Opinion ID: 1474342
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Superior Court Denies Reconsideration

Text: The Superior Court denied HCC's motion for reconsideration (the Reconsideration Ruling). The Superior Court stated that the factual evidence in HCC's reply brief indicating that the LNO and NOC provisions were activated, was available to HCC at the time of the [original] argument. Consequently, the Superior Court apparently disregarded HCC's evidence concerning notice as untimely. According to the Superior Court, [o]nce London proved that the language at issue in the claims-made policies was clear and unambiguous, the burden shifted to HCC to prove that there were still issues of fact remaining. The Superior Court held: HCC also contends that the Court improperly rejected its arguments regarding the standard-form tail provisions, when the Court provided that HCC failed to proffer facts to fit its legal theories on this issue. HCC claims that it is not obligated to present such facts at this stage of the litigation; only facts relevant to the interpretation of policies are necessary. This argument is without merit. In a motion for summary judgment, once the moving party has shown that there are no genuine issues of material fact for trial, the burden shifts to the nonmoving party to show that there are material issues of fact. Moore v. Sizemore, Del.Supr., 405 A.2d 679 (1979). Once London proved that the language at issue in the claims-made policies was clear and unambiguous, the burden shifted to HCC to prove that there were still issues of fact remaining. Because HCC was arguing that the Loss Notification Option and Notice of Circumstance provisions vitiated the claims-made provision, summary judgment briefing was precisely the time for HCC to put forth facts in support of that theory. The Superior Court also refused to reconsider HCC's contention that the parties did not negotiate the insurance policies in question. The Superior Court reiterated its finding that the claims-made policies were negotiated contracts.