No Coverage for Bodily Injury Based Upon Watercraft Exclusion

American Family was granted summary judgement by the U.S. District Court for Minnesota because coverage was excluded for an injury arising out of the ownership or use of a watercraft. Pilarski was visiting a cabin owned by his friend Reiter when he was injured while in the process of reeling in a boat for storage. Several provisions in Reiter’s homeowner’s policy excluded coverage for certain types of personal liability and medical expenses, including watercrafts. The court noted “loading … of a watercraft” had two distinct meanings, and American Family could have explicitly covered both meanings, but the exclusion for injuries arising out of the “ownership … of a watercraft” and “use … of a watercraft plainly and unambiguously applied in this case.

Please click here to download a copy of the court’s decision.

If you have any questions, please contact Lauren Harvey at lnh@mccollumlaw.com.