Court Opinion

ID: 9713526
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 05:16:52.38214+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:23:19.134409
License: Public Domain

Fine, J.
(dissenting). In my view, summary judgment was improperly entered as there was an issue of material fact about which reasonable minds could differ. That issue, as to which the plaintiff would have had the burden of proof, was whether one in the position of the insured would have been reasonable in assuming that, as a result of the incident at his nightclub on October 2, 1976, a claim would not have been filed against him. In the instant case, although the incident occurred in the nightclub owned by the insured, it was a member.of the rock band hired to perform who placed the dish of flash powder on the floor. No employee of the insured was involved. The present case is slightly different on the facts from Segal v. Aetna Cas. & Sur. Co., 337 Mass. 185 (1958). It would have been clear to the insured in Segal that if the incident were to result in a claim, the insured, as the landlord, would have been the one against whom it would have been made.
According to the majority, the language in issue in the insurance policy means that any insured party forfeits coverage unless he promptly notifies the insurer of an incident occurring on his premises even if the incident is one that a reasonable person in the circumstances would not expect to result in a claim against him. The coverage for any but obvious claims, thus, would be illusory. It is not unusual these days for tort claims to be made which are novel and not reasonably to be anticipated by laypersons. A reasonable business owner purchasing liability insurance would naturally expect that he was buying protection against such claims. Even before the 1977 statute (St. 1977, c. 437, amending G. L. c. 175, § 112), I think the law would have protected that expectation.. See Leveille v. Aetna Cas. & Sur. Co., 353 Mass. 716, 719 (1968).