Opinion ID: 2974265
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Insurers’ Argument on Appeal

Text: The Insurers appealed the district court’s order to this Court on April 19, 2005. The Insurers make three interrelated arguments to this Court. First, the Insurers argue that the district court’s interpretation of its prior orders was “unfounded.” In particular, the Insurers argue i) that the prior orders cannot be construed as limiting suits to nonmatured policies, ii) that the prior orders did not preclude the naming of Alpha as a defendant to the Insurers’ tort claims, and iii) that the district court erred by finding that the Delaware court was not a court of “competent jurisdiction” in which the prior orders permitted suit. As a result, the Insurers argue, the district court abused its discretion in finding the Insurers in contempt of those prior orders. Second, the Insurers contend that district court’s construction of the prior orders as permitting suit on policies only prior to a viator’s death denied the Insurers’ due process because the Insurers never had the opportunity to contest the order deciding as such. Finally, the Insurers argue in the alternative that, even were the district court’s interpretation of the prior orders correct, the district court abused its discretion in enjoining the Delaware suit in its entirety in lieu of clarifying what could or could not be litigated in that forum. II.