Opinion ID: 1517147
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Superior Court's Decision on the Merits

Text: The company argues that the Superior Court erred in concluding that the company had a duty to defend the town in Mrs. Berry's wrongful death action. In the insurer's view, the allegations in the complaint for wrongful death must be read as relating to liability stemming from the existence of streets rather than from street cleaning or repair. On that hypothesis, according to the company, the additional exclusion endorsement shows a lack of coverage for the liability claim and the company has no duty to defend the town. The argument expresses too narrow a conception of the duty to defend. In order for the duty of defense to arise, the underlying complaint need only show, through general allegations, a possibility that the liability claim falls within the insurance coverage. There is no requirement that the facts alleged in the complaint specifically and unequivocally make out a claim within the coverage. Moreover, where there is an ambiguity in the language of the policy, the doubt should be resolved in favor of finding that the insurer has a duty to defend the insured. Travelers Indemnity Co. v. Dingwell, Me., 414 A.2d 220 (1980). The underlying complaint for wrongful death alleged, among other things, that the town failed to maintain a road leading to a railroad crossing so that a motorist could apply his brakes and stop before reaching the railroad tracks. Mrs. Berry claimed that her husband was killed when the vehicle he was driving collided with a train at the railroad crossing. Although her allegation could be viewed as charging a defect in the design of the road itself, thereby possibly bringing her claim within the exclusion of liability for injury arising out of the existence of the roadway, it is equally reasonable to read her complaint as alleging that the town was negligent in the performance of street cleaning or repair. [1] Because Mrs. Berry's wrongful death complaint raised the possibility that her claim fell within the coverage provisions of the policy, the company was under a duty to defend the town in the wrongful death action. We find no error either in the Superior Court's result or in its reasoning.