Court Opinion

ID: 9398815
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-06-01 14:06:31.437361+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:19:36.723304
License: Public Domain

STATE OF LOUISIANA

          COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST CIRCUIT

                                                                                                   NO.      2023        CW       0148
PRISCILLA DUET AND CURTIS
DUET

VERSUS

                                                                                                          JUNE         1,        2023
CALEB         LAND     CORPORATION

                                                                                                                                        for
In      Re:          Stonetrust                 Commercial           Insurance                Company,            applying

                                                                               Judicial                  District                 Court,
                                                   writs,         17th
                     supervisory
                                                                 No.     143161.
                     Parish        of       Lafourche,

                     WELCH,        PENZATO,             AND    LANIER,         JJ.
BEFORE:

                                                                                                            18,        2023        order
          WRIT         GRANTED.             The        district        court'       s        January
                                                                  judgment              filed by the third -party
denying the motion for summary                                                                                    is        reversed.
defendant,              Stonetrust                Commercial           insurance              Company,
                                                                             brought               against         its           insured
                                             to    defend         suits
An "      insurer' s          duty
                                                                                              plaintiff'           s        petition,
                                        the        allegations            of      the
is       determined               by
with          the    insurer being obligated to furnish a defense unlessMasco
                                                                          the                       Steptore                v.
                                                        excludes          coverage."
petition             unambiguously
                                                                                              643        So. 2d    1213,           1218.
Const.          Co.,        Inc.,           93- 2064 (      La.        8/ 18/ 94)        f

                                                                                                                  broader              than
                                                            to     defend           is       generally
 Further,            an     insurer' s             duty
                                                                                         for        damage           claims.            Id.
                                                                  coverage
 its          obligation               to        provide

                                                                                                    allegations                   of    the
 11[    C] ourts       look        to       factual,           not      conclusory,
                                                                                    insurer              must          defend           the
                              determine                 whether         the
 petition              to
                                                                                                                            1st        Cir.
 insured."             Guste           v.         Lirette,           2017- 1248 (              La.         App.
                                                                               The                         at     issue           herein
                     251      So. 3d            1126,     1133- 34.                          policy
 6/ 4/ 18),
                                        compensation               coverage              and       employers'               liability
 provides            workers'

 coverage            for     claims             that "    arise        out     of       and     in       the    course            of        the
                                                                                             The         petition                 herein
                       employee'            s       employment."
  injured
                                                                                                               employed                as     a
                              alleged              that        Priscilla                Duet        was
  specifically
                                                                                              LLC    and       was      an        invitee
                    laborer            with       CJ    Star     Cattle        Co.,
  general
                                                                                                     The       petition             makes
  on     the        premises           of       Caleb     Land       Corporation.
                                                                                    employee               of     the            insured,
                                                                   was       an
  no      allegation              that          plaintiff

                                                                     Thus,              we         find         the              petition
  Caleb             Land          Corporation.

                                  excludes              coverage          under              the         policy
                                                                                                                            issued           by
  unambiguously
                             defendant,                Stonetrust          Commercial                    Insurance               Company.
  third -party
                                                                                                                        the        third -
  Therefore,                the    motion           for    summary
                                                                             judgment               filed       by
                                                                  Commercial                  Insurance              Company,                is
                defendant,                  Stonetrust
  party
                                                                                        claims           against            Stonetrust
   granted,            and    Caleb             Land     Corporation' s
   Commercial Insurance Company are dismissed.

                                                                   JEW
                                                                   ARP

                                                                   WIL

       COURT    OF APPEAL,              FIRST          CIRCUIT

              DEPUTY        CLERK OF COURT
                     FOR     THE       COURT