One Reason Rd., LLC v. Seneca Ins. Co., 2016–00662

• Decision Date: 25 July 2018
• Docket Number: 2016–00662,Index No. 2322/13
• Citation: 83 N.Y.S.3d 235,163 A.D.3d 974
• Parties: ONE REASON ROAD, LLC, respondent, v. SENECA INSURANCE COMPANY, INC., appellant, et al., defendants.
• Court: New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

163 A.D.3d 974
83 N.Y.S.3d 235

ONE REASON ROAD, LLC, respondent,
v.
SENECA INSURANCE COMPANY, INC., appellant, et al., defendants.

2016–00662
Index No. 2322/13

Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Department, New York.

Argued - February 27, 2018
July 25, 2018

83 N.Y.S.3d 237

Tese & Milner LLP, New York, N.Y. (Michael M. Milner of counsel), for appellant.

Andrea G. Sawyers, Melville, N.Y. (Scott W. Driver of counsel), for respondent.

LEONARD B. AUSTIN, J.P., SHERI S. ROMAN, ROBERT J. MILLER, FRANCESCA E. CONNOLLY, JJ.

DECISION & ORDER

In an action, inter alia, for declaratory relief, the defendant Seneca Insurance Company, Inc., appeals from an order of the Supreme Court, Queens County (Frederick D.R. Sampson, J.), entered December 1, 2015. The order granted the plaintiff's motion for summary judgment declaring that the defendant Seneca Insurance Company, Inc., is obligated to defend and indemnify the plaintiff in the underlying action.

ORDERED that the order is affirmed, with costs, and the matter is remitted to the Supreme Court, Queens County, for the entry of a judgment, inter alia, declaring that the defendant Seneca Insurance Company, Inc., is obligated to defend and indemnify the plaintiff in the underlying action.

The plaintiff (hereinafter the landlord) was the owner of certain real property located in Queens County (hereinafter the subject property) that included a building that was used as a commercial warehouse. The landlord leased a portion of the subject property to the defendant Eshipper USA Corporation (hereinafter Eshipper). Under the terms of the lease, Eshipper was obligated to obtain certain insurance coverage for the landlord. Eshipper obtained a commercial general liability policy (hereinafter the subject policy) from the defendant Seneca Insurance Company, Inc. (hereinafter Seneca), which named the landlord as an additional insured.

During the course of Eshipper's tenancy, the defendant Sanjay Bharsakal was allegedly injured while he was walking on the subject property. Bharsakal alleged that the accident occurred when he slipped and fell on snow and ice while he was

83 N.Y.S.3d 238

walking toward a door to the warehouse after parking his truck in a parking lot located on the subject property.

Bharsakal commenced a personal injury action (hereinafter the underlying action) against the landlord and others. The landlord, in turn, commenced this action against, among others, Seneca. The landlord alleged that it was named as an additional insured on the subject policy. The landlord sought, inter alia, a declaration that Seneca was obligated to defend and indemnify it in the underlying action.

After joinder of issue, the landlord moved for summary judgment declaring that Seneca is obligated to defend and indemnify it in the underlying action. Seneca opposed the landlord's motion, arguing, among other things, that the additional insured provision of the subject policy was not triggered because the alleged accident did not occur on the portion of the subject property that had been leased to Eshipper. In an order entered December 1, 2015, the Supreme Court granted the landlord's motion. Seneca appeals, and we affirm.

"A duty to defend is triggered by the allegations contained in the underlying complaint" ( BP A.C. Corp. v. One Beacon Ins. Group, 8 N.Y.3d 708, 714, 840 N.Y.S.2d 302, 871 N.E.2d 1128 ; see Cumberland Farms, Inc. v. Tower Group, Inc., 137 A.D.3d 1068, 1070, 28 N.Y.S.3d 119 ). "[A]n insurer's duty to defend its insured arises whenever the allegations in a complaint state a cause of action that gives rise to the reasonable possibility of recovery under the policy" ( Fitzpatrick v. American Honda Motor Co., 78 N.Y.2d 61, 65, 571 N.Y.S.2d 672, 575 N.E.2d 90 ; see BP A.C. Corp. v. One Beacon Ins. Group, 8 N.Y.3d at 714, 840 N.Y.S.2d 302, 871 N.E.2d 1128 ). "If the allegations of the complaint are even potentially within the language of the insurance policy, there is a duty to defend" ( Town of Massena v. Healthcare Underwriters Mut. Ins. Co., 98 N.Y.2d 435, 443, 749 N.Y.S.2d 456, 779 N.E.2d 167 ).

It is immaterial that "the complaint against the insured asserts additional claims which fall outside the policy's general coverage or within its exclusory provisions" ( Seaboard Sur. Co. v. Gillette Co., 64 N.Y.2d 304, 310, 486 N.Y.S.2d 873, 476 N.E.2d 272 ). "If any of the claims against the insured arguably arise from covered events, the insurer is required to defend the entire action" ( Frontier Insulation Contrs. v. Merchants Mut. Ins. Co., 91 N.Y.2d 169, 175, 667 N.Y.S.2d 982, 690 N.E.2d 866 ). The duty remains "even though facts outside the four corners of [the] pleadings indicate that the claim may be meritless or not covered" ( Fitzpatrick v. American Honda Motor Co., 78 N.Y.2d at 63, 571 N.Y.S.2d 672, 575 N.E.2d 90 ; see Automobile Ins. Co. of Hartford v. Cook, 7 N.Y.3d 131, 137, 818 N.Y.S.2d 176, 850 N.E.2d 1152 ).

"[A]n insurer's duty to defend is exceedingly broad" ( Colon v. Aetna Life & Cas. Ins. Co., 66 N.Y.2d 6, 8, 494 N.Y.S.2d 688, 484 N.E.2d 1040 ; see Continental Cas. Co. v. Rapid–American Corp., 80 N.Y.2d 640, 648, 593 N.Y.S.2d 966, 609 N.E.2d 506 ). When a policy represents that it...