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• Title: Penn Aluminum
• Author : Supreme Court of New York
• Release Date : January 01, 1978
• Genre: Law,Books,Professional & Technical,
• Pages : * pages
• Size : 53 KB

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Judgment modified in accordance with memorandum and, as modified, affirmed, without costs. Memorandum: Special Term properly held that Aetna owes a duty to defend Penn Aluminum in the third-party action commenced by Sears. The obligation of an insurance company to defend its named insured is separate and distinct from its obligation to pay. Only when it can be concluded as a matter of law that there is no basis upon which the insurance company might be obligated to indemnify the named insured under any provisions of the policy is the insurance company relieved from its duty to defend (Spoor-Lasher Co. v Aetna Cas. & Sur. Co., 39 N.Y.2d 875, 876- 877; Utica Mut. Ins. Co. v Cherry, 38 N.Y.2d 735, 737; Sturges Mfg. Co. v Utica Mut. Ins. Co., 37 N.Y.2d 69, 74). The main action was commenced by plaintiffs against Sears alleging two causes of action, one in negligence and the other for breach of warranty, seeking $630 for damages to plaintiff's residence and an awning which they purchased from Sears. Considering both causes of action we find that the damages alleged are not unequivocally excluded from coverage by the terms of the policy, hence Aetna must perform its contractual duty to defend. Further, we agree with Special Term that under the circumstances present, due to the competing interests of the insurer, (Aetna), the named insured (Penn) and the additional insured (Sears) the law firm of Brown, Kelly, Turner, Hassett & Leach retained by Aetna has a conflict of interest in representing Sears. Even though Sears does not object to Brown, Kelly continuing as its counsel, because of the interwoven and competing interests of Penn Aluminum, Aetna and Sears and because Brown, Kelly was retained by Aetna to represent Sears pursuant to a contract of insurance sold by Aetna to Penn Aluminum, there is an appearance of collusive activity against the named insured, Penn Aluminum whom Aetna has an obligation to defend. Clearly, Aetna has divided loyalties among its own interests, its named insured and Sears. Under these circumstances Aetna should not choose counsel for either the named insured or the additional insured. Were liability found to exist against Sears in the main action, Sears would seek to be indemnified by Penn Aluminum. On the other hand, Aetna's own interests would be served by having the damages fall within an exclusion of the policy. Evidence of conflicting interests is found in the fact that Brown, Kelly has only sought, in the third-party action it brought on behalf of Sears, the sum of $600, i.e., the precise amount that Aetna claims is excluded, instead of the full $630 damages sought in the main action. Inasmuch as Brown, Kelly was retained by Aetna to represent Sears, and Aetna and Sears do not have a common purpose in this litigation, Brown, Kelly should not represent Sears. (see Cardinale v Golinello, 43 N.Y.2d 288.) The insurer's desire to control the defense must yield to its obligations to defend the insured. In the present case divided loyalties are apparent and both insureds must have the right to obtain counsel of their own choice to be paid by Aetna (see Prashker v United States Guar. Co., 1 N.Y.2d 584, 593; Rimar v Continental Cas. Co., 50 A.D.2d 169, 173- 174).

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