HERCULES INC. v. ONEBEACON AMERICA INS. CO.

C.A. No. 02C-11-237 SCD.

852 A.2d 33 (2004)

HERCULES INCORPORATED, a Delaware Corporation, Plaintiff, v. ONEBEACON AMERICA INSURANCE COMPANY, et al., Defendants.

Superior Court of Delaware, New Castle County.

Decided January 22, 2004.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

John E. James, of Potter, Anderson & Corroon, L.L.P., Wilmington, DE, and Kent T. Withycombe, (argued), of Dickstein Shapiro Morin & Oshinsky, L.L.P., Washington, D.C., for Plaintiff Hercules Incorporated.

Jonathan L. Parshall, of Murphy, Spadaro & Landon, Wilmington, DE, and Vineet Bhatia (argued), of Susman Godfrey, L.L.P., Houston, TX, for Defendants Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's London, Certain Insurance Companies in London Market, North River Insurance Company, and Excess Insurance Company, Limited.

Christine L. Davis, and Frank E. Noyes, II, of White and Williams, L.L.P., Wilmington, DE, for Defendants OneBeacon America Insurance Company, Lumbermens Mutual Casualty Company, and Seaton Insurance Company.

B. Wilson Redfearn, of Tybout, Redfearn & Pell, Wilmington, DE, for Defendant Travelers Casualty and Surety Company.

David C. Malatesta, Jr., of Kent & McBride, P.C., Wilmington, DE, for Defendant Employers Mutual Casualty Company.

Donald M. Ransom, of Casarino, Christman & Shalk, Wilmington, DE, for Defendants ACE Property & Casualty Company, Century Indemnity Company, Indemnity Insurance Company of North America, Pacific Employers Insurance Company.

Anthony G. Flynn, and Timothy J. Houseal, of Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, L.L.P., Wilmington, DE, for Defendants AIU Insurance Company, Allianz Insurance Company, Allianz Underwriters Insurance Company, American Home Assurance Company, American Re-Insurance Company, Granite State Insurance Company, INSCO Limited, International Insurance Company, Landmark Insurance Company, Lexington Insurance Company, National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, PA.

Robert J. Katzenstein, of Smith, Katzenstein, & Furlow, Wilmington, DE, for Defendant Allstate Insurance Company.

Barbara A. Fruehauf, of Cattie and Fruehauf, Wilmington, DE, for Defendant Argonaut Insurance Company.

Arthur G. Connolly, III, of Connolly Bove Lodge & Hutz, L.L.P., Wilmington, DE, for Defendants Centre Insurance Company, and Home Insurance Company.

Carmella P. Keener, and Ross Dixon Bell, of Rosenthal, Monhait, Gross & Goddess, P.A., Wilmington, DE, for Defendant Continental Casualty Company.

J.R. Julian, of J.R. Julian, P.A., Wilmington, DE, for Defendants Everest Reinsurance Company, and Mt. McKinley Insurance Company.

Sean J. Bellew, of Cozen & O'Connor, Wilmington, DE, for Defendant Federal Insurance Company.

Kevin F. Brady, of Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom, L.L.P., Wilmington, DE, for Defendant General Reinsurance Corporation.

Michael J. Goodrick, of Michael J. Goodrick, P.A., Wilmington, DE, for Defendant Zurich American Insurance Company.

John Dillon, of Hamilton Altman Canale & Dillon, L.L.C., Bethesda, MD, and Robert J. Leoni, of Morgan Shelsby & Leoni, Newark, DE, for Defendant Employers Insurance Company of Wausau.


OPINION

DEL PESCO, J.

The issue in these cross-motions for Summary Judgment is whether Hercules Incorporated ("Hercules") must satisfy a self-insured retention or deductibles in addition to exhausting the underlying products liability coverage before the North River Insurance Company's ("North River") excess insurance policies apply to claims for injuries resulting from asbestos.

Facts

Haveg, a party to this litigation, is a wholly...

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