HERCULES, INC. v. AIU INS. CO.

No. 193, 2000.

784 A.2d 481 (2001)

HERCULES, INCORPORATED, a corporation of the State of Delaware, Plaintiff Below, Appellant, v. AIU INSURANCE COMPANY, et al., Defendants Below, Appellees. and American Home Assurance Company, Allstate Insurance Company (as successor to Northbrook Excess and Surplus Insurance Company and Northbrook Insurance Company), Everest Reinsurance Company (formerly known as Prudential Reinsurance Company), Gibraltar Casualty Company, and the Home Insurance Company, Defendants-Below Appellees/Cross-Appellants, v. Hercules, Incorporated, Plaintiff Below Appellant/Cross-Appellants.

Supreme Court of Delaware.

Decided: August 15, 2001.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Richard E. Poole, Esquire (argued), Gregory A. Inskip, Esquire, and John E. James, Esquire, of Potter Anderson & Corroon LLP, Wilmington, Delaware; Of Counsel: Michael F. Rettig, Esquire, of Hercules Incorporated, Wilmington, Delaware; Jerold Oshinsky, Esquire (argued), Mark H. Kolman, Esquire, Kent T. Withycombe, Esquire, and Michael T. Sharkey, Esquire, of Dickstein, Shapiro Morin & Oshinsky, Washington, D.C., Attorneys for Hercules Incorporated.

Anthony G. Flynn, Esquire (argued), and Timothy Jay Houseal, Esquire, of Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, LLP, Wilmington, Delaware; Of Counsel: James P. Schaller, Esquire (argued), Robert E. Rider, Esquire, and Kristan M. Campbell, Esquire, of Jackson & Campbell, Washington, D.C., Attorneys for AIU Insurance Company, American Home Insurance Company, Granite State Insurance Company, Landmark Insurance Company, Lexington Insurance Company, National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, PA, and Allianz Insurance Company.

Carmella P. Keener, Esquire of Rosenthal, Monhait, Gross & Goddess, P.A.; Of Counsel: Christopher T. Lutz, Esquire (argued), of Steptoe & Johnson LLP, Washington, D.C., Attorneys for The Home Insurance Company.

Robert J. Katzenstein, Esquire, and Laurence V. Cronin, Esquire, of Smith Katzenstein & Furlow, Wilmington, Delaware; Of Counsel: Stephen D. Cuyler, Esquire, Anne M. Mohan, Esquire, and Eric Konecke, Esquire, of Cuyler Burk, Parsippany, New Jersey, Attorneys for Allstate Insurance Company, Everest Reinsurance Company and Gibraltar Casualty Company.

Michael J. Goodrick, Esquire, of Michael J. Goodrick, P.A., Wilmington, Delaware; Of Counsel: Hallie Miller Fahey, Esquire, of Meckler Bulger & Tilson, Chicago, Illinois, Attorneys for Zurich Insurance Company.

Barbara A. Fruehauf, Esquire, of Cattie & Freuhauf, Wilmington, Delaware; Of Counsel: Stuart L. Peacock, Esquire, of Gilberg & Kiernan, Washington, D.C., Attorneys for Argonaut Insurance Company.

John A. Balaguer, Esquire, of White & Williams, Wilmington, Delaware; Of Counsel: David P. Donovan, Esquire and Nancy L. Manzer, Esquire, of Wilmer Cutler & Pickering, Washington, D.C., Attorneys for Century Indemnity Co.

Loreto P. Rufo, Esquire, of The Bayard Firm, Wilmington, Delaware, Attorney for Employers Mutual Casualty Company and Federal Insurance Company.

Kevin F. Brady, Esquire, of Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP, Wilmington, Delaware; Of Counsel: Irene A. Sullivan, Esquire, and Timothy G. Reynolds, Esquire, of Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP, New York, New York, Attorneys for General Reinsurance Corporation.

Daniel P. Bennett, Esquire, of Heckler Frabizzio & Durstein, Esquire, Wilmington, Delaware; Of Counsel: Clay H. Phillips, Esquire, and David N. Larson, Esquire, of Bollinger Ruberry & Garvey, Chicago, Illinois, Attorneys for International Surplus Lines Insurance Company.

J.R. Julian, Esquire, of J.R. Julian, P.A., Wilmington, Delaware; Of Counsel: Edward D. Shoulkin, Esquire, of Taylor Duane Barton & Gilman, Boston, Massachusetts, Attorneys for Unigard Security Insurance Company.

Francis J. Murphy, Esquire and Jonathan L. Parshall, Esquire, of Murphy Spadaro & Landon, Wilmington, Delaware; Of Counsel: John G. McAndrews, Esquire, Dean J. Vigliano, Esquire, Matthew G. Dineen, Esquire, and Allen R. McKay, Esquire, of Mendes & Mount, LLP, New York, New York, Attorneys for Amicus Curiae London Market Insurers.

Before VEASEY, Chief Justice, HOLLAND and STEELE, Justices.


VEASEY, Chief Justice.

This appeal involves an insurance coverage dispute in which the insured seeks coverage under a number of policies for tens of millions of dollars of environmental liability it has incurred. Rulings of the trial court interpreting provisions of the insurance contracts at issue resulted in a Final Judgment Order granting partial coverage to the insured. Upon review of these rulings, we affirm in part...

Let's get started

Leagle.com

Welcome to the leading source of independent legal reporting
Sign on now to see your case.
Or view more than 10 million decisions and orders.

  • Updated daily.
  • Uncompromising quality.
  • Complete, Accurate, Current.

Listed below are the cases that are cited in this Featured Case. Click the citation to see the full text of the cited case. Citations are also linked in the body of the Featured Case.

Cited Cases

  • No Cases Found

Listed below are those cases in which this Featured Case is cited. Click on the case name to see the full text of the citing case.

Citing Cases