Casa Colina, Inc. v. Hartford Fire Insurance Company
Opinion
Trial Court Opinion
I.
BACKGROUND
On June 26, 2020, Plaintiffs Casa Colina Inc. and other associated Casa Colina entities,1 who provide rehabilitative and medical-surgical services, filed a Complaint in Los Angeles County Superior Court against Defendants Hartford Fire Insurance Co. (“Hartford”) and HUB International Insurance Services, Inc. (“HUB”). [Doc. # 1-2]. The Complaint alleges that Hartford breached its business interruption insurance policy with Plaintiffs by denying them coverage for losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Id. at ¶¶ 48–71. The Complaint also alleges, in the alternative, a negligence cause of action against HUB, the broker that sold Plaintiffs the policy, for “failing to obtain the appropriate coverage as requested,” “failing to accurately represent and report the coverage obtained,” and “failing to properly warn Plaintiff of potential coverage limitations, gaps, or exclusions.” Id. at ¶¶ 72–83.
On August 26, 2020, Hartford and HUB removed the action, asserting that this Court has diversity jurisdiction because the Plaintiffs are all citizens of California, Hartford is a citizen of Connecticut, and while HUB is also a citizen of California, it was…