Harleysville Worcester Ins. v. Paramount Concrete, Inc.Harleysville Worcester Ins. v. Paramount Concrete, Inc.
RULING ON DEFENDANTS PARAMOUNT CONCRETE’S AND R.I. POOLS’ MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT
This is an insurance coverage action relating to claims for damage to swimming pools constructed with defectively produced concrete, known- as “shotcrete.” Plaintiff Harleysville Worcester Insurance Company (“Harleysville”) has brought this declaratory judgment action pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 2201 and 1382(a)(1), against defendant Paramount Concrete (“Paramount”), defendant R.I. Pools, and Paramount’s excess liability insurer, defendant Scottsdale Insurance Company, seeking a declaration that it has no duty to indemnify Paramount in its underlying litigation brought by R.I. Pools. See Harleysville Compl. (doc. # 1). Paramount and R.I. Pools have both moved for partial summary judgment on the issue of coverage (docs. # 78 and 94).
I. Standard of Review
Summary judgment is appropriate when the evidence demonstrates 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(c); see also Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 256,
When ruling on a summary judgment motion, the court must construe the facts in the light most favorable to the nonmov-ing party and must resolve all ambiguities and draw all reasonable inferences against the moving party. Anderson, 477 U.S. at 255,
“Only when reasonable minds could not differ as to the import of the evidence is summary judgment proper.” Bryant v. Maffucci
If the nonmoving party has failed to make a sufficient showing on an essential element of his case with respect to which he has the burden of proof at trial, then summary judgment is appropriate. Celotex, 477 U.S. at 322,
II. Background
In May 2009, R.I. Pools commenced a products liability lawsuit in Connecticut Superior Court against Paramount, a manufacturer and supplier of shotcrete, after approximately nineteen pools built by R.I. Pools and incorporating Paramount’s shotcrete cracked, causing extensive damage to the pools. The ease went to trial and on February 17, 2011, the jury returned a verdict in favor of R.I. Pools, awarding compensatory damages of $2,760,207.90. The jury also found that R.I. Pools was entitled to punitive damages, because Paramount had acted “with a reckless disregard for the safety of product users, consumers and others who were injured by the product.” Subsequently, the court awarded punitive damages in the form of attorneys’ fees. Paramount Mem. Supp. Summ. J. 2-6 (doc. # 79); R.I. Pools Local Rule 56(a)(1) Statement (doc. # 95); Harleysville Mem. Opp. Summ. J. 5-9 (doc. # 117).
Prior to entering the shotcrete business, Paramount purchased a Commercial General Liability (“CGL”) insurance policy from Harleysville. The CGL policy obligates Harleysville to defend any claim and indemnify any judgment against Paramount if the cause of action is covered by the policy. Included in the scope of coverage is “property damage” caused by an “occurrence,” which the policy defines as “an accident, including continuous or repeated exposure to substantially the same harmful conditions.” The policy compensates Paramount for up to one million dollars in damages per occurrence, and two million dollars total. Harleysville defended Paramount in its litigation with R.I. Pools, but reserved the right to contest coverage in the event of an unfavorable judgment. See id.
Shortly after the verdict in the underlying litigation, Harleysville filed this declaratory judgment action, asking the Court to rule that: (1) Paramount’s insurance policy did not provide coverage for the damages awarded in the underlying litigation; and (2) even if it otherwise
III. Discussion
Under the law of Connecticut, which governs this diversity action, construction of an insurance contract presents a question of law. Hartford Cas. Ins. Co. v. Litchfield Mut. Fire Ins. Co.,
Insurance policies are construed according to general rules of contract interpretation. W. World Ins. Co. v. Stack Oil, Inc.,
The insured bears the burden of establishing coverage. Yale Univ. v. Cigna Ins. Co.,
A. The Scope of the CGL Policy
Paramount’s policy requires Har-leysville to pay “those sums that [Paramount] becomes legally obligated to pay as damages” because of “property damage” caused by an “occurrence” that takes place in the “coverage territory” during the policy period. CGL Policy, Section I.l(a)(b) (doc. # 82-3). Paramount and R.I. Pools assert that all material issues of fact were resolved in the underlying litigation and that coverage is established as a matter of law. Harleysville, by contrast, argues that summary judgment must be denied, because there was no “occurrence” under the policy (or, alternatively, that there was only one occurrence) and the existence, scope, and timing of any property damage remains to be litigated.
Paramount’s policy defines an “occurrence” as “an accident, including continuous or repeated exposure to substantially the same general harmful conditions.” CGL Policy, Section V.13. “Accident” is not defined, but the Connecticut Supreme Court has interpreted this term to mean “an unforeseen unplanned event” “occurring without intent or volition” and “producing an unfortunate result.” Vermont Mut. Ins. Co. v. Walukiewicz,
The phrase “continuous exposure” broadens the term “occurrence” “beyond the word ‘accident’ to include a situation where damage occurs (continuously or repeatedly) over a period of time,” rather than suddenly or instantaneously, as the word “accident” typically suggests. Id. at 307-08,
The policy defines “property damage” as “[p]hysical injury to tangible property, including all resulting loss of use of that property.” CGL Policy, Section V.17. Where an insured “unintentionally sells a defective product that is incorporated into a third-party’s finished product, the resulting impairment to the third-party’s product” constitutes an “occurrence” that causes “property damage.” Chubb Ins. Co. of N.J. v. Hartford Fire Ins. Co., No. 97 CIV. 6935 LAP,
“[T]he mere presence of a defective part causing no immediate harm,” however, is not covered under a CGL policy. Times Fiber Commc’ns, Inc. v. Travelers Indem. Co., No. X05-CV-03-0196619S,
In Times Fiber the insured sold millions of feet of cable to a third party, which the third party installed in its building.
Harleysville views this situation as analogous to Times Fiber, in that “the event causing most, if not all, of the alleged property damage, wás or will be the intentional repair and replacement efforts.” Harleysville Summ. J. Opp. 14. It argues that there is no covered “property damage,” because the failure of the shotcrete did not cause structural damage to the pools or surrounding property; the only “property damage” that occurred was caused by removal of the shotcrete in an attempt to repair the pools. Times Fiber is distinguishable, however, because the defective cables in that case had not yet failed. The damage caused by the repairs was not covered because the insured’s product itself had not caused any harm.
Harleysville also cites Scottsdale Ins. Co. v. R.I. Pools, Inc.,
In R.I. Pools and Aquatectonics, the district judges relied heavily on Jakobson Shipyard, a case where a shipbuilder sold a tugboat with a defective steering mechanism and unsuccessfully sought indemnification for damages awarded in the buyer’s “faulty workmanship” action.
The law has changed since Harleysville filed its brief, however, and its reliance on both R.I. Pools and Aquatectonics is now misplaced. First, the Second Circuit overturned R.I. Pools, holding that the district court incorrectly conflated the initial determination of coverage, i.e., whether there was an “occurrence,” and the separate question whether an exclusion applied.
Second, in Capstone Building, the Connecticut Supreme Court expressly held that “defective workmanship can give rise to an ‘occurrence’ ” under an identical CGL policy and that damage to the insured’s own work was not excluded from the definition of “property damage” under the plain language of the policy.
In sum, neither of the arguments advanced by Harleysville precludes coverage in this case. Paramount’s defective shotcrete was incorporated into R.I. Pools’ finished product, and caused the finished product to crack and leak. See McKay Aff. Att. 11, Trial Tr. 86-87, Feb. 10, 2011 (doc. # 83-5). This case falls squarely within the category of defective component cases where courts have found an “occurrence” causing “property damage.” See, e.g., Gen. Time Corp.,
B. The CGL Policy’s Exclusions
Paramount and R.I. Pools have met their burden of establishing coverage. The next question is whether one or more exclusions in the policy nonetheless bars coverage in this case. Paramount and R.I. Pools move for summary judgment on each of the exclusions that Harleysville relies upon in disclaiming its duty to indemnify. The exclusions at issue are Exclusion a, which bars coverage for “expected or intended” injury, and several “business risk” exclusions, designed to prevent an insurer from becoming a surety for the insured’s defective work or product. See, e.g., Bonded Concrete, Inc. v. Transcon. Ins. Co.,
Paramount and R.I. Pools assert that the damage to the pools caused by Paramount’s shotcrete was an unintentional and unexpected tort that is clearly covered under the policy. Harleysville argues that the Paramount might have expected the
i. Exclusion a: Expected or Intended Injury
Exclusion a eliminates coverage for “bodily injury” or “property damage” that is “expected or intended from the standpoint of the insured.” CGL Policy, Section 1.2(a). The application of this exclusion- closely tracks the issue whether there has been an “occurrence,” because intended or expected injury or damage hardly constitutes an “accident.” See, e.g., Albarello,
In applying virtually identical exclusions, both the Connecticut Supreme Court and the Second Circuit have emphasized that the subjective intent of the insured rather than what an objectively “reasonable person” would have foreseen is determinative. See, e.g., Walukiewicz,
“Expected” is akin to “constructive intent.” Expected injury occurs where the insured, although not acting with the purpose to cause injury, must have known that “the damages would flow directly and immediately from its intentional act.” Johnstown,
In the underlying litigation, R.I. Pools alleged that Paramount’s conduct was “egregious,” and created a “high probability of causing substantial injury to product users, and consumers ... and their respective property.” See McKay Aff. Att. 17, R.I. Pools Am. Compl. ¶¶ 7-8 (doc # 84-4). The jury agreed, finding that Paramount acted “with a reckless disregard for the safety of product users, consumers or others who were injured by the product.” McKay Aff. Att. 18, Jury Verdict Form (doc. # 84-5). Recklessness, however, is not akin to “expectation” as a matter of law. An actor acts recklessly when he knows or should have known that “there is a strong probability that harm may result, even though he hopes or even expects that his conduct will prove harmless.” See Mingadlos,
Nothing in the record indicates that Paramount intended to do a shoddy job or even that it expected any harm to result from use of its product. The evidence at the underlying trial established that Paramount had no quality control system, that its employees simply “eyeballed” the correct proportions for its shotcrete mix, that it had problems with its trucks, that none of the owners or executives had any experience with concrete, that there were no corporate meetings, and that the plant supervisor (or “batchman”) did not feel adequately trained. See generally Trial Tr. (docs.# 82-84). Those factors point to severe deficiencies in its operations, and were enough for the jury to conclude that Paramount acted “recklessly.” But they do not prove that Paramount actually or constructively knew, much less intended, that its shotcrete would fail. Based on the trial record, the cracked and leaking pools appear to have been “unforeseen unplanned event[s]” that “occur[ed] without intent or volition” and “produc[ed] an unfortunate result.” Walukiewicz,
Harleysville, however, has not had a chance to litigate this issue and should not be bound by the record at the underlying trial. Liability in the underlying action did not depend on what Paramount actually or constructively intended; consideration of its subjective state of mind was unnecessary to find either negligence or recklessness. Because the jury’s conclusion that Paramount acted recklessly neither establishes nor precludes a finding of “expected” or “intended” injury as a matter of law, Harleysville should have the opportunity to present the facts to a jury in this case.
ii. Exclusion k: The “Your Product” Exclusion
Exclusion k applies to “ ‘property damage’ to ‘your product’ arising out of it or any part of it.” CGL Policy, Section I.2(k). “Your product” is defined in relevant part as “goods or products, other than real property, manufactured, sold, handled, distributed or disposed of’ by the insured or a related entity, and includes “warranties or representations made at any time with respect to the fitness, quality, durability, performance or use of ‘your product.’ ” Id. Section V.21. The “your product” exclusion clearly applies to damage to the insured’s own product, but it does not apply to “damage caused by the insured’s 'product to persons or property other than the insured’s own product.’ ” Tradin Organics USA, Inc. v.
Under Exclusion k, Paramount’s product is the shotcrete itself and not the larger pool into which it was incorporated. See, e.g., Fireman’s Fund,
The underlying litigation conclusively established that Paramount’s shotcrete caused the finished pools to crack and leak. That issue was fully litigated at trial, and it was necessary to the jury’s finding of liability. The record is clear that the damage that occurred was not to Paramount’s product; the damage was caused by Paramount’s product. See McKay Aff. Att. 10, Trial Tr. 140, Feb. 9, 2011 (engineer testimony that defective shotcrete prevented pool from withstanding cracking); McKay Aff. Att. 12, Trial Tr. 63-64, Feb. 14, 2011, (engineer testimony that defective shotcrete would prevent the steel in the pool from taking tensile loads). Although the trial record does not conclusively establish whether the defective shotcrete caused harm to the surrounding property, independent of the repairs, it is clear that the “property damage” that occurred was to property other than Paramount’s “product.” See, e.g., Dammann & Co.,
Exclusion l exempts from coverage “property damage to your work arising out of it or any part of it and included in the products-completed operations hazard.” CGL Policy, Section I.2(i). The policy defines “your work” as “work or operations performed by you,” “materials, parts or equipment furnished in connection with such work or operations,” and “warranties or representations made at any time with respect to the fitness, quality, durability, performance or use of ‘your work.’ ” Id. Section V.22. The “products-completed operations hazard” includes damage “occurring away from premises you own or rent and arising out of your work,” but excludes products that are still in the insured’s possession and work that has not yet been completed. Id. Section V.16.
It is undisputed that Paramount’s role in the construction of the pools was limited to mixing the shotcrete and delivering that product to the pool construction site. Paramount did not even shoot the shotcrete into the pools — that was done by subcontractors separately hired by R.I. Pools. McKay Aff. Att. 7, Trial Tr. 41; 76-78, Feb. 4, 2011 (doc. #82-8). Harleysville nevertheless treats the creation of Paramount’s product as its “work,” and argues that this work was completed at the time Paramount delivered the shotcrete to the construction site. Harleysville Opp. Summ. J. 29.
By defining “your work” as “work” or “operations,” Exclusion 1 appears to relate to services, not goods. Neither the Second Circuit nor the Connecticut Supreme Court has conclusively determined whether the “your work” exclusion applies in a case involving a product. See Tradin Organics,
At least one court, however, has held that an insured’s “work” includes the products it supplies and the warranties it makes. St. Paul Fire & Marine Ins. Co. v. Futura Coatings, Inc.,
iv. Exclusion j (6)
Exclusion j(6)
Paramount performed no “work” on the pools. As Harleysville concedes, Paramount’s “work” was complete the moment it delivered the shotcrete to the construction site. No property damage occurred until well after that time, when the pools cracked and began to leak. Accordingly, Exclusion j(6) does not apply, and summary judgment is granted with respect to this exclusion.
v. Exclusion m
Exclusion m eliminates coverage for “property damage” to “ ‘impaired’ property or property not physically injured” that arises out of “a defect, deficiency, inadequacy or dangerous condition in ‘your product’ or ‘your work’ ” or “a delay or failure to perform a contract.” CGL Policy, Section I.2(m). “Impaired property” is defined as:
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.
Id. Section V.8. Exclusion m does not apply to “loss of use of other property arising out of sudden and accidental physical injury to your product after it has been put to its intended use.”
“[T]he ‘Impaired Property’ exclusion is intended to prevent CGL policies from protecting against the insured’s own faulty workmanship or product.” Fireman’s Fund,
Exclusion m, however, only applies to impaired property that can be restored to use through removal of the insured’s defective product. See Sokol and Co. v. Atlantic Mut. Ins. Co.,
This is not a case like Sokol where the insured’s product — there, packets of peanut butter in a box of cookie mix — can simply be removed and replaced.
vi. Exclusion n
Exclusion n is called the “sis-tership exclusion” and it applies to any “recall of products, work or impaired property.” CGL Policy, Section I.2(n). Exclusion n protects insurance companies against liability for the costs of recalls. See, e.g., Forest City Dillon, Inc. v. Aetna Cas. & Sur. Co.,
Harleysville asserts that R.I Pools has effectively “recalled” its shotcrete from the market. But this argument fails, because no “recall” occurred in this case. “[T]he sistership exclusion does not apply to a product that has failed, but only to a ‘sister’ product withdrawn after failure of the first product.” Am. Home Assurance v. Libbey-Owens-Ford Co.,
C. The Number of Occurrences
As a final matter, Harleysville argues that even if there was “property damage” caused by an “occurrence,” and no exclusion applies, the damage all flowed from one occurrence — the production of faulty shotcrete. The law is clear, though, that the “occurrence” is the “unfortunate event” that causes injury and not the cause of that event. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co.,
A similar dynamic is at work in this case. Paramount habitually manufactured defective shotcrete, but that shotcrete caused discrete harm each time its use in a pool caused the pool to crack and leak, thereby ruining the finished product it helped to hold together.
IV. Conclusion
For the foregoing reasons, Paramount and R.I. Pools’ motions (docs. # 78 and 94) are GRANTED with respect to the issue of coverage, the number of occurrences, and the inapplicability of Exclusions k, 1, j(6), m and n, and DENIED with respect to the applicability of Exclusion a.
It is so ordered.
Notes
. Interestingly, several months before disclaiming coverage for the failure of these pools, the same Harleysville adjuster determined that there was no coverage for Paramount's defective shotcrete in a different project. See McKay Aff. Att. 21, Harleysville Internal Emails (doc. # 85-1). In the earlier situation, Harleysville denied coverage because Paramount’s concrete failed a “strength test,” and had to be replaced. Id. At the time the defect was discovered, however, it appears from the record that no actual harm had occurred. See id. If, in fact, that is what happened, the difference between the earlier situation and the present case would provide a near-perfect illustration of the distinction between cases like Times Fiber, where there is no coverage, and those like Chubb, where coverage exists because the defect in the component causes the finished product to fail.
. Paramount also asserts that the “your product” exclusion does not apply, because the exclusion does not apply to "real property” and the damage to the pools was damage to “real property.” See Paramount's Mem. Supp. Summ. J. 18-20. As Harleysville notes, that argument is patently incorrect. By the terms of the policy, the "your product” exclusion does not apply where the insured’s product is real property. There is no dispute that Paramount’s product — the shotcrete — is not real property, whether or not coverage for the property damaged — the pools — would be barred by Exclusion k.
. Harleysville also includes Exclusion j(5) in its complaint, but does not contest the inapplicability of that exclusion in its summary judgment papers. Nevertheless, it is clear that Exclusion j(5), which exempts from coverage "property damage” on "that 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” does not apply, because Paramount is not performing any operations on real property.
. Neither the Second Circuit nor the Connecticut Supreme Court has addressed whether the definition of "impaired property” encompasses property that has been physically injured by the insured’s defective product, as the pools have here, or is limited to property that simply has lost its use due to incorporation of the insured's product. Courts interpreting identical "impaired property" exclusions, however, have reached differing conclusions. Compare, e.g., Grayson,
. Although the failure of each pool was a separate "occurrence,” Harleysville may be correct that some of the "occurrences” took place outside the policy period. The existence of coverage for each separate occurrence will depend on when that "occurrence” took place — a potentially complex issue given that in most of the pools, the cracking appears to have occurred sometime during the harsh winter months, when the pools were drained and covered. That is a question of fact, not law, though, and it is not to be resolved on summary judgment. See Travelers Prop. Cas. Co. of Am. v. Laticrete Int'l, Inc., No. CV044002006S,