HOWARD v. AMERICAN NATIONAL FIRE INS. CO. part-II
<script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"> _uacct = "UA-1698443-1"; urchinTracker(); </script> <html ><br /> <head><br /> <title>HOWARD v</title><br /> </head><br /> <body><br /> <div><br /> <br/><b >HOWARD<br /> v. AMERICAN NATIONAL FIRE INS. CO.</b><b ></b><br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> <br /> <br/>Filed 8/11/10<br /> <br/><b<br /> > </b><br /> <br/><b<br /> > </b><br /> <br/><b<br /> > </b><br /> <br/><b<br /> > </b><br /> <br/><b<br /> > </b><br /> <br/><b<br /> >CERTIFIED FOR PUBLICATION</b><br /> <br/> <br /> <br/>IN<br /> THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA<br /> <br/> <br /> <br/>FIRST<br /> APPELLATE DISTRICT<br /> <br/> <br /> <br/>DIVISION<br /> FOUR<br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> <br /> <table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0<br /> ><br /> <tr ><br /> <td width=319 valign=top ><br /> <br/>JAMES<br /> HOWARD et al.,<br /> <br/> Plaintiffs and Appellants,<br /> <br/>v.<br /> <br/>AMERICAN NATIONAL FIRE INS. CO.<br /> et al.,<br /> <br/> Defendants and Appellants.<br /> </td><br /> <td width=319 valign=top ><br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> A121569 & A123187<br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> (San<br /> Francisco County<br /> <br/> Super. Ct. Nos. 307379 & 307383)<br /> <br/> <br /> </td><br /> </tr><br /> </table><br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> <br /> <br/> <br /> <br/><b >STORY CONTINUE FROM <br /> PART I….</b><br /> <br/><b > </b><br /> <br/><b > </b><br /> <br/><i >C. American breached its<br /> duty to defend and owed contribution to the defending insurers</i><br /> <br/> The<br /> trial court found that American had a duty to defend the Bishop in the<br /> underlying litigation brought by James Howard and breached that duty. The defense of the Bishop fell to his other<br /> insurers, who shouldered the expense through trial. Two of those insurers, St.<br /> Paul and CIGNA, assigned to plaintiffs their<br /> contribution claims against American for defense costs. The court calculated the amount of the two<br /> insurers' right of contribution from American at $75,523.87 and awarded that amount<br /> to plaintiffs as the insurers' assignees.<br /> <br/> American<br /> disputes the trial court's liability finding and its calculations. As to liability, American maintains that a<br /> duty to defend is determined at the time the insured tenders the insurance<br /> policy and, at that time, the facts known to American showed that the<br /> molestation of James occurred outside its policy period. American also questions the basis for<br /> awarding any recovery, even if it did have a duty to defend. American argues that an insured cannot recover<br /> for breach of the duty to defend if the insured is fully defended by other<br /> insurers and denies plaintiffs' entitlement to receive contribution as<br /> assignees of defending insurers. As for<br /> the calculation of the amount due, American writes a single sentence in its<br /> appellate brief to say that the trial court's calculations â€