2008 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 10-10-2008 

# L umb e rme ns M

ut C slty v . E rie Ins C o P r e c e de n t i al or N on-P r e c e de n t i al : N on-P r e c e de n t i al D ocke t N o . 07-4028

F o l low thi s a nd a dd it ion al work s at : http://d i git alc ommon s .l a w . vi l l a no va . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2008

Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e a nd ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit at V i l l a no va U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Re posit or y

. It h as be e n a c c e pt e d for inclusion in 2008 D e c i sion s b y a n author i z e d a dmini s tr at or of V i l l a no va U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Re posit or y

. F or mor e inform at ion, p le as e c on t a ct Be n j amin . C a rl s on@l a

w . vi l l a no va . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " Lumbe rme n s M

ut C slty v . E r ie In s C o " (2008). 2008 D e cisio n s . P ape r 376. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi l l a no va . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2008/376NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT

__________ N o. 07- 4028

__________ L UM BE RMEN S M UT UAL CA S UAL T Y C OM P ANY, Appel l ant , vs. E RI E I NS UR ANC E CO M P ANY, Appel l ee .

__________ O n A p p ea l from the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt F o r th e E a ste rn D istric t o f P e n n sy lv a n ia ( C i v. N o. 05- 3490) D istric t C o u rt Ju d g e : H o n o ra b le E d m u n d V . L u d w ig

___________ Subm i t t ed U nderT hi r d C i r cui tL . A . R . 34. 1( a)

Sept ember 23, 2008

___________ B e f o re : B A R R Y , A M B R O a n d G A R T H , C i r cui tJudges , O pi ni on Fi l ed: O ct ober10, 2008

___________ OP I NI ON

___________ G A R T H , C i r cui tJudge : L um ber m ens M utual C as ual t yC om panybr oughtt hi s decl ar at or yj udgm entact i on

### Er i e i s i nc orr e c t l y i de nt i fi e d a s “ Eri e I ns ur anc e Com pany” i n the c a

pt i on. 1 

### Cuthbe rt s on wa s apa s s e nge r i n ave hi c l e dri ve n by

Mi c ha e lDonovan, who 2 

### co llid edw ithan o th er v eh icle w h enh e d idn o t see “ano b stru ctedan do th erw ise d if f icu lt to o b serv e sto p sig n. . . du e to a co m b in atio no f

f acto rs, in clu d in g tree b ran ch es, v eg etatio n , b u sh es, b ru shan dg rass w h icho b stru ctedv isib ility o f eastb o un ddriv ers w est of the s t op s i gn. ” Appe l l ant ’ s Br . 2- 3. -2- agai ns tE r i e I ns ur ance E xchange t o obt ai n a det er m i nat i on of w hetheri thas an obl i gat i on 1 to d e f e n d o r in d e m n if

yC z o p /S p e c ter , In c . in a p e rso n a l in ju rya c tio n th a t D o n a ld C ut hber t s on, J r . , br oughtagai ns tC zop and other s . O n O ct ober4, 2007, t he D i s t r i ct 2 C our tgr ant ed s um m aryj udgm enti n favorof Eri e and a gai ns tL um ber m ens . O urr evi ew is p le n a ry. 

### Our

juri s di c t i on s t e m s fr om

afi na lor de r . 28 U. S. C. § 1291. C zop w as t he contr act orr es pons i bl e forper for m i ng r oads i de i ns pect i on s er vi ces o n b e h a lf

o f th e D e p a rtm e n t o f

T ra n sp o rta tio n o f

th e C o m m o n w e a lth o f

P e n n sy lv a n ia ( “PennD O T ”) . I thel d t w o i ns ur ance pol i ci es : one pay abl e byE r i e underpol i cynum ber Q 4 8 0 1 5 0 5 7 1 A , a n d o n e p a y a b le b yL u m b e rm e n s u n d e r p o lic yn u m b e r Q L 0 1 6 3 1 5 -0 0 . T h e E rie p o licyw a s a g e n e ra l li a b ili typ o licyth a t exc l uded cover age of

cl ai m s ar i s i ng fr om “s er vi ce[ s ] of a pr ofes s i onal natur e, ” i ncl udi ng “s uper vi s or y , i ns pect i on, or e n g in e e ri n g s e rv ic e s .” T h e L u m b e rm e n s p o lic y , c o n v e rs e ly, pr ovi ded cover age onl yfor cl ai m s r egar di ng “pr ofes s i onal s er vi ces , ” w hi ch w as defi ned t o i ncl ude “thos e s er vi ces t hatt he [i ] ns ur ed i s l egal l yqual i fi ed t o per for m forot her s i n t he [i ] ns ur ed’ s capa ci t yas an ar chi t ect , engi neer , l and s ur vey or , l ands cape ar chi t ect , cons t ruct i on m anage roras defi ned b ye n d o rs e m e n t to th e p o lic y .”-3-

L um ber m ens now cl ai m s i ts houl d nothave t o payforC zop’ s l i abi l i t ybeca us e the t as k of i ns pect i ng and mai nt ai ni ng r oads i de s afe t ydoes notqual i fyas a “pr ofes s i onal s e rv ic e .” T h is a rg u m e n t h a s n o m e ri t. D avid R i l ey , t he em ploy ee hir ed b yC zop t o co nd uct the road si de inspect i on s, per for m ed s peci al i zed t as ks . See H ar ad v. A etna C as . & Sur . C o. , 839 F. 2d 979, 984 ( 3d C ir. 1 9 8 8 ). H e c o n d u c ted in sp e c tio n s a n d m a d e a rra n g e m e n ts f o r o th e r c o n tra c to rs to p e rf o rm a n yn e c e ss a rylab o r; h e d id n o t cle a r th e ro a d s h im se lf. L u m b e rm e n s’s e f f o rts to m i ni m i ze Ri l ey ’ s educa t i on, t r ai ni ng, and j ob funct i on do notdi m i ni s h t he fa ctt hatt he ser vices he p erform ed w ere pr ofessi on al ser vices . A cc o rdin g ly , w e w il l aff irm the D istri ct C o u rt ’s ord er.