SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY
APPELLATE DIVISION
A-2953-98T5
CONDUIT AND FOUNDATION CORPORATION,
Plaintiff,
v.
HARTFORD CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY,
UNIVERSAL STEEL ERECTORS, INC.,
ESTATE OF PAUL KREMPA,
FRANK and NANCY KREMPA,
KEITH D. SMITH, KELLY EQUIPMENT
COMPANY, INC., GARY AUTO LEASE, INC.,
STATE OF NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION,
Defendants,
and
HARTFORD CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY,
Third-Party Plaintiff/Appellant,
v.
PROVIDENCE WASHINGTON INSURANCE COMPANY,
Third-Party Defendant/Respondent,
and
AETNA CASUALTY & SURETY COMPANY,
Third-Party Defendant.
_________________________________________
Argued February 22, 2000 - Decided March 8, 2000
Before Judges Conley and Coburn.
On appeal from Superior Court of New Jersey,
Law Division, Bergen County.
Jennine DiSomma argued the cause for appellant
(Saiber Schlesinger Satz & Goldstein, attorneys;
Ms. DiSomma and Diana L. Parmer, on the brief).
John C. Simons argued the cause for respondent
(Hoagland, Longo, Moran, Dunst & Doukas, attorneys;
James B. Moran, of counsel; Jacquelyn L. Poland,
on the brief).
The opinion of the court was delivered by,
CONLEY, J.A.D.
This insurance appeal arises from an automobile accident
that occurred on a construction site on Route 80. It is not
brought by the insured, Universal Steel Erectors (Universal), a
subcontractor on the site and the owner of the vehicle which was
involved in the accident. Neither is it brought by the party in
the ensuing personal injury litigation that had sought coverage
under Universal's comprehensive general liability insurance,
Conduit and Foundation Corporation (Conduit). Conduit was the
contractor on the site responsible for maintaining the safety of
the construction traffic lane. Rather, it is an appeal by
Universal's comprehensive general liability (CGL) carrier,
Hartford Casualty Insurance Company (Hartford), from a summary
judgment in favor of Universal's business automobile carrier,
Providence Washington Insurance Company (Providence) based upon a
determination that Hartford's policy provides coverage for
Universal's liability. We reverse.
Universal's employee was fatally injured in the accident.
His estate sued Conduit for its negligence in supervising the
traffic lane. Conduit, in turn, filed a third-party complaint
against Universal. That complaint sought contractual
indemnification alleging Universal's negligent entrustment and/or
use of its vehicle.See footnote 11 It is this claim that triggered Universal's
potential liability, and thus that of its insurers.
Hartford's CGL policy contained an automobile exclusion.
And so, Hartford undertook Universal's defense on the third-party
indemnification claim but with a reservation of rights. Conduit,
then, filed a declaratory judgment action alleging that it was an
additional insured on Hartford's CGL policy and that Hartford was
estopped from denying coverage to it as such.See footnote 22
Universal had a business automobile policy with Providence
which covered the vehicle involved in the accident. Hartford
filed an answer in Conduit's declaratory judgment action and a
third-party complaint against Providence alleging that, whereas
the automobile exclusion in the Hartford policy precluded
coverage, Providence's automobile policy expressly provided
coverage for the personal injuries arising from the accident.See footnote 33
Hartford also alleged, alternatively, that if its policy was
applicable, it was only as an excess policy pursuant to the
"other insurance" provisions of the Hartford and Providence
policies.See footnote 44 We assume Providence filed an answer to this third
party complaint, although the record provided to us does not
contain it.
In any event, all of the underlying issues, both as to the
personal injury suit and Conduit's third-party complaint against
Universal for contractual indemnification, were settled for
$981,000. We are told by Hartford, and it is not disputed by
Providence, that Conduit's separate declaratory judgment action
against Hartford for coverage as an additional insured on
Universal's CGL policy was part of the settlement. The only
remaining issue was whether Hartford or Providence would bear
ultimate liability for the $475,000 Hartford contributed on
Universal's behalf. In cross-motions for summary judgment, the
motion judge determined that Hartford's CGL policy should pay.
We disagree.
Before we address Hartford's contention that the motion
judge erred in concluding that its policy and not that of
Providence was applicable, we set forth the parameters of the
dispute between Hartford and Providence as presented to us by
virtue of the procedural posture of this case. First, and
perhaps foremost, any claims Conduit may have had as a direct
insured on Hartford's policy have been settled and are not before
us. Second, the basis for Universal's liability, and thus that
of Hartford and Universal on Conduit's contractual
indemnification third-party claim, has been conceded. That is to
say, as we understand it, in settling all of the issues involved
in the proceedings below, both insurers have agreed that
Universal's indemnification agreement with Conduit was an
"insured contract" as defined by both policies and that Universal
is liable, to some extent, for the personal injuries sustained in
the automobile accident pursuant to that agreement. Finally, as
posited below, there is no dispute that Universal's contribution
to the settlement of the underlying personal injury suit, through
Hartford, will be paid (indeed has been paid), and that that
amount has been agreed to by both carriers.
As we have said, then, this is an insurance coverage
dispute. It is not a dispute over the scope of the
indemnification agreement between Conduit and Universal or
whether that agreement is an "insured contract" for the purposes
of insurance coverage under either policy. Nonetheless, the
motion judge's decision focused upon the indemnification
provision in Universal's subcontract with Conduit and whether
"the Court should look to the nature and quality of the
allegations asserted against the indemnitee [Conduit] or those
asserted against the insured indemnitor [Universal]." The judge
determined that the inquiry should focus on Conduit and, further,
concluded that the accident was caused substantially by the
negligence of Conduit in its supervision of the work site.See footnote 55
As we understand the judge's rationale, then, he concluded
that Universal had agreed to indemnify Conduit for Conduit's
negligence and that the cause of the accident was Conduit's
negligence "in the maintenance of the construction road, or the
lack thereof." He said "looking at . . . the acts of the
indemnitee, it's clear to the Court that this was not an
automobile accident or anything that could be extended to include
actions . . . that an automobile insurance carrier would have to
respond to." Rather, he thought, "[t]his clearly . . . was
something that took place by way of the actions of Conduit in the
maintenance of the construction road, or the lack thereof, and
that therefore this would clearly be covered by Hartford's
general contractor's liability policy."
We suppose, where there is a business automobile policy and
a CGL policy for that business and something untoward happens on
the insured's work site triggering liability on the part of the
insured, the natural inclination may well be to view that as a
matter of CGL coverage, particularly where the liability may be
premised upon assumption of another's workplace negligence. In
that scenario, the fact that a vehicle is the instrument of the
underlying harm might be considered either incidental or not
relevant. That we think was the general thrust of the judge's
consideration of the insurance dispute here.
The difficulty with this rationale under the circumstances
as presented to us is several-fold. First, it assumes, without
reference to the terms of the Providence policy, that there is no
coverage under that policy. This seems not to be so here. See
n.3, supra. Moreover, as we understand the settlement below,
both carriers have agreed that the only issue that remains is
which of the two will be responsible. That assumes that if we
determine Hartford's policy does not apply because of its auto
exclusion, Providence will provide the coverage.See footnote 66
Second, the motion judge's rationale fails to recognize that
the involvement of the use of the motor vehicle here was not
incidental, either to the injuries that were sustained, or to the
cause of action, whether it be as to Conduit's third-party
complaint against Universal or the plaintiff's complaint against
Conduit. As to the former, Conduit's claim for indemnification
was based upon an allegation that Universal's vehicle was driven
negligently. As to the latter, while the claim is that Conduit
was negligent in its maintenance and supervision on the work
site, the specific allegations focused upon Conduit's traffic
supervision _ activity entirely concerned with vehicular use.
Third, the judge failed to consider the language of
Hartford's policy, not to mention Providence's policy. While we
look for the probable intent of the parties and their reasonable
expectations in construing insurance policies and construe
exclusionary clauses in strict fashion, when the language of an
insurance policy is clear, we must enforce its terms as written.
E.g., Miller v. McClure,
326 N.J. Super. 558, 564-65 (App. Div.
1998), aff'd o.b., ___ N.J. ___ (1999); Robert W. Hayman, Inc.
v. Acme Carriers, Inc.,
303 N.J. Super. 355, 357 (App. Div.
1997). See Princeton Ins. Co. v. Chunmuang,
151 N.J. 80, 98-100
(1997) (exclusion in gynecologist's malpractice policy for
criminal acts applies to personal injury claim by patient based
upon alleged sexual assault during gynecological exam).
Hartford's CGL policy agrees to pay "those sums that the
insured becomes legally obligated to pay as damages because of
'bodily injury' or 'property damage' to which this insurance
applies." (Emphasis added). As we have said, as the issues have
been presented to us Universal's obligation to pay damages for
the bodily injuries of the plaintiff arose solely from its
indemnification agreement with Conduit. It is agreed that
Hartford's policy applies to that obligation. But, the policy
expressly excludes coverage for:
"Bodily injury" or "property damage" arising
out of the ownership, maintenance, use or
entrustment to others of any aircraft, auto
or watercraft owned or operated by or rented
or loaned to any insured.
This exclusion applies to all potential coverage under the
policy.
Reflective of the breadth of the automobile exclusion is the
fact that while the exclusion also extends to aircraft and
watercraft, it expressly limits its scope as to these forms of
conveyances to certain circumstances. That is to say, the
exclusion for bodily injuries arising from the use of the
aircraft and watercraft is not absolute and coverage under the
policy for such bodily injuries may or may not be available
depending upon the circumstances. Not so as to bodily injuries
arising from the use of an automobile. There is no coverage
whatsoever for such bodily injuries.
The personal injury litigation, Universal's contractual
indemnification liability therefor, and, thus, the basic premise
for the insurer's responsibility, all came about because of
bodily injuries that arose from the use of an automobile. Thus,
it is Providence's automobile policy that applies. See Scarfi v.
Aetna Cas. & Sur. Co.,
233 N.J. Super. 509, 515 (App. Div. 1989)
("[t]he [CGL] policy clearly was designed to exclude coverage for
personal injuries and property damage arising out of automobile
accidents. It appears that coverage for such accidents was
provided not by the CGL policy but, rather, by the Aetna Business
Auto policy . . . ."); Williamson v. Continental Cas. Co.,
201 N.J. Super. 95, 101 (App. Div. 1985) ("[p]lainly there was
coverage under the automobile policy since plaintiff's injuries
arose out of the use of the automobile and it should follow, as
it did in Westchester [Fire Ins. Co. v. Continental Ins. Co.,
126 N.J. Super. 29 (App. Div. 1973), aff'd o.b.,
65 N.J. 152 (1974)],
that the language in the automobile and homeowner's policies is
mutually exclusive.").
In the context of whether an automobile policy provides
coverage for personal injury, it is, by now, universally
understood that the words "arising out of" are interpreted in a
"broad and comprehensive sense to mean 'originating from' or
'growing out of' the use of the automobile." Westchester Fire
Ins. Co. v. Continental Ins. Co., supra, 126 N.J. Super. at 38.
See Allstate Ins. Co. v. Moraca,
244 N.J. Super. 5, 13 n.1 (App.
Div. 1990). Thus, it is not a requirement that "personal injury"
be a direct and proximate result of the use of the automobile to
satisfy the "arising out of" element of an automobile policy.
Westchester Fire, 126 N.J. Super. at 37; Moraca, supra, 244 N.J.
Super. at 13 n.1 ("[i]n order to fall under the ambit of 'arising
out of the use' it is sufficient to show only that the accident
or injury 'was connected with,' 'had its origins in,' 'grew out
of,' 'flowed from,' or 'was incident to' the use of an
automobile."). See also Home State Ins. Co. v. Continental Ins.
Co.,
313 N.J. Super. 584, 594 (App. Div. 1998), aff'd o.b.,
158 N.J. 104 (1999) (injuries from assault to student while a
passenger on a school bus arose out of the ownership,
maintenance, or use of the bus and, therefore, coverage was
provided by the business owner's automobile policy and not his
general liability policy which contained an automobile
exclusion).
We recognize that the language "arising out of" that we
focus upon here is in the context of an automobile exclusion in a
CGL policy. But we know of no basis for giving such language any
other than its commonly accepted application. As applied here,
therefore, while the primary culprit may have been Conduit in its
failure to properly supervise the construction vehicular traffic,
we think there can be no dispute but that the bodily injuries
sustained arose out of the use of an automobile within the
meaning of the CGL's automobile exclusion.
Instructive are Allstate Ins. Co. v. Moraca, supra,
244 N.J.
Super. 5, Bartels v. Romano,
171 N.J. Super. 23, 27 (App. Div.
1979), and Westchester Fire Ins. Co. v. Continental Ins. Co.,
supra,
126 N.J. Super. 29. In Westchester Fire, a bicyclist was
injured when a piece of wood was thrown from a vehicle and hit
him. The bicyclist sued not only the occupants of the vehicle,
but their parents for "negligence in the care, control and
discipline of their child." The parents looked to their
homeowners insurer which, in turn, sought a declaration that the
parent's automobile insurer was responsible. The homeowner's
policies, like the Hartford policy here, excluded coverage for
injuries arising out of the "ownership, maintenance, operation,
[or] use . . . of automobiles." Id. at 41. We determined that a
"substantial nexus" existed between the alleged injury and the
use of the automobile in that the act that caused the injury was
a "natural and reasonable incident or consequence" of the use of
the vehicle. Westchester Fire, supra, 126 N.J. Super. at 38.
Looking to the specific language of the policies, we found "the
homeowners policy[] is specifically designed to exclude the
coverage provided under language in the . . . automobile policy
for injuries arising out of the use of the motor vehicle." Id.
at 41-42. We concluded that because the injury was one "arising
out of" the "use" of the automobile, the automobile insurer, not
the homeowner's insurer, must defend and indemnify the insured.
Ibid.
In Bartels, we again held that, based on an automobile
exclusion contained in a homeowner's policy, there was no
coverage for injuries arising out of an accident which occurred
when a car parked in a driveway unexpectedly rolled backwards and
struck the plaintiffs. Bartels, supra, 171 N.J. Super. at 27.
In determining whether the automobile policy applicable to that
vehicle or the homeowner's policy should provide coverage on the
negligent supervision claims, we viewed the pivotal issue to be
"whether the injury sustained arose out of the use of the
automobile." Ibid. Concluding that whatever might be the
causative role of the homeowner's negligence, the injuries were a
consequence of the use of the automobile, and we held that the
automobile insurer, not the homeowner's insurer, must provide
coverage even for ostensibly unrelated claims of negligent
supervision and that the automobile exclusion in the homeowner's
policy precluded coverage thereunder.
In Moraca, we held that an automobile exclusion in a
homeowner's policy excluded coverage for negligent entrustment
claims where the insured had permitted her son to use her
vehicle. Moraca, supra, 244 N.J. Super. at 17-18. In concluding
there was no coverage for the negligent entrustment claims under
the homeowner's policy, we said that "coverage turns on the cause
of injury, rather than on the legal theory asserted against the
insured." Id. at 17 (quoting 7A Appelman Insurance Law and
Practice § 4500 (Berdal ed. Supp. 1990). We held that because
the claim of negligent entrustment is so intertwined with
automobile use in that "no harm is done until the entrustee
negligently drives the vehicle," the automobile exclusion in the
homeowner's policy applies and it is, therefore, the automobile
policy, not the homeowner's policy, that must provide coverage.
Id. at 14, 17.
In a somewhat analogous case dealing with competing CGL and
automobile policies, we applied the same analysis to determine if
an automobile exclusion in a CGL policy excluded coverage in
Scarfi v. Aetna Cas. & Sur. Co.,
233 N.J. Super. 509 (App. Div.
1989). In Scarfi, an insured sought coverage under its CGL
policy after it was sued by the driver of a van who was struck by
a dump truck used in the insured's business and operated by the
insured's employee. Id. at 511-12. The claim against the
insured was based on its alleged negligence in both hiring and
training the truck driver and repairing and maintaining the
truck. Id. at 517. The CGL policy, like the Hartford policy
here, excluded "bodily injury or property damage arising out of
the ownership, maintenance, operation, use, loading or unloading
of any . . . automobile . . . owned or operated by or rented to
any insured." Id. at 513. We held that the automobile exclusion
in the CGL policy applied because the underlying claim for
negligent hiring or training was "triggered" only when the van
driver was injured as a result the automobile accident. Scarfi,
supra, 233 N.J. Super. at 515. We observed that some claims are
so interrelated and "incidental to the ownership, operation or
use of the truck [that they] were not covered by Aetna's CGL
policy." Ibid.
Providence, however, relies upon Salem Group v. Oliver,
128 N.J. 1 (1992), and City of Manchester v. General Reinsurance
Corp.,
508 A.2d 1063 (N.H. 1986). Its reliance is misplaced. In
Manchester, a city employee was operating a city owned truck when
he hit a pothole. Another city employee, riding on the rear
platform of the truck, fell and received fatal injuries. The co
employee sued the employee and sought to recover from the city on
the basis of its agreement to indemnify its employees for their
negligence. The city sued its general liability insurer and its
automobile liability insurer, seeking coverage. The general
liability policy excluded coverage for "bodily injury . . .
arising out of the . . . operation [or] use . . . of . . . any
automobile . . . owned . . . by . . . any insured." Id. at 1064.
The trial court held that, under this exclusion, the general
liability policy would not cover the City's obligation to
indemnify the employee for his negligence, and the City appealed.
Ibid. On appeal, the City argued that the court should
distinguish between the employee's liability to the co-employee
based in tort, and the City's liability to the negligent employee
based in contract. The Supreme Court of New Hampshire rejected
this contention and affirmed, observing "if we were to accept the
city's position, the city could unilaterally convert a general
liability policy without motor vehicle coverage into a motor
vehicle policy providing such coverage, simply by making an
indemnity agreement." Id. at 1065. The Court, therefore,
enforced the automobile exclusion in the City's general liability
policy. If anything, Manchester supports a conclusion that the
automobile exclusion in Hartford's CGL policy precludes coverage
here.
Providence's reliance upon Salem Group v. Oliver, supra,
128 N.J. 1, may be on more solid ground but is also misplaced. In
Salem Group, a divided Court held that a homeowners insurer owed
a duty to defend against a social host claim where a vehicle
accident gave rise to the underlying personal injury suit,
despite an automobile exclusion in the homeowner's policy. The
homeowner had served alcohol to his nephew who thereafter drove
an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and had an off-premises accident.
The homeowners policy had an exclusion for injuries arising out
of the operation, ownership or use of a motor vehicle. In the
context of the duty to defend, the Court looked to the
allegations in the complaint as to the insured social host's
involvement and thought the excluded risk (the use of the
vehicle) was merely "an additional cause of the injury." Salem
Group, supra, 128 N.J. at 3. In resolving whether the homeowners
insurer should defend in light of the social host allegations,
the Court adopted the rule that "when two . . . risks constitute
concurrent proximate causes of an accident, the insurer is liable
[to defend] so long as one of the causes is covered by the
policy." Id. at 5-6 (quoting State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co. v.
Partridge,
514 P.2d 123, 128 (1973)).
Of course, here, there are potentially "two . . . risks
constitut[ing] proximate causes" _ the allegation of Conduit's
construction traffic supervisory actions/inactions and
Universal's employee's use of the covered automobile. But we
have recently noted that "[t]he [Salem] Court limited its holding
to the duty to defend, stating '[w]e hold not that the insurer
may ultimately be liable under the policy, but only that it must
honor its duty to defend.'" Robert W. Hayman, Inc. v. Acme
Carriers, Inc., supra, 303 N.J. Super. at 358 n.2 (quoting Salem
Group v. Oliver, supra, 128 N.J. at 6)).
A duty to defend, of course, is broader than the duty to
indemnify. Danek v. Hommer,
28 N.J. Super. 68, 77 (App. Div.
1953), aff'd o.b.,
15 N.J. 573 (1954). The duty to defend is
determined by comparing the allegations of the complaint with the
language of the policy; if there are multiple causes of action
alleged, only one of which may be covered, the duty to defend
will continue until every covered claim is eliminated. Robert W.
Hayman, Inc. v. Acme Carriers, Inc., supra, 303 N.J. Super. at
358; Mt. Hope Inn v. Travelers Indemn. Co.,
157 N.J. Super. 431,
440-41 (Law Div. 1978). There is no issue of a duty to defend
here. Hartford provided a defense, albeit with a reservation of
rights.
The Court in Salem Group, moreover, focused upon the fact
that the negligent act of serving alcohol to a minor was distinct
from the minor's use of the ATV. In this respect, this rationale
was recently described thusly: "[s]tated another way, there was
[in Salem Group] a manifest hazard created by serving alcohol to
a minor that would have existed even in the absence of the use of
[an] insured's vehicle. The separateness of the two causes is
also apparent because there were distinct objects of the alleged
acts of negligence: alcohol on the one hand, and the motor
vehicle on the other." Mailhiot v. Nationwide Mut. Fire Ins.
Co.,
740 A.2d 360, 362 (Vt. 1999).
In rejecting reliance upon Salem Group in a somewhat
analogous case, we noted this distinction in Daus v. Marble, 270
N.J. Super. 241, 249-50 (App. Div. 1994). There a worker was
injured by pallets pushed into him by a forklift truck driven by
a co-worker's son. The injured worker sued the co-worker
alleging negligent supervision and that the co-worker negligently
permitted the son to operate the vehicle. The co-worker filed a
third-party complaint against his homeowners insurer when it
declined coverage. The homeowner's policy had an automobile
exclusion, similar to the one here, which was applicable to the
forklift truck. But relying upon Salem Group, the co-worker
claimed that because the complaint against him was dependent upon
conduct separate from the actual driving of the forklift truck,
that is the negligent supervision of his son, the automobile
exclusion could not apply to defeat otherwise available coverage.
We concluded the insured's reliance upon Salem Group was
misplaced, observing:
the Supreme Court made it clear that the
question of coverage for the insured turned
on the peculiar facts of the case and the
nature of the coverage afforded the insured.
The fifth count of the complaint clearly
alleged social host liability against the
insured for supplying alcoholic beverages to
Oliver. With respect to that count and the
homeowners'[] policy, the Court observed:
No one disputes that insurers are
generally obligated to defend their
insureds on social host claims.
The critical question is whether
the insurer can avoid that
obligation because a separate
excluded risk, the operation of an
all-terrain vehicle (ATV),
constitutes an additional cause of
the injury. We find that the
insurer remains obligated to defend
the covered risk. It may not avoid
that obligation simply because the
operation of an ATV constitutes an
additional cause of the injury.
[Salem Group, supra, 128 N.J. at 3
(emphasis added).]
The Supreme Court specifically distinguished
cases, such as Salem Group, where the
insured's liability for personal injuries can
be premised on a theory wholly independent of
negligent supervision involving an automobile
(i.e., social host liability), from those
cases, such as Allstate Ins. Co. v. Moraca,
244 N.J. Super. (App. Div. 1990), where the
plaintiff's theory of liability is based
solely on the insured's failure to exercise
sufficient control and supervision over a
child in the operation of a motor vehicle.
Id. at 5. In the latter cases, the Supreme
Court recognized the justification for
excluding coverage under the homeowners
policy to the parent because
[t]he negligent entrustment or
supervision cannot be isolated from
the ownership and operation of the
insured automobile. In contrast,
the serving of alcohol to a minor
does not depend on the insured's
ownership of a motor vehicle or its
entrustment to another. One need
not own a motor vehicle to serve
alcohol to another. [Salem Group,
supra, 128 N.J. at 5.]
In Moraca, supra, a negligent supervision
claim was made against the insured, Yodice,
for injuries caused by the alleged reckless
driving of her son, Daniel. Id. 244 N.J.
Super. at 7. Allstate denied coverage based
on its exclusion for accidents "arising out
of" the use of "any motorized land vehicle."
Id. at 8. We held that the homeowner's
insurance policy exclusion applied to claims
against Yodice for damages based on negligent
supervision. As noted earlier, that holding
was impliedly approved by the Supreme Court
in Salem Group, supra, 128 N.J. at 5.
[Daus v. Marble, supra, 270 N.J. Super. at 249-50.]
Cf. American Motorists Ins. Co. v. L-C-A Sales Co.,
155 N.J. 29,
41-42 (1998) (employee's claim of workplace harassment,
discrimination and wrongful discharge was an excluded claim under
employer's CGL policy based upon an exclusion for bodily injury
"arising out of and in the course of employment," as the
employment relationship was the underlying predicate for the
claims); Stafford v. T.H.E. Ins. Co.,
309 N.J. Super. 97, 104-05
(App. Div. 1998) (nightclub's CGL policy with an exclusion for
assault and battery did not provide coverage for injuries caused
by a shooting by another patron despite the fact that the
nightclub's liability might arise from negligent supervision or
inadequate security as the underlying operative facts involved an
assault and battery).
Here, the underlying factual predicate for both the third
party claim against Universal and the claims against Conduit
arises from an automobile accident. Unlike Salem Group,
therefore, the claims asserted against both Universal and Conduit
cannot be separated from the use of the vehicle. Conduit alleges
in its third-party complaint the right to contractual
indemnification for Universal's "negligent operation of its
vehicle." These specific allegations directly relate to and
arise out of the use of an automobile. The claim against Conduit
in the underlying personal injury litigation that it negligently
maintained a traffic lane resulting in an automobile accident
that caused the bodily injuries is also closely intertwined with
the use of the vehicle for, without automobile use, there is
noting to supervise, negligently or otherwise. The basis of the
claim against Conduit, moreover, was not generally failing to
maintain the traffic lane, but failure to properly supervise and
regulate the safe flow of traffic thereon and failure to, in the
instant case, prevent two cars from using the lane at the same
time in opposite directions. We cannot conceive of how the use
of Universal's automobile and the resulting injuries could be
considered separable from Conduit's alleged negligence.
Finally, we note that Providence has framed much of its
contentions here in the context of Conduit as the insured.
Conduit is not the insured, as the case has been presented to us.
As we have previously said, any claim that Conduit had as an
additional insured on the CGL policy has been settled. In the
context of this appeal, it is Universal as the insured that we
must consider. Moreover, Providence also persistently asserts
that "the CGL policy should provide coverage for Conduit through
its contractual indemnification agreement with Universal for
Conduit's negligence in the supervision of a construction site."
(Emphasis added). But that was not the allegation asserted in
Conduit's third-party complaint. It sought indemnification
arising from Universal's negligent use of its vehicle.
In the context of the circumstances as presented to us,
then, the allegations of negligence against Conduit were not just
construction site negligence, but negligence in the control of
vehicular traffic. The factual predicate for the alleged
negligence was an automobile accident. Can the intertwining of
such negligence with the use of the automobiles involved in the
accident be truly disputed? We think not.
Reversed.
Footnote: 1 1The subcontract between Conduit and Universal provided for
Universal to indemnify Conduit "against any loss, cause of injury
or damage to persons or property arising or resulting from the
performance of this subcontract, including any . . . damage[s]
. . . which the . . . Contractor may . . . incur on account of
any . . . suit made or brought against [it] . . . on behalf or
any employee of the subcontractor, or by or on behalf of any
person injured by the subcontractor . . . and/or in case of any
claims being made or action instituted for any act of the
subcontractor resulting in injury or damage . . . ." Pursuant to
this indemnity provision and a further agreement to obtain
insurance therefor, Conduit was added to the Hartford CGL policy
by an endorsement that stated:
In consideration of the premium charged, it
is agreed that [the policy] is amended to
include as an insured any person or
organization with whom you agreed, because of
a written contract or agreement, permit to
provide insurance such as is afforded under
this policy, but only with respect to your
operations, "your work" or facilities owned
or used by you.
Footnote: 2 2As we have set forth in footnote 1, the language of the
endorsement adding Conduit as an additional insured limits the
coverage to "your [Universal's] operations, 'your work' or
facilities owned or used by you." Whether this coverage would
apply to Conduit for negligence arising from its (Conduit's)
performance on the job site may be questionable but has not been
raised by the parties in this appeal.
Footnote: 3 3In this respect, the Providence policy provides:
We will pay all sums an "insured" legally
must pay as damages because of "bodily
injury" or "property damage" to which this
insurance applies, caused by an "accident"
and resulting from the ownership, maintenance
or use of a covered "auto."
As we have said the vehicle involved in the accident was a
covered vehicle. Facially, the policy provides coverage as the
personal injuries were caused by an accident and resulted from
the use of the covered vehicle. Universal's liability here for
such personal injuries arose, if at all, from Conduit's
contractual indemnification claims. Providence's policy agreed
to provide such contractual indemnity pursuant to an exception to
an exclusion for contractual liability for an "insured contract."
"Insured contract" is defined in the policy as:
That part of any . . . contract or agreement
pertaining to your business . . . under which
you assume the tort liability of another to
pay for "bodily injury" or "property damage"
to a third party or organization.
As far as we can tell, Providence has never claimed either that
Universal's liability was not within the scope of an "insured
contract" as defined in its policy or that there are exclusions
which would preclude coverage.
Footnote: 4 4This issue, though apparently raised by Hartford below, was
not considered by the motion judge. Hartford raises it before
us. Since we have determined that it is correct in its assertion
that it is Providence's policy which must provide coverage we do
not address the issue. We simply note that the plain language of
the two policies seem to support Hartford's contention. In this
respect, Hartford's policy says it is primary except if the loss
covered "arises out of the . . . use of . . . 'autos,'" in which
case it is excess. Providence's policy says that "[f]or any
covered auto you own, this Coverage Form provides primary
insurance."
Footnote: 5 5At the time of the accident, construction traffic was
utilizing the eastbound lane of Route 80 that was closed to all
but construction vehicles. It was Conduit's contractual
responsibility to maintain the safety of the construction
traffic. The accident occurred when Universal's vehicle
traveling eastbound was hit head on by another subcontractor's
vehicle traveling westbound. The accident analysis expert in the
underlying personal injury suit opined:
1. All traffic plans reviewed establish and
limit traffic flow to eastbound vehicles only
in the traffic lane involving the accident.
2. There were no warning signs placed
notifying Mr. Krempa that two way
construction traffic was operating in the
closed eastbound express lane.
3. Flaggers or traffic directors should have
been utilized to control opposite direction
traffic flow in the one (1) lane closed for
construction.
4. A flagger or traffic director should have
been placed at the area where eastbound
construction related vehicles entered the job
site at Route 80 East to notify vehicle
operators that two-way traffic was operating
in the area.
5. Flaggers or traffic directors with radios
should have been placed at both ends of the
single lane construction area to safely
direct one lane traffic through the area.
6. The decision of the contractor to
instruct the truck drivers to drive opposite
the traffic flow without placement of safety
devices, signs, and traffic directors or
flaggers was unsafe.
7. The contractor failed to consider that
vehicles making deliveries to the job site
and motorists, who traveled through the
unprotected opening in the roadway closure,
were not aware that two-way traffic would be
operating in the closed eastbound lane.
8. The area of the accident was not safe for
the movement of two way traffic.
9. The contractor should have devised a
traffic flow plan to permit dump trucks
hauling milling to proceed in an eastbound
direction only.
10. [The operator of the other
subcontractor's vehicle] should not have
operated his truck contrary to the flow of
traffic.
Footnote: 6 6As described by Providence in its brief for instance:
It was agreed that Hartford and Providence
Washington would then litigate, in this
declaratory judgment action, which of the two
carriers that insure Universal _ Hartford or
Providence Washington _ is responsible for
the portion of the . . . settlement paid by
Hartford as well as the costs of defending
Universal. . . . This remaining coverage
dispute concerns which carrier, Universal's
CGL insurer or its automobile insurer, must
provide coverage for Universal's contractual
indemnification of Conduit . . . .
[Emphasis added.]
Implicit in this description of what is before us is the assumption that if one is not liable, then the other will be.