Indemnification between businesses requires a contract outlining the type of indemnification and a certificate of insurance from one party to the other so the insurance company knows it is on the hook.

Because no certificate of insurance was issued by the third-party insurance company, company, the contract requiring indemnification between the ski area and the manufacturer failed.

Jiminy Peak Mountain Report, LLC, v. Wiegand Sports, LLC, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 34209

State: Massachusetts, United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts

Plaintiff: Jiminy Peak Mountain Report, LLC

Defendant: Wiegand Sports, LLC, and, Navigators Specialty Insurance, CO.

Plaintiff Claims:  Indemnification

Defendant Defenses: No contract

Holding: for the Defense

Year: 2016

Obviously, this is not your normal injured guest case. This case looks at the relationship between a resort and a manufacturer who installed a ride at the resort.

In 2006 the defendant Wiegand built an Alpine Coaster for the plaintiff ski area Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort, LLC. The construction/purchase agreement (Consulting, Purchase, Delivery, Assembly and Inspection Contract) also contained language requiring the manufacturer to defend any claims that were brought against the plaintiff for injuries after the ride was built.

The construction agreement required Jiminy Peak to pay part of the premiums for the insurance policy. However, the policy was only in the name of the defendant Wiegand, and did not list Jiminy Peak as an additional insured or co-insured.

Section 8 of the Contract, titled “Rights and Obligations of [Jiminy]” included in its final subsection, 8(j), language stating that Wiegand would purchase product liability insurance for the Coaster, but that Jiminy was required to pay a portion of the premium, the amount of which would be determined based on the purchase price of the Coaster, and Jiminy would then be listed as an additional insured.

The agreement also stated that Wiegand would defend and pay for any claim that Jiminy Peak received.

…in the event of a product liability suit against [Wiegand], [Wiegand] “shall, at its own expense, defend any suit or proceeding brought against [Jiminy] and shall fully protect and indemnify [Jiminy] against any and all losses, liability, cost, recovery, or other expense in or resulting from such . . . suit (provided, however, [Jiminy] has fully performed all ongoing maintenance obligations).

In 2012, two minors were seriously injured riding the coaster. Wiegand had a commercial liability policy with the defendant Navigators Insurance Company. However, Navigators did not issue a certificate of insurance covering Jiminy Peak. The parents of the injured minors filed suit against Jiminy Peak and Wiegand. Jiminy Peak sued Wiegand and Navigator seeking a declaratory judgment requiring Wiegand and Navigator to pay the cost of defending those suits.

A declaratory judgment is a quick request for a court to issue an order. Jiminy and Wiegand dismissed their claims against each other and just were fighting the lawsuit against them. The case between Jiminy and Navigator then is the subject of this decision.

Analysis: making sense of the law based on these facts.

Navigator argued that there was a duty to defend someone who was not a named insured. Jiminy Peak was not listed on the policy as an insured, co-insured or additional insured. Navigator also argued that it had no legal relationship with Jiminy Peak; therefore, it owed Jiminy Peak no money.

Navigators argues that as an insurer it owes a duty to defend its insured, Wiegand, but it does not owe a direct duty to defend Jiminy because Jiminy is not an additional insured under the Policy. Further, the duty Navigators has under the Policy to pay defense costs to a non-insured party pursuant to a contractual liability of its insured only requires it to make payments to the insured, and only when the insured has actually requested payment. In this case, Navigators asserts that even if Wiegand is found to owe Jiminy its defense costs, it will be up to Wiegand to determine whether it wishes to pay the amount or to make a claim to Navigators. Since Navigators owes no duty directly to Jiminy and it would be up to Wiegand to determine whether to make a claim in the event judgment is entered against it with respect to Jiminy’s defense costs…

Jiminy Peak responded by arguing the contract between it, and Wiegand was enough to force Navigator to pay. (You and I go to dinner and try to convince the waiter that your friend who is not at the table should pay for our meal.)

The court looked into the requirements for an insurance company to defend under Massachusetts law.

The court begins its analysis by considering whether Massachusetts law allows Jiminy to compel payment from Navigators based on Navigators’ obligations to its insured, Wiegand. Massachusetts law imposes on insurers a “broad duty to defend its insured against any claims that create a potential for indemnity.” This duty is broad and attaches whenever the claims in the complaint match up with the language in the policy.

However, the broad language of the policy only applies to the companies named in the policy as an insured. Jiminy Peak was not named in any way under the policy.

The Contract also included provisions regarding both additional insureds and “insured contracts,” suggesting that Jiminy, like Navigators and Wiegand, understood that Wiegand’s promise to pay Jiminy’s defense costs would not grant Jiminy the status of an “additional insured” with respect to Navigators.

If Jiminy Peak had been named in the policy or listed as an additional insured, then coverage would have been provided under Navigator’s policy issued to Wiegand.

In the absence of a contractual relationship between Navigators and Jiminy, the court finds no legal basis for ordering Navigators to pay Jiminy’s defense costs directly. Any obligation upon Navigators to pay such costs will arise only after an insured, in this case Wiegand, makes a claim for payment and then its only obligation will be to Wiegand.

Jiminy Peak may still be indemnified by Navigator’s policy. However, to be covered Wiegand will have to make a claim under the policy and if Wiegand was negligent and did something defined under the policy as an insured, then coverage will be provided.

However, I doubt any coverage will be provided unless Jiminy Peak can prove that Wiegand was negligent in its relationship. The contract only applies to product liability or negligence claims of the insured, Wiegand.

So Now What?

Insurance policies are written so the language is clear. The insured or persons covered by the policy are listed on the first page, the declaration page, or as additional insured on the policy. The coverage provided by a policy is broader than the language usually required by state law. However, the broad coverage is only extended to the people listed in the policy.

If you name is not on a piece of paper issued by the insurance company you are not covered under the policy.

A certificate of insurance request by Jiminy Peak would have solved the problem.

However, requesting a certificate of insurance does not solve all problems, in fact it only solves very limited problems. For a simple certificate of insurance to provide protection, the named insured must have done something to create liability for the insured under the certificate of insurance.

Just requesting a certificate of insurance without an agreement outlining what is to be covered is worthless.

Every day I see situations were one company requests a certificate of insurance believing that provides coverage. It does not. To be effective a certificate of insurance should be issued based on a contract which outlines what is to be covered under the certificate of insurance. The certificate of insurance must confirm to the contract between the parties.

A certificate of insurance, by itself is pretty worthless. (If they had real value would insurance companies issue them so easily?)

What do you think? Leave a comment.

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Author: Outdoor Recreation Insurance, Risk Management and Law

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