No Coverage for Loss After Policy Cancelled
Barry Zalma
Dec 8, 2023
Read the full article at https://lnkd.in/gRug68D7 and see the full video at https://lnkd.in/gcCGDTft and at https://lnkd.in/gHej2r9m and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 4650 posts.
Post 4685
In an action for declaratory judgment to determine whether the plaintiffs had a duty to defend and indemnify the defendants under certain insurance policies for injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident, where the trial court granted the plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment the dispute was moved to the Court of Appeals.
In Liberty Insurance Corporation et al. v. Theodore Johnson et al., No. AC 45933, Court of Appeals of Connecticut (December 5, 2023) the Court of Appeals resolved the dispute.
FACTS
The defendants, Theodore Johnson (Theodore) and Kim Johnson (Kim), appealed from the judgment rendered by the trial court following its granting of a motion for summary judgment filed by the plaintiffs, Liberty Insurance et al and Safeco Insurance Company of Illinois (Safeco). The primary issue is duty to defend a separate action that stemmed from a motor vehicle accident in which the defendants’ son, Aaron Johnson (Aaron), was driving a motor vehicle owned by Theodore when he lost control of the vehicle and struck a telephone pole, causing serious injuries to a passenger in the vehicle, Jordan Torres.
At some point prior to 1:33 a.m. on December 26, 2019, Aaron left the defendants’ house and operated a 1997 Audi A4 2.8 Quattro (Audi) owned by Theodore. Torres was a passenger in the Audi at the time. As Aaron attempted to navigate a curve, he lost control of the Audi, crossed into the westbound lane of traffic, and left the roadway, striking a telephone pole.
Torres sustained personal injuries in the accident and sued a bar in Newington and its backer, as well as Theodore, Kim and Aaron. In the Torres action, Torres alleged that, on December 25, 2019, Aaron, a minor, consumed alcohol at the bar, after which he went to the defendants’ house in Glastonbury, where he was visibly intoxicated and consumed more alcohol.
Following the commencement of the Torres action, the defendants sought coverage from the plaintiffs for Torres’ claims under three policies of insurance:
1 a homeowners insurance policy issued to the defendants by Liberty Insurance (homeowners policy);
2 an automobile insurance policy issued to the defendants by Safeco (automobile policy); and
3 an umbrella insurance policy issued to the defendants by Liberty Mutual (umbrella policy).
Thereafter, the insurer plaintiffs sued seeking a judgment declaring that the plaintiffs are not obligated to defend or indemnify the defendants with respect to Torres’ action.
Specifically, the insurers based that argument on an exclusion in the homeowners policy that excludes coverage for” ‘bodily injury’ or ‘property damage’ . . . arising out of (1) [t]he ownership, … of motor vehicles … operated by or rented or loaned to an ‘insured’ [motor vehicle exclusion] . . . .” Therefore, according to the plaintiffs, because the claims asserted against the defendants in the Torres action arose out of Theodore’s ownership of the Audi, as well as Aaron’s negligent operation of that vehicle, the motor vehicle exclusion barred coverage under the homeowners policy.
With respect to the automobile policy, the plaintiffs asserted that the policy’s coverage for bodily injury for the Audi had been cancelled prior to the date of the accident, at the request of the defendants which, obviously, eliminated the case against the auto insurer.
The trial court granted the plaintiffs’ entire motion for summary judgment.
The Court of Appeal noted that the policy explicitly and unambiguously provided that bodily injury arising out of the use of motor vehicles owned by an insured shall be excluded from policy coverage. On the basis of the record, including comparison of the allegations of the complaint in the Torres action with the language of the homeowners policy and the motor vehicle exclusion contained therein, the Court of Appeal concluded, as a matter of law, that the plaintiffs had no duty to defend the defendants in the Torres action.
Because there was no coverage on the auto policy pursuant to an underlying policy, Liberty Mutual had no duty under the umbrella policy to defend or indemnify the defendants with respect to the Torres action.
Therefore, the trial court properly granted the plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment and determined, as a matter of law, that the plaintiffs have no duty to defend the defendants in the Torres action.
ZALMA OPINION
Insurance never covers every possible risk of loss. A homeowners policy with an auto exclusion cannot defend or indemnify an insured who injured someone while operating a motor vehicle. In addition, there can never be coverage on an auto policy that was cancelled, and not in effect, at the time of the loss. Although the opinion and arguments were lengthy, the case was simple on the facts of the policy wording and the facts of the accident.
c) 2023 Barry Zalma & ClaimSchool, Inc.
Please tell your friends and colleagues about this blog and the videos and let them subscribe to the blog and the videos.
Subscribe to my substack at https://barryzalma.substack.com/publish/post/107007808
Go to Newsbreak.com https://www.newsbreak.com/@c/1653419?s=01
Follow me on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/comm/mynetwork/discovery-see-all...
Daily articles are published at https://zalma.substack.com.
Go to the podcast Zalma On Insurance at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barry-zalma/support; Go to Barry Zalma videos at Rumble.com at https://rumble.com/c/c-262921; Go to Barry Zalma on YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCysiZklEtxZsSF9DfC0Expg; Go to the Insurance Claims Library – http://zalma.com/blog/insurance-claims-library.
Please tell your friends and colleagues about this blog and the videos and let them subscribe to the blog and the videos.
Go to Newsbreak.com https://lnkd.in/g8azKc34
Subscribe to my substack at https://lnkd.in/gcZKhG6g Go to the Insurance Claims Library – https://lnkd.in/gwEYkxD.
Notice of Claim Later than 60 Days After Expiration is Too Late
Post 5089
Injury at Massage Causes Suit Against Therapist
Read the full article at https://lnkd.in/gziRzFV8, see the full video at https://lnkd.in/gF4aYrQ2 and at https://lnkd.in/gqShuGs9, and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 5050 posts.
Hiscox Insurance Company (“Hiscox”) moved the USDC to Dismiss a suit for failure to state a claim because the insured reported its claim more than 60 days after expiration of the policy.
In Mluxe Williamsburg, LLC v. Hiscox Insurance Company, Inc., et al., No. 4:25-cv-00002, United States District Court, E.D. Missouri, Eastern Division (May 22, 2025) the trial court’s judgment was affirmed.
FACTUAL BACKGROUND
Plaintiff, the operator of a massage spa franchise, entered into a commercial insurance agreement with Hiscox that provided liability insurance coverage from July 25, 2019, to July 25, 2020. On or about June 03, 2019, a customer alleged that one of Plaintiff’s employees engaged in tortious ...
ZIFL – Volume 29, Issue 11
The Source for the Insurance Fraud Professional
Posted on June 2, 2025 by Barry Zalma
Post 5087
See the full video at and at
Read the full article and the full issue of ZIFL June 1, 2025 at https://zalma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ZIFL-06-01-2025.pdf
Zalma’s Insurance Fraud Letter – June 1, 2025
See the full video at https://lnkd.in/gw-Hgww9 and at https://lnkd.in/gF8QAq4d, and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 5050 posts.
ZIFL – Volume 29, Issue 11
The Source for the Insurance Fraud Professional
Read the full article and the full issue of ZIFL June 1, 2025 at https://lnkd.in/gTWZUnnF
Zalma’s Insurance Fraud Letter (ZIFL) continues its 29th year of publication dedicated to those involved in reducing the effect of insurance fraud. ZIFL is published 24 times a year by ClaimSchool and is written by Barry Zalma. It is provided FREE to anyone who visits the site at ...
No Coverage if Home Vacant for More Than 60 Days
Failure to Respond To Counterclaim is an Admission of All Allegations
Post 5085
See the full video at https://lnkd.in/gbWPjHub and at https://lnkd.in/gZ9ztA-P, and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 5050 posts.
In Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company v. Rebecca Massey, Civil Action No. 2:25-cv-00124, United States District Court, S.D. West Virginia, Charleston Division (May 22, 2025) Defendant Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company's (“Nationwide”) motion for Default Judgment against Plaintiff Rebecca Massey (“Plaintiff”) for failure to respond to a counterclaim and because the claim was excluded by the policy.
BACKGROUND
On February 26, 2022, Plaintiff's home was destroyed by a fire. At the time of this accident, Plaintiff had a home insurance policy with Nationwide. Plaintiff reported the fire loss to Nationwide, which refused to pay for the damages under the policy because the home had been vacant for more than 60 days.
Plaintiff filed suit ...
ZIFL Volume 29, Issue 10
The Source for the Insurance Fraud Professional
See the full video at https://lnkd.in/gK_P4-BK and at https://lnkd.in/g2Q7BHBu, and at https://zalma.com/blog and at https://lnkd.in/gjyMWHff.
Zalma’s Insurance Fraud Letter (ZIFL) continues its 29th year of publication dedicated to those involved in reducing the effect of insurance fraud. ZIFL is published 24 times a year by ClaimSchool and is written by Barry Zalma. It is provided FREE to anyone who visits the site at http://zalma.com/zalmas-insurance-fraud-letter-2/ You can read the full issue of the May 15, 2025 issue at http://zalma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ZIFL-05-15-2025.pdf
This issue contains the following articles about insurance fraud:
Health Care Fraud Trial Results in Murder for Hire of Witness
To Avoid Conviction for Insurance Fraud Defendants Murder Witness
In United States of America v. Louis Age, Jr.; Stanton Guillory; Louis Age, III; Ronald Wilson, Jr., No. 22-30656, United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit (April 25, 2025) the Fifth Circuit dealt with the ...
Professional Health Care Services Exclusion Effective
Post 5073
See the full video at https://lnkd.in/g-f6Tjm5 and at https://lnkd.in/gx3agRzi, and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 5050 posts.
This opinion is the recommendation of a Magistrate Judge to the District Court Judge and involves Travelers Casualty Insurance Company and its duty to defend the New Mexico Bone and Joint Institute (NMBJI) and its physicians in a medical negligence lawsuit brought by Tervon Dorsey.
In Travelers Casualty Insurance Company Of America v. New Mexico Bone And Joint Institute, P.C.; American Foundation Of Lower Extremity Surgery And Research, Inc., a New Mexico Corporation; Riley Rampton, DPM; Loren K. Spencer, DPM; Tervon Dorsey, individually; Kimberly Dorsey, individually; and Kate Ferlic as Guardian Ad Litem for K.D. and J.D., minors, No. 2:24-cv-0027 MV/DLM, United States District Court, D. New Mexico (May 8, 2025) the Magistrate Judge Recommended:
Insurance Coverage Dispute:
Travelers issued a Commercial General Liability ...
A Heads I Win, Tails You Lose Story
Post 5062
Posted on April 30, 2025 by Barry Zalma
"This is a Fictionalized True Crime Story of Insurance Fraud that explains why Insurance Fraud is a “Heads I Win, Tails You Lose” situation for Insurers. The story is designed to help everyone to Understand How Insurance Fraud in America is Costing Everyone who Buys Insurance Thousands of Dollars Every year and Why Insurance Fraud is Safer and More Profitable for the Perpetrators than any Other Crime."
Immigrant Criminals Attempt to Profit From Insurance Fraud
People who commit insurance fraud as a profession do so because it is easy. It requires no capital investment. The risk is low and the profits are high. The ease with which large amounts of money can be made from insurance fraud removes whatever moral hesitation might stop the perpetrator from committing the crime.
The temptation to do everything outside the law was the downfall of the brothers Karamazov. The brothers had escaped prison in the old Soviet Union by immigrating to the United...