Clyde H. Hamilton

State Auto Property & Casualty Insurance v. Eastern Data Systems, Inc.

Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit · 2009-11-16

This case concerns a dispute over whether a business auto insurance policy issued by State Auto to Eastern Data Systems, Inc. (EDSI) provides coverage for an accident involving a van that EDSI had owned prior to its merger into EPS Network Solutions. After the 2003 merger, Network Solutions employee Burt Kennedy caused a multi-vehicle crash while driving the van on company business; Federal Insurance Company settled the resulting claims and sought contribution from State Auto, which denied coverage based on a non-assignment clause in its policy. The Fourth Circuit did not resolve the coverage issue on the merits. Instead, it certified two questions to the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia: whether West Virginia Code § 31D-11-1107(a)(3) voids the non-assignment clause on its face when two corporations merge, and, if not, whether the statute still applies if the insurable risks did not increase after the merger. The court explained that no controlling West Virginia precedent or statute answers these questions and that their resolution would determine the outcome of the appeal.

business & regulatoryprocedure

Ball v. Sullivan

District Court, D. South Carolina · 1990-12-31 · cited 2×

Portee v. Tollison

District Court, D. South Carolina · 1990-12-14 · cited 6×

Miller v. W.H. Bristow, Inc.

District Court, D. South Carolina · 1990-05-31 · cited 10×

Powers v. United States, Farmers Home Administration

District Court, D. South Carolina · 1990-04-24 · cited 2×

United States v. McCrackin

District Court, D. South Carolina · 1990-04-13 · cited 8×

Atlantic Shores Resort Joint Venture v. Martin

District Court, D. South Carolina · 1990-03-02 · cited 4×

Cooke v. Allstate Management Corp.

District Court, D. South Carolina · 1990-02-28 · cited 20×

Allstate Insurance v. Best

District Court, D. South Carolina · 1990-01-19 · cited 8×

Bellamy v. Lt. R.C. Borders

District Court, D. South Carolina · 1989-11-22 · cited 11×

Willard v. City of Myrtle Beach, SC

District Court, D. South Carolina · 1989-11-22 · cited 10×

North Carolina Electric Membership Corp. v. White

District Court, D. South Carolina · 1989-09-21 · cited 7×

Collins & Aikman Corp. v. Carpostan Industries, Inc.

District Court, D. South Carolina · 1989-09-01 · cited 2×

Wells American Corp. v. Sunshine Electronics

District Court, D. South Carolina · 1989-07-24 · cited 9×

Toyota of Florence, Inc. v. Lynch

District Court, D. South Carolina · 1989-05-24 · cited 8×

Roller v. McKellar

District Court, D. South Carolina · 1989-04-18 · cited 6×

Williams v. City of Columbia

District Court, D. South Carolina · 1989-02-28 · cited 6×

Chiles v. Crooks

District Court, D. South Carolina · 1989-02-01 · cited 6×

United States v. Property L. on Trafalgar St. in Aiken, Sc

District Court, D. South Carolina · 1988-11-04 · cited 5×

Mills v. Leath

District Court, D. South Carolina · 1988-11-04 · cited 10×

Decision record

Clyde H. Hamilton

Decision record