NANCY F. ATLAS, District Judge.
This insurance coverage case is before the Court on cross-motions for summary judgment. Plaintiff The Burlington Insurance Company ("TBIC") has filed an opposed Motion for Summary Judgment [Doc. #26] ("TBIC's Motion"). JCI has also filed an opposed Motion for Partial Summary Judgment [Doc. #30] ("JCI's Motion"). These motions are ripe for consideration.
On or about December 24, 2012, Defendant Benjamin Malone ("Malone") began to work for Gordon Smith d/b/a Smith Enterprises ("Smith"), "a company which specializes in cleaning mud tanks at worksites for oil and gas drilling operations." Plaintiff's Second Amended Original Petition [Exh. D to Doc. #26] ("Malone Petition"), ¶ 4.1. Smith contracted with JCI, a general contractor, to clean a mud tank in Jacksonville, Texas, belonging to Forest Oil. Id., ¶ 4.2.
On March 7, 2013, Malone sued Forest Oil, Lantern Drilling, Smith, and Horton in the 55th Judicial District Court of Harris County, Texas (the "Malone Action"). Malone amended his lawsuit on August 30, 2013, to name JCI as a defendant. In relevant part, Malone alleges that JCI acted negligently by, among other things, failing to inform him of the caustic materials in the mud tank, failing to provide him with adequate safety equipment for use in the mud tank, failing to properly train and supervise its employees to respond to caustic burn injuries or other medical emergencies, and failing to hire, train, or supervise competent and qualified employees. Id., ¶ 5.1. Malone initially asserted the same causes of action against Forest Oil and Lantern Drilling. See Plaintiff's First Amended Original Petition [Exh. C to Doc. #26], ¶ 5.1. Malone subsequently settled his claims with Forest Oil. See Malone's Objections and Answers to TBIC's First Set of Interrogatories [Exh. I to Doc. #26], ¶ 4. Malone dismissed with prejudice his claims against Forest Oil and Lantern Drilling on September 11, 2013. See Motion to Dismiss with Prejudice [Exh. E to Doc. #26].
At the time of the accident, JCI was covered under an insurance policy issued by TBIC (the "Policy").
The Policy excludes from coverage "bodily injury or property damages which would not have occurred in whole or in party but for the actual, alleged or threatened discharge, dispersal, seepage, migration, release or escape of `pollutants' at any time" (the "Pollution Exclusion"). Id., at App. 051. The Policy defines "Pollutants" as:
Id., at App. 031.
Furthermore, the Policy's coverage extends to include "as an additional insured" any party with whom JCI "agree[s] ... to name as an additional insured with respect to liability arising out [JCI's] ongoing operations performed on the project or service specified ..." Id., at App. 045. However, coverage does not extend to an additional insured for bodily injury to "an employee of any insured, or a person hired to do work for or on behalf of any insured ... that arises out of and in the course of ... performing duties related to the conduct of any insured's business ..." (the "Employee Exclusion"). Id.
Around April 2013, Forest Oil requested that TBIC defend and indemnify it in the Malone Action as an "additional insured" under the Policy. Declaration of Kelly DuBois [Exh. A to Doc. #26] ("DuBois Decl."), at App. 01, ¶ 4. TBIC denied that request. Id., at App. 01, ¶ 5. Around September 2013, JCI requested that TBIC defend and indemnify it in the same action. Id., at App. 01, ¶ 6. TBIC agreed to defend JCI under a reservation of rights. Id., at App. 01, ¶ 7. Around that time, Forest Oil (together with JCI) again requested that TBIC indemnify it in the Malone Action, a request which TBIC again denied. Id., at App. 01, ¶ 8.
On September 26, 2013, TBIC filed the instant action against JCI, Forest Oil, and Malone, seeking a declaratory judgment that it has no duty to defend or indemnify JCI or Forest Oil in the Malone Action.
Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure mandates the entry of summary judgment, after adequate time for discovery and upon motion, against a party who fails to make a sufficient showing of the existence of an element essential to the party's case, and on which that party will bear the burden at trial. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986); Little v. Liquid Air Corp., 37 F.3d 1069, 1075 (5th Cir. 1994) (en banc); see also Baton Rouge Oil and Chem. Workers Union v. ExxonMobil Corp., 289 F.3d 373, 375 (5th Cir.2002). Summary judgment "should be rendered if the pleadings, the discovery and disclosure materials on file, and any affidavits show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law." FED. R. CIV. P. 56(a); Celotex, 477 U.S. at 322-23, 106 S.Ct. 2548; Weaver v. CCA Indus., Inc., 529 F.3d 335, 339 (5th Cir.2008).
If the moving party meets its initial burden, the non-movant must go beyond the pleadings and designate specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue of material fact for trial. Littlefield v. Forney Indep. Sch. Dist., 268 F.3d 275, 282 (5th Cir.2001) (internal citation omitted). "An issue is material if its resolution could affect the outcome of the action. A dispute as to a material fact is genuine if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party." DIRECTV Inc. v. Robson, 420 F.3d 532, 536 (5th Cir.2005) (internal citations omitted).
In deciding whether a genuine and material fact issue has been created, the court reviews the facts and inferences to be drawn from them in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. Reaves Brokerage Co. v. Sunbelt Fruit & Vegetable Co., 336 F.3d 410, 412 (5th Cir.2003). The non-movant's burden is not met by mere reliance on the allegations or denials in the non-movant's pleadings. See King v. Dogan, 31 F.3d 344, 346 (5th Cir.1994) (holding that unverified pleadings do not "constitute competent summary judgment evidence"). Likewise, "conclusory allegations" or "unsubstantiated assertions" do not meet the non-movant's burden. Delta & Pine Land Co. v. Nationwide Agribusiness Ins. Co., 530 F.3d 395, 399 (5th Cir. 2008). Instead, the nonmoving party must present specific facts which show "the existence of a genuine issue concerning every essential component of its case." Am. Eagle Airlines, Inc. v. Air Line Pilots Ass'n, Int'l, 343 F.3d 401, 405 (5th Cir.2003) (citation and internal quotation marks omitted). In the absence of any proof, the court will not assume that the non-movant could or would prove the necessary facts. Little, 37 F.3d at 1075 (citing Lujan v. Nat'l Wildlife Fed'n, 497 U.S. 871, 888, 110 S.Ct. 3177, 111 L.Ed.2d 695 (1990)).
The Court may make no credibility determinations or weigh any evidence, and must disregard all evidence favorable to the moving party that the jury is not required to believe. See Chaney v. Dreyfus Serv. Corp., 595 F.3d 219, 229 (5th Cir.2010) (citing Reaves Brokerage Co., 336 F.3d at 412-413). The Court is not required to accept the non-movant's conclusory allegations, speculation, and unsubstantiated assertions which are either entirely unsupported, or supported by a mere scintilla of evidence. Id. (citing Reaves Brokerage, 336 F.3d at 413). Affidavits cannot preclude summary judgment unless they contain competent and otherwise admissible evidence. See FED. R. CIV. P. 56(c)(4); Love v. Nat'l Med. Enters., 230 F.3d 765, 776 (5th Cir.2000); Hunter-Reed v. City of Houston, 244 F.Supp.2d 733, 745 (S.D.Tex.2003).
Finally, "[w]hen evidence exists in the summary judgment record but the nonmovant fails even to refer to it in the response to the motion for summary judgment, that evidence is not properly before the district court." Malacara v. Garber, 353 F.3d 393, 405 (5th Cir.2003). "Rule 56 does not impose upon the district court a
"The duty to defend means the insurer will defend the insured in any lawsuit that alleges and seeks damages for an event potentially covered by the policy." Colony Ins. Co. v. Peachtree Constr., Ltd., 647 F.3d 248, 252-53 (5th Cir.2011). An insurer owes its insured a duty to defend "if a plaintiff's factual allegations potentially support a covered claim." Zurich Amer. Ins. Co. v. Nokia, Inc., 268 S.W.3d 487, 490 (Tex.2008) (citing GuideOne Elite Ins. Co. v. Fielder Rd. Baptist Church, 197 S.W.3d 305, 310 (Tex.2006)). Whether the insurer owes a duty to defend is a question of law for the Court to decide. Ooida Risk Retention Group, Inc. v. Williams, 579 F.3d 469, 471-72 (5th Cir.2009). When faced with a coverage dispute, the Court must give effect to the intention of the parties as that intention is expressed in the insurance policy itself. See Ideal Lease Serv., Inc. v. Amoco Prod. Co., 662 S.W.2d 951, 953 (Tex.1983).
In deciding whether an insurer has a duty to defend, the Court must follow the "eight-corners rule" — that is, the duty to defend is determined by considering only the plaintiff's pleadings in the underlying lawsuit and the policy language. Zurich, 268 S.W.3d at 491. The focus is on the factual allegations in the underlying complaint, not on the legal theories. See id. at 495 (citing Farmers Tex. County Mut. Ins. Co. v. Griffin, 955 S.W.2d 81, 82 (Tex.1997)). The Court is required to "resolve all doubts regarding the duty to defend in favor of the duty" and to "construe the pleadings liberally." Id. at 491. "If a complaint potentially includes a covered claim, the insurer must defend the entire suit." Id.
The insured bears the burden of showing that the claim against it is potentially within the policy's affirmative grant of coverage. Primrose Operating Co. v. Nat'l Am. Ins. Co., 382 F.3d 546, 552-53 (5th Cir.2004); New York Life Ins. Co. v. Travelers Ins. Co., 92 F.3d 336, 338 (5th Cir.1996). If the insurer relies on the policy's exclusions to deny coverage, the burden shifts to the insurer to prove the exclusion applies. Primrose, 382 F.3d at 553; New Hampshire Ins. Co. v. Martech USA, Inc., 993 F.2d 1195, 1199 (5th Cir. 1993). If the insurer is successful, the burden shifts back to the insured to show that an exception to the exclusion brings the claim potentially within the scope of coverage under the insurance policy. Primrose, 382 F.3d at 553.
"In assessing whether the allegations in a complaint fall within the scope of an exclusion, a reviewing court must interpret the complaint liberally and construe the exclusion narrowly, resolving any ambiguity in favor of the insured." City of College Station, Tex. v. Star Ins. Co., 735 F.3d 332, 337 (5th Cir.2013). "If the insured proffers a reasonable interpretation of the exclusion favorable to coverage, a reviewing court must accept it, even if the insurer proffers an interpretation negating coverage that is more reasonable or a more accurate reflection of the parties' intent." Id. at 337-38 (emphasis in original) (internal quotations omitted).
Defendants have shown that Malone's claims in the Malone Action fall within the Policy's "affirmative grant of coverage." Specifically, Malone's injuries occurred during the coverage period. Moreover, Malone suffered "bodily injuries" and sues
In deciding whether TBIC owes Forest Oil a duty to defend as an additional insured, the Court must consider: "(1) whether [Forest Oil] qualifies as an additional insured under the policy, and (2) whether, under Texas's strict eight-corners rule, the facts alleged in the underlying [Malone Action] are sufficient to trigger [TBIC's] duty to defend [Forest Oil]." Gilbane Building Co. v. Admiral Ins. Co., 664 F.3d 589, 595 (5th Cir.2011). Forest Oil "bears the burden on each of these issues." Id.
TBIC concedes that Forest Oil's contract with JCI technically qualifies it for coverage under the Policy as an "additional insured." See TBIC's Motion [Doc. #26], at 4 ("The Policy contained an Automatic Additional Insured Endorsement which made Forest [Oil] an additional insured with respect to liability arising out of JCI's ongoing operations."). TBIC contends, however, that it has no duty to defend Forest Oil for two reasons. First, TBIC argues that JCI was not mentioned in Malone's Original Petition, and Forest Oil was thus never "triggered" as an additional insured. Id., at 12-15. Second, TBIC argues that Malone's injuries are excluded from coverage with respect to Forest Oil because they occurred while Malone was working on behalf of JCI. Id., at 15-16.
The Policy provides that insurance coverage extends:
Policy [Exh. A to Doc. #26], at App. 045 (emphasis added). TBIC argues that because Malone's Original Petition did not mention JCI or its "ongoing operations performed on the project or service," Forest Oil cannot have been triggered as an additional insured under an "eight corners" analysis. Malone's First Amended Petition, however, included claims against both JCI and Forest Oil. See First Amended Petition [Exh. C to Doc. #26], ¶¶ 2.2, 2.6, 5.1-5.5. Malone filed that petition on August 30, 2013, and did not move to dismiss his claims against Forest Oil until September 11, 2013. See id.; Motion to Dismiss with Prejudice [Exh. E to Doc. #26]. In his First Amended Petition, Malone alleged that Forest Oil "contacted and retained Defendant JCI as a general contractor," and further alleged, among other things, that Forest Oil or JCI negligently failed to inform him about the caustic materials in the mud tank. See First Amended Petition [Exh. C to Doc. #26], ¶¶ 4.2-4.4, 5.1. Thus, Malone's First Amended Petition stated allegations that were "with respect to liability arising out of [JCI's] ongoing operations performed on the project or service specified in the contract," i.e., JCI's agreement to serve as a general contractor for Forest Oil's Jacksonville, Texas, oil well. Malone's allegations in his First Amended Petition therefore triggered
TBIC relies on Gilbane to support its argument, but that case is inapposite. In Gilbane, the Court of Appeals held that the insurer (Admiral) had no duty to defend an additional insured (Gilbane) because the "allegations in the pleadings [did] not implicate" the fault of the insured (Empire). Gilbane, 664 F.3d at 599. The Court of Appeals "limited its review to the face of the petition" and concluded that the underlying litigation did not "affirmatively allege any facts implicating the negligence of ... Empire." Id. Here, in contrast, Malone's First Amended Petition asserted negligence claims against both JCI and Forest Oil, and asserted numerous facts that implicated both JCI's and Forest Oil's fault. Nothing in Gilbane limits the Court's review to only Malone's Original Petition; indeed, the Gilbane Court itself reviewed a "Third Amended Petition" in assessing whether Admiral owed Gilbane a duty to defend as an additional insured. See id. at 598. Because Malone has "affirmatively alleged" facts implicating both JCI's and Forest Oil's negligence, id. at 599, TBIC's duty to defend Forest Oil as an additional insured was triggered.
TBIC further argues that it has no duty to defend Forest Oil "because the Policy expressly excludes coverage to an additional insured based on liability arising from bodily injury to a person hired to work on behalf of any insured." TBIC's Motion, at 15 (emphasis in original). The Policy includes the following exclusion:
These exclusions apply:
Policy [Exh. A to Doc. #26], at App. 045 (the "Employee Exclusion").
The Court agrees with Plaintiff that the Employee Exclusion requires denial of coverage to Forest Oil in this case. Malone alleges that he was employed by Smith, and that JCI hired Smith to clean Forest Oil's mud tank. See Malone Petition, ¶ 4.2 ("Upon information and belief, Lantern Drilling and/or Forest Oil contacted and retained Defendant JCI as a general contractor who hired Defendant Smith Enterprises to clean a mud tank located at Forest Oil's well ...") (emphasis added). Thus, Malone, by virtue of his employment through Smith, was "hired to do work for or on behalf of" JCI, the insured. The work Malone performed arose in the course of JCI's performance of its contract with Forest Oil and while "performing duties related to" JCI's business as a general contractor for Forest Oil. Accordingly, the Employee Exclusion excludes coverage to Forest Oil as an "additional insured" under the Policy, and TBIC has no duty to defend Forest Oil against Malone's claims in the Malone Action. See Atlantic Cas. Ins. Co. v. Gonzalez, 402 Fed.Appx. 953,
TBIC contends that it owes JCI no duty to defend because the injuries Malone asserts in the Malone Action are excluded from coverage by the Pollution Exclusion.
In his Petition, Malone alleges that he suffered "bodily injury" after he entered Forest Oil's mud tank, waded in the drilling mud, and came in contact with "large quantities of caustic materials." Malone Petition, ¶¶ 4.4-4.5. TBIC contends that the Pollution Exclusion applies in this case because the "caustic materials" were "pollutants" that were "dispersed" in the mud. Defendants do not dispute that the caustic materials qualify as "pollutants" under the Policy. Rather, Defendants argue that Malone's Petition cannot fairly be read to allege that his injuries resulted from caustic materials being "dispersed" (or emitted through any "enumerated mechanism") in the mud.
Plaintiff has not met its burden to show that the Pollution Exclusion bars coverage in this case. "To disperse a pollutant means to break it up and scatter it about." Zaiontz v. Trinity Universal Ins. Co., 87 S.W.3d 565, 573 (Tex.App.-San Antonio 2002, pet. denied) (citing MERRIAM WEBSTER DICTIONARY 223 (1994)).
Malone's Petition also cannot be read to state that the caustic materials "dispersed
The cases TBIC cites in support of its Motion are distinguishable from the circumstances of this case. The cited cases generally involved pollutants that the plaintiffs in the underlying actions had explicitly alleged, or had unquestionably implied, were emitted through one of those policies' enumerated mechanisms. See Nautilus Ins. Co., 566 F.3d at 457 ("The only way that carbon monoxide could accumulate in Schencks's apartment is if it was first emitted from her furnace. The normal emission of carbon monoxide from an apartment furnace falls within the plan meaning of the terms `discharge,' `disperse,' `seep,' and `release.'"); Noble Energy, Inc. v. Bituminous Cas. Co., 529 F.3d 642, 647 (5th Cir.2008) (noting that plaintiff in underlying litigation had alleged that "hazardous, harmful substances were released ..."); Zaiontz v. Trinity Universal Ins. Co., 87 S.W.3d 565, 573 (Tex.App.-San Antonio 2002, pet. denied) (holding that allegations fell within exclusion because plaintiff had alleged "he was injured when he used foggers to `spray' the Smoke and Odor eliminator into the interior of the plane" and thus alleged "he was injured by the `discharge,' `dispersal,' or `release'" of the pollutant).
TBIC also relies on United National Insurance Company v. Hydro Tank, Inc., 497 F.3d 445 (5th Cir.2007).
Where a plaintiff's allegations "potentially support a covered claim," the insurer has a duty to defend its insured. Gore Design Completions, Ltd. v. Hartford Fire
In contrast to the duty to defend, "the duty to indemnify means the insurer will pay all covered claims and judgments against the insured." Colony Ins. Co., 647 F.3d at 253. In Texas, the duty to indemnify is distinct from the duty to defend. Id. (citing Trinity Universal Ins. Co. v. Cowan, 945 S.W.2d 819, 821-22 (Tex.1997)). Unlike the duty to defend, "the duty to indemnify is triggered by the actual facts establishing liability in the underlying suit, and whether any damages caused by the insured and later proven at trial are covered by the terms of the policy." Id. "If any ambiguity exists, exceptions and limitations in a policy are construed strictly against the insurer." Northfield Ins. Co. v. Loving Home Care, Inc., 363 F.3d 523, 529 (5th Cir.2004).
Generally, the duty to indemnify is determined "when the underlying liability case is concluded." Nautilus Ins. Co., 566 F.3d at 458. Even if an insurer owes no duty to defend, "it may still have a duty to indemnify" an insured.
The Court concludes that it is premature to decide whether TBIC has a duty to indemnify either JCI or Forest Oil. Malone's case against JCI remains pending. While the Court concludes, based on the Policy language and the Malone Petition, that TBIC has no duty to defend Forest Oil as an additional insured, other facts may be shown during litigation of the Malone Action that may dictate a different result on the question of TBIC's indemnification obligations. The Court cannot decide indemnification issues until completion
For the reasons stated, it is hereby