Title: RLI Insurance Co. v. Agency of Transportation

State: vermont

Issuer: Vermont Supreme Court

Document:

RLI Insurance Co. v. Agency of Transportation (99-278); 171 Vt. 553; 
762 A.2d 475 

[Filed 23-Aug-2000]

                                 ENTRY ORDER

                       SUPREME COURT DOCKET NO. 99-278

                               JUNE TERM, 2000

RLI Insurance Company	               }	APPEALED FROM:
                                       }
                                       }
     v.	                               }	Chittenden Superior Court
                                       }	
                                       }
Vermont Agency of Transportation,      }
et.al				       }	DOCKET NO. S1609-97CnC

                                                Trial Judge: Matthew I. Katz

             In the above-entitled cause, the Clerk will enter:

       Plaintiff RLI Insurance Company appeals a Chittenden Superior Court
  order granting defendant's  motion for summary judgment.  RLI commenced
  this action  requesting, in part, that the court enter a  declaratory
  judgment that it had no duty to defend or to provide coverage for defendant
  Wayne Eells in a  wrongful death suit.  RLI argues that Eells was not an
  employee of the named insured, Champlain Valley  Aviation, Inc., (CVA)
  within the meaning of the applicable insurance policy and hence was not
  covered.   The superior court granted summary judgment to Eells.  We
  affirm. 
 
       This case arises out of a mid-air collision at the Franklin County
  State Airport in Swanton,  Vermont, between two planes owned by CVA.  One
  plane was rented and operated by Charles Boyer, a  student pilot. The other
  plane was rented and operated by Todd Taylor. Taylor's passengers were
  Sandra  Irving and her ten-year-old son Andrew.  Taylor, Irving, and her
  son died as a result of the collision.   Irving's husband and surviving son
  filed a wrongful death claim against Boyer and others, including Eells, 
  who was Boyer's flight instructor. 

       Eells demanded that RLI provide him with a defense and indemnification
  pursuant to a commercial  operator's insurance policy issued to CVA.  The
  policy provides liability coverage to CVA as the named  insured and insures
  CVA's employees for acts within the scope of their employment.  The issue
  before us  is whether the superior court erred in its determination on
  summary judgment that Eells was an employee  of CVA.  RLI contends that he
  was an independent contractor. 

 

       Our review of the court's decision is de novo.  We use the same
  standard as the trial court and will  therefore affirm a summary judgment
  "if there are no genuine issues of material fact and the moving party  is
  entitled to judgment as a matter of law."  Granger v. Town of Woodford, 167
  Vt. 610, 611,