Federal Court Retains Jurisdiction on Insurance Coverage Issue

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After an automobile collision in which James Bryant (“Bryant”) was driving a vehicle owned by RSS, LLC, and Steven Hughes (“Hughes”), and hit Glynn Allan Smith (“Smith”) (collectively “Defendants”) resulted in an insurance coverage claim. The vehicle was insured by Auto-Owners Insurance Company (“Auto-Owners” or “Plaintiff”), which claims there is no coverage because Bryant was not a permissive driver. Smith filed a Motion to Dismiss asking the Court to abstain from exercising jurisdiction over this matter pursuant to Nautilus Ins. Co. v. Winchester Homes, Inc., 15 F.3d 371, 377 (4th Cir. 1994) because among others reasons, there is a potential for unnecessary entanglement between this action and the personal injury action pending in State Court. The USDC, in Auto-Owners Insurance Company v. Glynn Allan Smith; RSS, LLC; Steven Hughes; and James Bryant, No. 4:21-cv-03693-JD, United States District Court, D. South Carolina, Florence Division (January 19, 2022), found it proper to resolve the insurance coverage issue.

BACKGROUND

The underlying State Court case arises from injuries suffered by Smith arising out of a motor vehicle collision. AutoOwners issued a Commercial Auto Policy (the “Policy”), to RSS, LLC, and Hughes with combined liability limits of $500,000.00 per accident. 

DISCUSSION

This is an insurance coverage case that requires the Court to review the Policy and the applicable facts and issue a Declaratory Judgment as to the rights and responsibilities of the parties under the Policy. Federal Courts routinely adjudicate insurance policies governed by State. Accordingly, the Court found that the declaratory relief sought will serve a useful purpose in clarifying and settling the legal relations in issue, and will terminate and afford relief from the uncertainty, insecurity, and controversy giving rise to the proceeding.

For the foregoing reasons, the USDC decided to exercise jurisdiction over this case; and therefore, Smith’s Motion to Dismiss is denied.

ZALMA OPINION

A declaratory relief action has no relationship to a tort action. If AutoOwners is correct – and it appears so – that it owes neither defense nor indemnity to the defendant unlicensed driver it is entitled to seek a quick, simple and direct action in federal court to determine if it is correct in its conclusion that it owes neither defense nor indemnity to Byrant.

© 2022 – Barry Zalma

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