GARCIA
v.
AV-MED, INC.
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The court granted summary judgment for the plaintiff, finding the aircraft insurance policy void due to the pilot's impairment by alcohol, thus no coverage existed for the crash.
[1] Insurance policy voided where pilot's ability was impaired by alcohol at time of crash.
[2] Summary judgment granted for insurer seeking declaratory judgment of no coverage due to pilot intoxication.
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The policy's exclusion for losses due to pilot impairment.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAn airplane crashed, killing the pilot and passengers. The pilot's blood alcohol level was between .079 and .08, and his urine alcohol level was .110.…
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8. Any loss or damage caused at a time when the ability of the pilot is impaired by alcohol, drugs or other toxic substances.
It further provides:
If the ability of the pilot is impaired by alcohol, drugs or other toxic substances, *568the policy is void and no insurance coverage exists under any section.
Plaintiff contends that the pilot of the Aircraft at the time of the accident, Dake Ryan Miller, was intoxicated and his abilities impaired by alcohol such that the Policy is void and provides no coverage for the defendants’ losses. The defendants have not responded to the plaintiffs motion or attempted to controvert either the facts asserted as undisputed or the law applied.
District of Kansas Rule 206 provides that the failure to file a timely response to a motion constitutes the waiver of the right to thereafter file such a response. It further provides that in the event a party fails to file a timely response, the motion is considered and decided as uncontested and may ordinarily be granted without further notice. D.Kan.R. 206(g). Because the defendants have not filed a response to plaintiff’s motion and the applicable time period has long since run, the court shall, pursuant to Rule 206(g), grant plaintiff’s motion and the full relief requested.
In addition, the court has reviewed the papers submitted by the plaintiff and, in light of the respective burdens of production upon summary judgment, has determined it should be granted. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56 requires that the party seeking summary judgment lay out the basis of its motion and “point to those portions of the record that demonstrate an absence of a genuine issue of material fact given the relevant substantive law.” Thomas v. Wichita Coca-Cola Bottling, Co., 968 F. 2d 1022, 1024 (10th Cir.), cert. denied, — U.S. —, 113 S.Ct. 635, 121 L.Ed.2d 566 (1992). Once the movant meets this requirement, the burden shifts to the party resisting the motion to “set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 256, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2514, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). The nonmovant may not merely rest on the pleadings to meet this burden. Id. Plaintiff has laid out a basis for its motion and has pointed to those portions of the record indicating that no genuine issue of material fact exists. In response, defendants have failed to show that a genuine issue exists for trial.3
The plaintiff has produced evidence that Dake Ryan Miller was the pilot of the Aircraft at the time of the accident, he consumed beer prior to the flight, his blood alcohol concentration was .079 or .08 after the accident and his urine alcohol level was .110. Experts for the plaintiff have opined that under such conditions, Mr. Miller’s ability to operate the aircraft was significantly impaired due to alcohol consumption. Absent a response from defendants, this evidence is deemed uncontroverted and admitted. The Policy plainly prohibits coverage and declares the policy void if the ability of the pilot of the insured aircraft is impaired due to alcohol consumption. Applying the facts to the clear terms of the Policy, summary judgment is proper. Defendants have not pointed to facts tending to show a genuine issue of fact exists with respect to coverage or whether the ability of the pilot of the Aircraft was impaired in contravention of the terms of coverage.
Thus the court grants plaintiff’s motion and makes the following findings: the Policy was void at the time of the July 22, 1993 accident and there is no coverage under any provision of the Policy for claims by or against any of the defendants; the Policy excludes liability coverage for claims by or against any of the defendants arising from the crash of the Aircraft on July 22, 1993; the plaintiff North American Specialty Insurance Company has no obligation to indemnify for the claims made by or against any of the defendants arising out of the crash of the Aircraft on July 22,1993; and plaintiff North American Specialty Insurance Company has no obligation to provide a defense or to pay any expenses or costs incurred by or against any defendant as a result of claims made by any of the defendants arising out of the crash of the Aircraft on July 22, 1993.
*569IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED BY THE COURT that North American Specialty Insurance Company’s motion for summary judgment (Doc. #44) is granted and judgment is entered in its favor in accordance with this order.4
. Judgment has already heen entered against the following defendants: Hadyn Fawcett, Judy Fawcett, LaWayne Lewis Cart, Donna Smith, and Robert Sanderson. The only remaining defendants are Miller Aviation, Inc., Joseph W. Jeter, Special Administrator of the Estate of Dake Ryan Miller, and Taylor James Friesz.
. The court has jurisdiction of this action pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2201 and 28 U.S.C. § 1332 in that an actual controversy and complete diversity exists between the plaintiff and defendants.
. The court is puzzled as to why the defendants have failed to respond to plaintiff's motion when they have actively participated in other aspects of this litigation. If defendants made an informed decision to concede the motion, the preferred practice would have been to file a response that would have so indicated and not left the court in the position of being able only to speculate why no response has been forthcoming.
. There are no other claims pending and this order effectively terminates this action. Plaintiff's motion for permission to take a deposition (Doc. # 48) is now moot.
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- Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242 (U.S. 1986)
- Thomas v. The Wichita Coca-Cola Bottling Co., 968 F.2d 1022 (10th Cir. 1992)