California Court of Appeal

Employers Reinsurance Co. v. Superior Court (Thorpe Insulation Co.), B200959

"Course of performance" evidence is relevant and may be used for the interpretation of insurance contracts. However, such evidence is only admissible when the performance was pursuant to the contract to be interpreted, not a subsequent settlement agreement.

Appellate Information

• Decided 04/03/2008
• Published 04/03/2008

Judges

• CROSKEY, J.

Court

• California Court of Appeal

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, Barry R. Ostrager, Deborah Lynn Stein, Robert Pfister, Los Angeles;  Craig & Winkelman and Bruce H. Winkelman, Berkeley, for Petitioner Employers Reinsurance Company., Grippo & Elden, Todd C. Jacobs and John E. Bucheit, for Petitioner Transcontinental Insurance Company., Carroll Burdick & McDonough, Sarah M. Shields and Robert A. Binion, San Francisco, for Petitioner Transcontinental Insurance Company., Kaufman & Logan, Peter J. Logan, Emme Thompson, San Francisco, Randall P. Berdan;  Lind, Jensen, Sullivan & Peterson, Ted E. Sullivan, Thomas D. Jensen, Laurie Meyer;  Crowell & Moring and Steven P. Rice, Irvine, for Petitioner Chicago Insurance Company., Nixon Peabody, John H. Riddle, Robert P. Kavanaugh, San Francisco, and Alan S. Feiler, for Petitioner Maine Bonding and Casualty Company., Selman Breitman, Holly Burgess and Jeffrey C. Segal, Los Angeles, for Petitioner Middlesex Insurance Company., Harrington, Foxx, Dubrow & Canter, Kevin P. McNamara, Los Angeles;  Traub, Eglin, Lieberman Strauss and Meryl R. Lieberman, for Petitioner Associated International Insurance Company., O'Melveny & Myers, Richard B. Goetz, Steven H. Bergman, Los Angeles;  Berman & Aiwasian and Alan S. Berman, Los Angeles, for Petitioners Motor Vehicle Casualty Company and Central National Insurance Company of Omaha., Litchfield Cavo, Glendale, Edward D. Vaisbort and G. David Rubin, for Petitioner Argonaut Insurance Company., Tressler, Soderstrom, Maloney & Priess, Katherine K. Liner and Adam C. Hackett, Costa Mesa, for Petitioner Allstate Insurance Company., Gordon & Rees, Matthew S. Foy and Arthur Schwartz for Petitioners Granite State Insurance Company and National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, PA., Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, Michel Y. Horton, Charles J. Malaret, Martina Bernstein and Thomas M. Peterson for Real Party in Interest Thorpe Insulation Company.


• For Appellees:
  
• Frederick Bennett, Los Angeles, for Respondent.