Opinion ID: 194952
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: EPL Coverage Under the Main

Text: Body of the Weavers Umbrella The district court held that the Weavers Umbrella did not address EPL claims and that the Weavers EPL Endorsement did not cover the Peterson Claims. We conclude that the plain language in the main body of the Weavers Umbrella itself afforded CU claims-based EPL coverage. Section I of the Weavers Umbrella (entitled COVERAGE) states that: [Weavers] hereby agree[s], subject to the limitations, terms and conditions hereinafter mentioned, to indemnify [CU] for all sums which [CU] shall be obligated to pay by reason of the liability
for damages on account of

caused by or arising out of each occurrence happening anywhere in the world [emphasis added]. Section II (entitled LIMIT OF LIABILITY) immediately follows the COVERAGE section, and limits Weavers' liability to the excess occurrence See infra at p. 15. The COVERAGE and LIMIT OF LIABILITY sections must be construed compatibly, Rice Growers Ass'n v. cf. Rosen v. A-H, Inc. , 456 N.E.2d 477, 480 (Mass. App. Ct. 1983), as the latter plainly delimits the former. 6: Cf. Lydon v. Allstate Ins. Co. , 359 N.E.2d 316, 317 (Mass. App. Ct. 1977) (intent of parties gathered from construing contract as a whole and not by placing special emphasis on any one part.). excess 7: Under this subsection (b) of the Weavers Umbrella, CU is covered only for amounts in excess of the $25,000 deductible. Although Weavers refers to the coverage in subsection (b) as excess over a self-insured retention (as opposed to primary with a deductible), this difference in terminology is without functional significance. For such umbrella coverage to extend, either on an excess basis (per (a)), or on a primary basis (per (b)), the occurrence must be covered under the Weavers Umbrella in the first place. As noted below, however, the Weavers Umbrella defines occurrences very broadly. e.g. , but only in excess of the limits of underlying insurance per (a). Thus, it is not surprising that the COVERAGE provisions in the main body of the Weaver Umbrella make no explicit mention of EPL coverage. Indeed, the broad language of the Weavers Umbrella COVERAGE provisions identifies no particular activity whatever, for the simple reason that coverage under the main body of the Weavers Umbrella is afforded for all activities which result in occurrences for which CU must respond in damages . The parties agree that the Peterson Incident occurred