Western Fire Insurance v. J. R. Snyder, Inc.

Defendants appeal a declaratory judgment of the Oakland Circuit Court holding that two insurance policies issued by plaintiffs did not give rise to a duty to defend the various Snyder companies in a separate suit commenced in Wayne County.

In the Wayne suit an injured workman employed by Snyder, the subcontractor, sued Practical, the general contractor, for personal injuries resulting from a construction accident. 1 Practical impleaded Snyder as a third-party defendant pursuant to the indemnity and "hold-harmless” provisions of a contract between the general contractor and subcontractor. 2…