Hartford Casualty Insurance Company v. Crum & Forster Specialty Insurance Company

Filing 174

ORDER Granting 129 Motion to Strike Jury Demand of Defendant Westchester Surplus Lines Insurance Company. Signed by Senior Judge James Lawrence King on 3/20/2012. (jw)

UN I
TED STA TES D I
STRICT CO U RT
SO UTH ER N D I
STR I O F FLO R I A
CT
D
M I M IDIVI O N
A
SI

CA SE NO .1024590- V- I
CI K NG
HA RTFORD A CCI
DEN T AND I DEM NI
N
TY
COM PAN Y,
Pl i if
antf ,
CRUM & FO RSTER SPECI
ALTY I SUR AN CE
N
COM PANY ,

D ef ndant
e
.
HARTFORD A CCI EN T AN D I DEM NI
D
N
TY
COM PAN Y ,
Pl ntf ,
ai if

MX STCHESTER SURPLU S LI ES
N
I SUR AN CE CO M PAN Y ,
N

D ef nda .
e nt
/

OR DER G M N TI G PLA I FF' M O TI TO STRIK E JUR Y DEM AN D
N
NTI S
ON
O F D EFEN DAN T W ESTCH ESTER SURPLUS LI ES I SU M N CE CO M PA NY
N
N
TH IS M ATTER com e bef e t Cour on Pl i ifs M oton t St i t J y
s or he
t
a ntf
i o rke he ur

De n o De e n W e the tr S pl Li sI s a e Compa y ( #1 ) fld
ma d f fnda t sc se ur us ne n urnc
n DE 29 , ie
Fe ua y 24, 201
br r
2.

D ee
f ndant W esches e Sur us Li
t tr
pl
nes I ur
ns ance Company

(l e the tr' fld ar s ns ( #1 6 o M a c 1 201 , owhih Pl itf Ha tor
û sc se ' ie e po e DE 5 ) n r h 2, 2 t c an if rf d
W
)
Ac i n a I de t Compa y (çl rf d' r ple ( #1 )o M a c 1 201 .
cde t nd n mniy
n d- tor ' e i d DE 61 n r h 3, 2
la
)
1
.

Backgr
ound

A. Ha fo d v Cr m & Fo se S cal I u an eCo
r r . u
r tr pe i t ns r c mpan
y
y
OnDe e r2 201 , antf fl daCo ant( #1 a ans De e a tCr m
c mbe 2, 0 Pl i if ie
mpli DE ) g i t f nd n u
& Fo se S cat I u a e Co ny (s u & Fo se ' . Cr & Fo se fld is
r tr pe ily ns r nc mpa k m
cr
r tr' um
)
rt r ie t
An we , sr tveDe e s sa Cou e c am ( #27 o M a c 30, 1 Ne t r
s r Af mai
f n e nd ntr l i DE ) n r h 201 . ihe

Hato dno Cr m & Fo se ma ad ma df raj ytil
rfr r u
rtr de e n o ur ra.
On Oct
ober 18,2011 Pl ntf m oved f l
, ai if
or eave t fl a A m ended Com pl ntSt
o ie n
ai so

c re tas rve rse r rna n a i o r c e tt ' ( #3 a 2) Th Co t r nt d
o r c c i ne ' ro mi g n nc re t n iy. DE 4, t . e ur g a e
'
Pli tf M oto ( # ) OnNov mb r4 2011 Pli tf slda
an ifs in. DE 38 .
e e , , an if e nAme e Co an
nd d mpl it
( # ) whih dif r d fo t o i na Co an o y i t tPli tf s n me wa
DE 39 , c fe e r m he rgi l mpl it nl n ha a n if a
s
changedf om Sl a tor
r s- r f dcas t I ur nceCom pany't Sl arf dAcci a I m niy
l
ualy ns a
'o d- tor
l
dent nd nde t
Com pany.' Cr & For t r sl a Am ended Ans , A fim a i D ef e a
'
um
s e ed n
wer fr tve
ens s, nd

Co ntrli ( #4 )o De e e 12011 Ag i nete pat d ade ndfra ur
u e cam DE 4 n c mb r , . an, ih r ryma e ma o j y
ti .
ral

B.

Ha fo dv We the trSuplsLie l u anc Compa y
r r . sc se r u n s ns r e
n

On Aprl22,2011 Pl ntf fl a Compl nt f D ec a at y a Suppl m ent
i
, ai if ied
ai or
l r or nd
e
al

Relefa ns D e e
i gai t f ndantW e t hes e n Cas o. 1 21
s c t ri
eN 1 - 430-CV - M .OnA ugus 8, 1,
KM
t 201

W e t h se fld isAns ra Af ma ieDe e e ( #1 ,Ca eNo.11c 21 0 .
sc e tr ie t we nd sr tv f ns s DE 3 s
- v- 43 )

Nete pa t ma eade ndfraj r til
ih r ry d
ma o uy ra.
On N ovember23,2011, hi Cour gr e Def ndantCr & For t r sM oton t
t s
t ant d
e
um
se '
i o

Co oldaeCa e ( /4 .Purua t ot t de , s No. 0 2 0- J a dCa e
ns i t s s DE / 2) s n t ha Or r Ca e 1 - 459 CV-LK n s
N o. 11 21 CV- M w er cons i t under t fr t fl cas Cas No.
- 430- KM
e
olda ed
he i s- ied
e,
e

1 2 90 CV-LK . On De e r28 201 ,Pl itf fld a Ame de Co an (
0- 45 - J
c mbe , 1 an if ie n
n d mpli t DE
#5 ) wh c d fe e fom t org n l mpli to y i t a Pli tf na wa c a e
8 , ih ifr d r he i i a Co a n nl n h t an ifs me s h ng d
f om ç -a tor Cas t I ur nce Com pa ' t l -a tor A cc de and l
r
:l r f d
l
ualy ns a
ny' o il r f d
l
i nt
ndem niy
t

Co a y. W e the trflda Ame de Ans ra Afimai De e e ( /6 o
mp n ' sc se ie n
'
n d we nd fr tve f ns s DE / 6) n
J nua y 11 2012. I is Am e
a r
,
n t
nded Ans ,W es c t i uded t f l i lne:
wer
t heser ncl
he olow ng i

' W e t h se ld ma dsatil yj yo a1 si off c ,fa y. 1 .a !8 Thi wa
C sc e tr e n ra b ur n lque tons a t i n ' d t 6. s s
l
'

t frttmea ypa t rquetdatilb j yi t a v sylda ton.
he is i n ry e se ra y ur n he bo e-t e ci
l
l.

Di cus i
s s on

I Pli tf M oto t S rk t eJ r De n of f nda tW e t he t r( #1 )
n an ifs in o tie h u y ma d De e n sc se DE 29 ,

Pli if e sst a t eCo r srkeW e the t rsde ndf raj r til o t r a on :
antf r que t h t h u t ti
sc se ' ma o u y ra f r wo e s s

1 W eth se wave isrg tt d ma daj ytil a 2 Theei n fd rlrg t a
) sc e tr i d t ih o e n ur ra; nd ) r s o e ea iht o
j ytilo alofte is srie i Hator sAme e Compli . Th Co r wil
ur ra n 1 h sue as d n rf d'
nd d
ant e u t l
addr st i s ofw ai rfr t Fi ngi per uasve,heCour nee notaddr sPl ntf s
es he s ue
ve i s . ndi t s i t
t d
es ai if

a gu n t tW e t h se i no e tte t aj r ti l de f d r llw.
r me t ha sc e tr s t n ild o u y ra un r e e a a

Rul 38 oft Fe r Rul ofCi lPr
e
he de al es
vi ocedur se soutt tm epe i durngw hih
e t
he i
r od i
c

ad ma dfrj r mu tbema e lprvie i rlva pa t
e n o uy s
d . t o d s n ee nt r:
(
b) De nd.Ona y is tibl ofrg tb aj r apat ma
ma
n sue ra e ih y u y, ry y
de nd aj r tilb ( )sr ig t ohe pate wih a wrte
ma
uy ra y; 1 evn he t r ris t
itn
de and- w hi h m ay bei uded i apl di
m
c
ncl
n ea ng- no l t t 1 da
a er han 4 ys

a trt l s pla i g die tdt t is i s r e a d ( fl t
fe he a t e d n r c e o he s ue s e v d; n 2) ii he
ng
d ma i a c r nc wi Rul 5d ,
e nd n c o da e t e ()
h

FED. CI P. ( .
R. V. 38 b)
An am e d ors e ent com pl ntt tf l t r s anew i s doesnotr ve
nde
uppl m al
ai ha ais o ai e
s ue
evi

a e i uihe rg t de ndaj r til La c v T n r 9 F. 1 2 1 45 46
n xtng s d ihto ma u y ra. Mar a . ur e , 95 2d 5 6, 5 a s ue ai ed n he i nal
( 1hCi. 9 .N e f t t tm e el cl iy t sa e gener li s sr s i t orgi
1 t r 1 93) w ac s ha r y arf he m

c mpli d no c e t ne is e o f c u n whih t a s r aj r d ma 1 . I t
o ant o t r ae w s u s f a t po
c o s e t u y e nd. d n he
a
bove- t e ac i Pl ntf i talCompl i and t Am endedCompl nt aiet exa
syl d ton, ai i fs nii
a nt
he
ai r s he ct

s m e i s . TheCour gr e Pl ntf sm oton f l ave t fl an A m ended Com pl i
a s ues
t ant d ai if
i or e
o ie
a nt
onl s t t Pl ntf coul cor e a s rve ' er or The s e dif e
y o ha ai if
d
r ct c i ners r .
ol f er nce be ween
t
Pl ntf Compl i and Am e
ai ifs
a nt
nded Com pl nti t tPl ntf na e w aschanged f om
ai s ha ai ifs m
r
ll arf d Cas t I ur e Com pa 't Gl arf d Acci
s- tor
l
ualy ns anc
ny' o sl tor
denta l m niy Company.'
nd nde t
'

Be a eW eth se ddn trq s aj r i isi ta Ans r a Pli ifsAme e
c us sc e tr i o e uet uy n t niil we , nd antf
nd d
Co an i rdu e none is t two de tteW ethetrt d ma aj r tili
mplitnto c s
w sue ha ul nil sc se o e nd u y ra n

isAme e Ans r t Cou ttn t tW ethetrsde ndf raj r tilha be n
t
nd d we ,he r s ds ha sc se ' ma o u y ra s e
w aved.
i

4

11
1.

Concl i
uson

A cc di y,afe a ca ef r vi w oft r cor a t Cour bei ot m ie f l
or ngl t r r ul e e
he e d nd he
t ng he s uly
a s i i O R DER ED,ADJUD G ED ,and DECREED t Pl i ipsM oton t Sti
dvi ed, t s
hat a ntf
i o r ke

t J y De a d o De e n W e t h se Sur usLi sI u a eCo n ( #1 9
he ur m n f f nda t sc e tr pl ne ns r nc mpa y DE 2 )

be a dt es me i he e yGRANTED. eta l e t c mme c o J y9, 01 ( #85
, n h a ,s r b
Th r i s t o o n e n ul 2 2 DE )

s lb tidb t Co t t u aj y.
hal e re y he urwi t ur
ho
D ON E A ND O RDERED i c m ber att J e La e e K i Feder J tce
n ha
s he am s wr nc ng
al us i

Buidi a U nie St t Courhous M i m i Fl i t s20t day ofM ar 201
l ng nd
t d a es
t e, a , orda, hi
h
ch, 2.

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M ES LA W REN CE KI G
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cc:AI c
I ouns ofr
el ecor
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5