute's West Virginia ties, I cannot sacrifice justified expectations and uniformity of results.
Here, the contract that the plaintiffs ask me to interpret contains a choice of law provision requiring the parties to interpret the MSSA according to Pennsylvania law. MSSA 17. While that provision is ultimately
Furthermore, I must apply Pennsylvania law in the interest of preserving uniform results. Had Steadfast and Arch brought a subrogation action and sued from HG's position, they would have been bound by the choice of law provision in the MSSA. See One Beacon Ins. Co. v. JNB Storage Trailer Rental Corp., 312 F.Supp.2d 824, 832 n.9 (E.D. Va. 2004) ("As JNB's subrogee on the contract claims against Global, One Beacon is bound by JNB's contractual agreement to litigate disputes against Global arising from the towage contract in the Eastern District of Louisiana."). It would be absurd to allow Steadfast and Arch to apply one state's law when seeking a declaratory judgment interpreting a contract and another state's law when proceeding under a subrogation theory interpreting that very same contract. This is especially true where, as discussed above, the parties to the contract envisioned that the contract would be interpreted according to a particular state's law. See Restatement (Second) of Conflict of Laws § 6 cmt. i (Am. Law Inst. 1971) ("Predictability and uniformity of result are of particular importance in areas where the parties are likely to give advance thought to the legal consequences of their transactions."). Therefore, to protect uniform results, I must apply Pennsylvania law.
Accordingly, because the protection of justifiable expectations and uniform results require the application of Pennsylvania law, I
This case ultimately hinges upon the interpretation of the Berkley policies. Berkley advocates for a narrow reading of the policies, insisting that coverage must only be afforded "to the extent that such claims, losses, damages, injuries, illnesses, or death are caused by the negligence (of any degree), strict liability, or willful misconduct of the Contractor [Stric-Lan]." Berkley Mem. Law Supp. Mot. Summ. J. 6-8; see MSSA 11. Steadfast and Arch, on the other hand, urge me to frame coverage broadly, specifically asking me to determine that coverage is afforded where "liability arise[s] out of [Stric-Lan's] operations."
Despite the parties' excessive briefing, the rule at the heart of this issue can be summed up in one succinct saying: When all else fails, read the instructions. Indeed, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has embraced reliance on the plain meaning of unambiguous terms in insurance contracts, holding, "In construing a policy of insurance, we are required to give plain meaning to a clear and unambiguous contract provision unless such provision violates a clearly expressed public policy." Williams v. GEICO Gov't Emps. Ins. Co., 613 Pa. 113, 32 A.3d 1195, 1199-200 (2011) (citation omitted). Where a contract lays out terms under which the "additional insured" will be covered, the "additional insured" must be afforded coverage whenever the conditions specified in the terms occur. See, e.g., Twp. of Springfield v. Ersek, 660 A.2d 672, 676 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 1995) (determining that an insurance contract that provided "additional insured" coverage where liability arose out of a party's operations provided "additional insured" coverage where liability arose out that party's operations).
Here, Stric-Lan agreed to purchase insurance pursuant to the MSSA, a document which all parties agree constitutes an "insured contract." Berkley Admis. 8; Stric-Lan Admis. 8. Under the MSSA, Stric-Lan has a duty to defend and indemnify HG "to the extent that such claims, losses, damages, injuries, illnesses, or death are caused by the negligence (of any degree), strict liability, or willful misconduct of the Contractor [Stric-Lan]." MSSA 11. The Berkley policies purchased pursuant to the MSSA afford a much broader spectrum of coverage, covering liability that "arise[s] out of [Stric-Lan's] operations."
In an attempt to skirt the plain language of the policy and the MSSA, Arch and Steadfast argue that the insurance policies are "completely separate contracts not governed by the MS[S]A" because of the following clause contained in the MSSA:
Arch and Steadfast also argue, "There is no language in the Berkley policies that `clearly manifests an intent' to incorporate the language of the MS[S]A with respect to the indemnity obligations." Arch Resp. 18. This argument disregards the plain language contained in the Berkley policies. It is hard to imagine a clearer statement of intent than expressly limiting coverage to "the lesser of: (a) the coverage and/or limits of this policy; or (b) the coverage and/or limits required by [the MSSA]." Berkley Primary Policy 4 § B.1.
Accordingly, because the Berkley policy expressly limits its coverage to the lesser terms of the MSSA, I
I must now determine whether HG was covered as an "additional insured" under the Berkley coverage. Berkley argues that the plaintiff in the Kunz litigation must allege negligence on the part of Stric-Lan to trigger coverage. Berkley Mem. Supp. Mot. Summ. J. 7-8. Arch and Steadfast maintain that the coverage does not require the underlying lawsuit to allege negligence; instead, it merely requires that the incident actually arise from Stric-Lan's negligence. See, e.g., Steadfast Mem. Supp. Summ. J. 17-19.
Under Pennsylvania law, an insurer's "duty to defend and indemnify [must] be determined solely from the language of the complaint against the insured." Kvaerner Metals Div. of Kvaerner U.S., Inc. v. Com. Union Ins. Co., 589 Pa. 317, 908 A.2d 888, 896 (2006). Specifically, courts must "look to the language of the policies themselves to determine in which instances they will provide coverage, and then examine [the] complaint to determine whether the allegations set forth therein constitute the type of instances that will trigger coverage." Id. at 896-97. The threshold for determining a duty to defend is low; indeed, "[a]s long as the complaint `might or might not' fall within the policy's coverage, the insurance company is obliged to defend." Lexington Ins. Co. v. Charter Oak Fire Ins. Co., 81 A.3d 903, 910-11 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2013). "Accordingly, it is the potential, rather than the certainty, of a claim falling within the insurance policy that triggers the insurer's duty to defend." Am. & Foreign Ins. Co. v. Jerry's Sport Ctr., Inc., 606 Pa. 584, 2 A.3d 526, 541 (2010) (emphasis added).
The duty to indemnify follows the duty to defend. Where a court determines that no duty to defend exists, no duty to indemnify exists. Kvaerner, 908 A.2d at 896, n.7. If, however, a court determines that a duty to defend exists, it can determine whether a duty to indemnify exists by conducting an "inquiry into whether there was actual coverage for the underlying claim." Am. States Ins. Co. v. State Auto Ins. Co., 721 A.2d 56, 64 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1998). However, "[u]nlike the duty to defend, a determination of the duty to indemnify is not necessarily limited to the factual allegations of the underlying complaint." State Farm Fire & Cas. Co. v.
Accordingly, I must now consider whether the complaint in the Kunz litigation triggered Berkley's duty to defend. If I determine that a duty to defend existed, I must then consider the underlying facts of the case to determine whether Berkley had a duty to indemnify.
The starting point of my analysis is the plain language of both the Berkley policy and the Kunz Complaint. Here, the policy specifically provides coverage "to the extent that such claims, losses, damages, injuries, illnesses, or death are caused by the negligence (of any degree), strict liability, or willful misconduct of the Contractor [Stric-Lan]." MSSA 9. Kunz sued both HG and Stric-Lan, alleging that HG was liable based on alleged negligence and Stric-Lan was liable under West Virginia's deliberate intent statute. The question, then, is whether the allegations contained in the Kunz Complaint "constitute the type of instances that will trigger coverage" where coverage is limited to claims caused by Stric-Lan's negligence, strict liability or willful misconduct. Kvaerner, 908 A.2d at 897. I determine that they are.
The complaint in the Kunz litigation specifically alleges that HG failed to exercise reasonable care with respect to worker invitees on its premises and Stric-Lan created a specific unsafe working condition.
Having determined that a duty to defend existed, I must now consider whether there are sufficient facts to trigger Berkley's duty to indemnify. Here, I have sufficient evidence to determine that
Accordingly, I
In summary, I
Therefore, to the extent that Arch Insurance Company's Motion for Summary Judgment [ECF No. 94] and Steadfast Insurance Company's Motion for Summary Judgment [ECF No. 92] ask this court to declare that Stric-Lan and Berkley were obligated to provide primary, non-contributory coverage for the Kunz litigation, they are
The court