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INSURER HAD A DUTY TO DEFEND LAWSUIT BY RESIDENTS WHICH ALLEGED THE INSURED CONTAMINATED THE AREA WITH HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS AN EXCLUSION FOR DAMAGES CAUSED BY HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, THE ALLEGATION OF A MALODOROUS CONDITION WAS DEEMED NOT NECESSARILY RELATED TO HAZARDOUS MATERIALS.

The Fourth Department determined defendant insurance company had a duty to defend in this toxic tort case brought by residents in the vicinity of plaintiff business (Hillcrest) which allegedly contaminated the area with hazardous materials. Although the policy excluded coverage for damages caused by hazardous material, the complaint also alleged Hillcrest caused a “malodorous condition” which, the court reasoned, was not necessarily related to hazardous materials:

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It is well settled that an insurance company’s duty to defend is ” exceedingly broad,’ ” and is broader than the duty to indemnify … . The duty to defend arises whenever allegations of an underlying complaint suggest ” a reasonable possibility of coverage,’ ” even if facts outside the pleadings ” indicate that the claim may be meritless or not covered’ ” … . “[U]pon a motion such as this[,] the court’s duty is to compare the allegations of the complaint to the terms of the policy to determine whether a duty to defend exists” … .

Moreover, “exclusions are subject to strict construction and must be read narrowly” … . “In order to establish that an exclusion defeats coverage, the insurer has the heavy burden’ of establishing that the exclusion is expressed in clear and unmistakable language, is subject to no other reasonable interpretation, and is applicable to the facts” … .

Here, liberally construing the allegations set forth in the second amended complaint in the underlying action … , we conclude that there is a reasonable possibility of coverage, and that defendant therefore did not meet its heavy burden of establishing as a matter of law that the hazardous materials exclusion precludes coverage. The tort plaintiffs alleged in the second amended complaint that the Hillcrest plaintiffs’ operation of the facility “caused a malodorous condition to be created in the surrounding neighborhood.” Although many of the factual assertions in the second amended complaint allege that the odor resulted from hazardous materials, those are not the only factual allegations therein. Indeed, foul odors are not always caused by the discharge of hazardous materials. Inasmuch as there is a reasonable possibility of coverage, the court properly declared that defendant is obligated to defend the Hillcrest plaintiffs in the underlying tort action and ordered defendant to reimburse them for the cost of the defense. Hillcrest Coatings, Inc. v Colony Ins. Co., 2017 NY Slip Op 04613, 4th Dept 6-9-17

 

INSURANCE LAW (TOXIC TORTS, DUTY TO DEFEND, INSURER HAD A DUTY TO DEFEND LAWSUIT BY RESIDENTS WHICH ALLEGED THE INSURED CONTAMINATED THE AREA WITH HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS AN EXCLUSION FOR DAMAGES CAUSED BY HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, THE ALLEGATION OF A MALODOROUS CONDITION WAS DEEMED NOT NECESSARILY RELATED TO HAZARDOUS MATERIALS)/TOXIC TORTS (INSURANCE LAW, DUTY TO DEFEND, INSURER HAD A DUTY TO DEFEND LAWSUIT BY RESIDENTS WHICH ALLEGED THE INSURED CONTAMINATED THE AREA WITH HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS AN EXCLUSION FOR DAMAGES CAUSED BY HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, THE ALLEGATION OF A MALODOROUS CONDITION WAS DEEMED NOT NECESSARILY RELATED TO HAZARDOUS MATERIALS)/DUTY TO DEFEND (INSURANCE LAW, TOXIC TORTS, INSURER HAD A DUTY TO DEFEND LAWSUIT BY RESIDENTS WHICH ALLEGED THE INSURED CONTAMINATED THE AREA WITH HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS AN EXCLUSION FOR DAMAGES CAUSED BY HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, THE ALLEGATION OF A MALODOROUS CONDITION WAS DEEMED NOT NECESSARILY RELATED TO HAZARDOUS MATERIALS)

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