Six Flags Inc. v. Westchester Surplus Lines Ins.

• Citation: 535 F.Supp.2d 744
• Decision Date: 01 February 2008
• Docket Number: Civil Action No. 06-10729.
• Parties: SIX FLAGS INC. v. WESTCHESTER SURPLUS LINES INSURANCE COMPANY et al.
• Court: U.S. District Court — Eastern District of Louisiana

535 F.Supp.2d 744

SIX FLAGS INC. v. WESTCHESTER SURPLUS LINES INSURANCE COMPANY et al.

Civil Action No. 06-10729.

United States District Court, E.D. Louisiana.

February 1, 2008.

Rikke A. Dierssen-Morice, Liz Shields Keating, Patrick J. O'Connor, Jr., Faegre & Benson, LLP, Minneapolis, MN, Julie Perelman Silbert, Michael A. McGlone, Kean, Miller, Hawthorne, D'Armond, McCowan & Jarman, LL, New Orleans, LA, Terri L. Combs, Faegre & Benson, LLP, Des Moines, IA, Todd A. Rossi, Kean, Miller, Hawthorne, D'Armond, McCowan & Jarman, LL, Baton Rouge, LA, for Six Flags Inc.

Thomas G. O'Brien, Adams and Reese, LLP, Judy Y. Barrasso, Craig Isenberg Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver, LLC, New Orleans, LA, Aaron F. Fishbein, Costantino P. Suriano, Emilie L. Bakal, Jacqueline K. Seidel, William C. Kolb, William D. Wilson, Mound, Cotton, Wollan & Greengrass, New York, NY, Kenneth W. Erickson, Seth C. Harrington, Ropes & Gray, Boston, MA, for Westchester Surplus Lines Insurance Company et al.

ORDER AND REASONS

G. THOMAS PORTEOUS JR., District Judge.

Before the Court are the following motions: Motion for Partial Summary Judgment filed by Defendant Liberty Corporate Capital("Liberty"), Rec. Doc. No. 63; and Motion for Partial Summary Judgment filed by Westchester Surplus Lines Insurance Company ("Westchester"), Arch Specialty Insurance Company ("Arch"), Great Lakes Reinsurance (UK) PLC ("Great Lakes"), Commonwealth Insurance Company ("Commonwealth"), Axis Specialty Insurance Company ("Axis"), and Continental Casualty Company ("Continental"). Rec. Doc. No. 66. An Opposition to the Motions was filed by the Plaintiff. Rec. Doc. No. 74. The Motions came for hearing with Oral Argument on July 11, 2007 and were taken under submission. The Court, having considered the arguments of counsel, the parties' briefs, the Court record, applicable law and jurisprudence is fully apprised of the matter and is ready to rule.

I. BACKGROUND

Plaintiff Six Flags, Inc. ("Six Flags") owned and operated an amusement park at 12301 Lake Forest Boulevard in Orleans Parish that was heavily flooded during Hurricane Katrina on or about August 29, 2005. At the time of the loss, Six Flags had in effect "all-risk first-party property insurance coverage" which covered the period of time during which Hurricane Katrina struck. Six Flags had multiple layers of insurance, totaling $200 million in aggregate limits of coverage as follows: a primary layer with $25 million in limits, a first excess layer of $50 million, and a second excess layer of $125 million. Six Flags acknowledges it has received a $25 million lump sum payment representing the primary limit and therefore, has exhausted the available coverage under the primary policy.

When evaluating the excess insurance coverage claims, VeriClaim, Inc., the adjusting company, indicated that a "Flood Sublimit" would be applied to some of the loss. See Rec. Doc. No. 1 at p. 7. Six Flags informed the Excess Insurers that it believed that the adjuster's policy interpretation was incorrect and that it had coverage under the excess policies for Named Storm damages such as those caused by Hurricane Katrina. See Rec. Doc. No. 1 at pp. 7-8.

This lawsuit ensued on November 30, 2006, seeking declaratory relief and damages for breach of contract against the excess insurers. Before the Court are two (2) motions for partial summary judgment seeking a declaration that the excess insurers are correct in their interpretation that the Flood Sublimit applies.

II. ARGUMENTS OF THE PARTIES

A. LIBERTY'S ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT OF SUMMARY JUDGMENT

At the time of Hurricane Katrina, Liberty insured Six Flags for fifty (50) percent of the secondary $125 excess insurance, i.e. that portion of the coverage in excess of the first $75 million. The policy is a "commercial first-party property policy" that was placed in the London insurance market (hereinafter, "London Policy"). In sum, Liberty's argument is that the Flood Sublimit is applicable to this, matter. The applicable Underlying Sublimit, relied upon by Liberty, provides:

Underlying Sublimits

. . .

Flood at any location within Flood Zone A or V as designated by the Army Corps of Engineers or FEMA, per occurrence and in the annual, aggregate

USD 27,500,000

Rec. Doc. No. 63, Exh. B at LCC 01296. Flood is defined in the Policy as:

(1) A general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally dry land areas from:

(a) the overflow of inland or tidal waters:

(b) the unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source: or

(c) mudslide or mud flow caused by accumulation of water on or under the ground.

(2) the release of water impounded by a dam;

(3) water that backs up or flows from a sewer, drain or sum;

Rec Doc. No. 63, Ex. C at Section 15(C), LCC 01621-LCC 01622.

Liberty submits that this language clearly and unambiguously provides for the applicability of a Flood Sublimit. Liberty argues that its limits applied "per occurrence and in the aggregate for a period in respect of Flood and Earthquake separately" and were "subject to sublimits as defined [in the policy]." Moreover, the "Underlying Sublimits" included "[flood at any location within Flood Zone A or V as designated by the Army Corps of Engineers or FEMA, per "occurrence" and in the annual aggregate" for a maximum amount of $27.5 million. Rec. Doc. No. 63-2, p. 4-5. There is no dispute as to the fact that Six Flags' New Orleans amusement park was within Zone A. The London Policy further, provides "[f]lood at any location within Flood Zone A or V as designated by the Army Corps of Engineers or FEMA, per occurrence and in the annual aggregate" will be subject to a sublimit without exception for certain types of flood or any combination with other perils: The "Sublimits" section in the policy wording says that sublimits are "applicable to all loss or damage" and that the insurers' "liability . . . shall not exceed" the amount stated. Rec. Doc. No. 63, Exh. C at Section 3(B). Accordingly, Liberty urges these provisions demonstrate that the sublimit is clearly applicable and seeks dismissal of Count I of the Complaint alleging that the Flood Sublimit does not apply.

In support of the Sublimit's application, Liberty relies upon Altru Health System v. American Protection Insurance Co., 238 F.3d 961, 964 (8th Cir.2001), and Gilbert/Robinson, Inc v. Sequoia Insurance Co., 655 S.W.2d 581, 584-85 (Mo.Ct.App. 1983). In Altru Health System, an insured hospital brought suit against its property insurer, seeking a determination that its coverage for business interruption and extra expense losses, occurring when civil authorities closed its hospital during a flood when the city water supply failed, was not subject to a flood loss sublimit. Altru Health System, 238 F.3d at 964. The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals held that under North Dakota law, the policy clearly and unambiguously limited coverage for all claims arising out of flood, including claims for business interruption losses, and limited the recovery to the sublimit provided for flood losses. Id. Similarly, in Gilbert/Robinson, Inc., an action was filed to recover for business interruption losses under an insurance policy. The Missouri Court of Appeal held that business interruption losses were not covered separately and apart from the basic insuring clauses and that the endorsement deleting the exclusion for flood coverage was not ambiguous. Gilbert/Robinson, Inc., 655 S.W.2d at 584-85. Based upon this jurisprudence, Liberty urges the Court should reject Six Flags' attempt to restrict the application of the sublimits to only certain types of loss or damage, such as a Named Storm.

Additionally, Liberty argues that the following facts are not truly disputed: (1) that Six Flags acknowledges that there is a sublimit for Flood in Zones A or V; (2) that Six Flags does not dispute that Six Flags New Orleans is located within Flood Zone A as designated by FEMA; and (3) that Six Flags does not truly dispute that the normally dry land area at issue was "flooded" on or after August 29, 2005. Therefore, Liberty concludes that the only possible argument Six Flags has to support its theory of recovery is that a Named Storm like Hurricane Katrina is exempt from the application of the Flood Sublimits. Liberty argues in its brief and, reiterated its position at Oral Argument, that Plaintiff's reading of the contract leads to an absurd conclusion because the flood definition and sublimit, are included in the policy's definition of "Named Storm Occurrence." Further, that section determines what constitutes an "occurrence," not what is subject to the sublimit. Accordingly, the provision is not applicable and not at issue.¹

B. ARGUMENTS BY OTHER DEFENDANTS IN SUPPORT OF SUMMARY JUDGMENT

The remaining defendants separately filed a motion for summary judgment seeking declaration that their respective policies provide for flood sublimits and request the Court grant summary judgment declaring those limits applicable for the same reasons cited by Liberty. Defendants Westchester, Arch, and Great Lakes provide the first layer of excess coverage and their policies provide $50 million in coverage in excess of the $25 million primary layer. This fact is not disputed. See Amended and Restated Complaint, ¶ 15, Exh. A. Defendants Commonwealth, Axis, Continental, together with Liberty, are the second layer of excess coverage and their policies, combined, provide the $125 million in secondary excess coverage over the $75 million in coverage provided by the primary policy and first $50 million layer of excess coverage. See Amended and Restated Complaint, ¶ 15, Exh. A.

(i) The Westchester, Great Lakes and Arch policies. (First Layer Excess)

These Defendants' policies provide, in pertinent part:

3) LIMITS OF LIABILITY

. . .

B) Sublimits (applicable to all loss or damage) The liability of this Company resulting from loss or damage insured...