Opinion ID: 2301478
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Excess Liability Policy

Text: [¶ 16] Coulombe contends that The Salvation Army maintains an excess liability insurance policy insuring it against losses in excess of, or not covered by, the underlying insurance, which the policy lists as being provided by The Salvation Army Trust. According to Coulombe, the policy provides coverage up to $25,000,000, and The Salvation Army would have to pay only $10,000 if the policy were used. [¶ 17] The interpretation of the terms of an unambiguous insurance contract is a question of law. Mack v. Acadia Ins. Co., 1998 ME 91, ¶ 5, 709 A.2d 1187, 1188 (citing Globe Indem. Co. v. Jordan, 634 A.2d 1279, 1282 (Me.1993)). [¶ 18] The Zurich insurance policy covers general liability claims for personal injuries, but only to the extent the claim exceeds $5,000,000. The policy would cover a claim of less than $5,000,000 only if The Salvation Army's liability is not covered by the designated underlying insurance, here The Salvation Army Trust. The underlying self-insurance provided by The Salvation Army Trust covers personal injury claims like Coulombe's. [3] Thus, Zurich's coverage for claims not covered by The Salvation Army Trust is not invoked. The entry is: Judgment affirmed.