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.