Opinion ID: 3134619
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Summary as to the Mena Site

Text: In summary, we hold that the 1988 Arkansas suit was a suit within the meaning of Lapham-Hickey . We therefore reverse the appellate court’s determination that Wausau owed no duty to defend with respect to the Mena site because no sufficient suit was filed. We nonetheless affirm the appellate court’s reversal of the circuit court’s grant of Ehlco’s motion for judgment on the pleadings with regard to the Mena site, but for a different reason. Ehlco is not entitled to judgment on the pleadings as to the Mena site because the pleadings fail to demonstrate that Wausau’s duty to defend the Arkansas suit was properly triggered by actual notice of that suit. As explained above, the parties should be given the opportunity to amend their pleadings to address the actual notice and equitable estoppel issues in the circuit court. Wausau argues that, if this court holds that Wausau had a duty to defend with respect to the Mena site, then we must remand this matter to the appellate court for consideration of issues which Wausau raised but the appellate court did not reach as to that site. Wausau offers no description of the issues that remain to be addressed by the appellate court. Rather, Wausau cites to a footnote in the appellate court decision, which states: “In addition, on appeal Wausau contends that the trial court erred in entering judgment on the pleadings with respect to the Mena site without first permitting Wausau to file an answer to Ehlco’s Mena counterclaim; erred in denying Wausau’s motion to dismiss Ehlco’s Mena counterclaim on statute of limitations grounds; and erred in denying Wausau the opportunity to conduct discovery regarding its duty to defend in the underlying Mena proceedings. However, based upon our disposition of the coverage issue with respect to the underlying Mena proceedings , we need not address these contentions in our decision.” Slip op. at 15 n.4 (material unpublished under Supreme Court Rule 23 (166 Ill. 2d R. 23)). These issues have not been raised or briefed in this court. Nonetheless, where errors were raised but not ruled upon in the appellate court, it is appropriate for this court to remand the cause to the appellate court for resolution of the issues that remain. People v. Lowery , 178 Ill. 2d 462, 473 (1997); Suwalski v. Suwalski , 40 Ill. 2d 492, 501 (1968). Therefore, pursuant to Wausau’s request, we remand this cause first to the appellate court for consideration of any issues that were raised, but which the appellate court did not reach as a result of its Mena rulings. On remand, the appellate court should be cognizant of the rulings in this opinion and proceed accordingly. The appellate court need resolve only those issues that it deems appropriate for resolution, in light of our holdings here. After resolving these issues, the appellate court should remand this cause to the circuit court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion, unless the appellate court’s resolution of the issues before it makes such further proceedings improper or unnecessary.