Allstate Insurance Co. v. Young

639 S.W.2d 916, 1982 Tenn. LEXIS 356
CourtTennessee Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 12, 1982
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 639 S.W.2d 916 (Allstate Insurance Co. v. Young) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Tennessee Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Allstate Insurance Co. v. Young, 639 S.W.2d 916, 1982 Tenn. LEXIS 356 (Tenn. 1982).

Opinions

OPINION

DROWOTA, Justice.

This case was originally brought by Allstate as an action for a declaratory judgment that an automobile accident which its insured, Frank N. Young, Jr., had on August 5, 1977, was not covered under his Allstate policy. Young filed a counterclaim essentially charging not only that the policy did cover the accident, but also that Allstate, because of its actions, was estopped to deny coverage. Mr. and Mrs. James Keane and David Hitchcock, who were injured in the accident and had obtained judgments against Young, were permitted to intervene and made similar assertions of both coverage under the policy and estop-pel. At the hearing, after Allstate presented its case, Young and the intervenors moved for a directed verdict which, after further argument and discussion among the attorneys and the court, was granted. Thus, the trial court held that the accident was covered under the language of the policy, as a matter of law, and awarded damages to the injured parties and to Young, who had himself incurred medical expenses and attorney fees. The Court of Appeals reversed, and we affirm its holding with modifications.

Among the undisputed facts are that Young had been insured for several years by Allstate. The policy renewed every April 17. Allstate also insured Young’s father. As of early February, 1977, Young had the insured vehicle changed to a 1973 Chevrolet Caprice. A few days later, he purchased a 1977 Jeep. He never informed Allstate of his ownership of this vehicle, or requested that it be covered under any provision of the policy. The Jeep was at all times fully operable and available for Young’s use. In June, 1977, he bought a 1973 van which was not capable of being operated, and it was kept parked on Young’s property.

On August 3 or 4, 1977, Young sold the 1973 Chevrolet which was specifically described in the insurance policy. On August 5, he was driving the Jeep, carrying three passengers, including Hitchcock, and was involved in the aforementioned accident when he collided with the Keane’s vehicle. Young himself was hospitalized. Allstate took a statement from him within the next couple of days, which statement was unsigned. It took two more statements on August 23. These contain some conflicts, but basically recite the way in which the accident took place and the history of ownership of the Chevrolet, the Jeep and the van.

Young’s premiums at all times were paid and the policy was in full force and effect. The payment of premiums thus covered the period after the sale of the Chevrolet. On August 19, coverage was changed to the van, which Young caused to be repaired, and an adjustment was made to the premium due for the remainder of the policy year.

Before the hearing, the parties entered into a stipulation, which in turn incorporated by reference certain other documents. These included the three statements given by Young to Allstate. They also included the form of Young’s policy, without a “Declaration” section; and a “Reservation of Rights and Nonwaiver” which had been executed by Allstate and by Young and his then-attorney before this action was filed. The stipulation established that Young had written Allstate on October 25, 1977, but a copy of such letter is nowhere in the record. It is also established that a letter was sent to Young on November 15, 1977, by All[918]*918state’s District Claims Manager. Such letter is said to be attached to the stipulations, but is not found at that point in the record on appeal. (In it, Allstate disclaimed any coverage of the accident because the Jeep did not come within the definition of vehicles which were covered “and for other reasons.”)

Young, the Keanes and Hitchcock requested a jury for determination of issues of fact. At a pretrial conference, the judge to whom the case was assigned ruled that the issue of coverage under the policy was a legal issue and not a factual matter for jury determination. The court further noted that many factual matters were being stipulated. The case was heard before a special Chancellor sitting by designation, and the parties again discussed the propriety of im-panelling a jury. All agreed that the ultimate issue was whether or not there was coverage under the facts of this case; and that interpretation of the language of the contract was indeed for- the court. However, Young and the intervenors felt that the issue of estoppel was factual and required a jury. The court felt that there was no right to a jury in a declaratory judgment action, and the parties excepted in order to preserve their right to appeal the ruling. However, when the court held in these parties’ favor on the substantive issue — that the accident was covered — and Allstate appealed such holding, Young and the intervenors did not raise the denial of a jury trial on appeal.

A preliminary issue which has been raised concerns whether or not two depositions are reviewable on appeal. These were given by Young and by a service representative of Allstate. Part of Young’s deposition was read into the record by counsel for Allstate during the presentation of its case, and there is no dispute that these excerpts are reviewable. The depositions were filed in the clerk’s office before the hearing. At the hearing, after Allstate had presented its case, defendants had moved for a directed verdict, and the court had rendered his judgment, the following exchange took place between counsel for the Keanes and the court:

MR. FRAZIER: Judge, for the sake of completeness, I am assuming that everything that is in that technical record is part of our record.
THE COURT: I take the position that everything that has been filed with the Clerk and Master and is in that file is part of the technical record.
MR. FRAZIER: Specifically the depositions of both—
THE COURT: I really think that whatever gets filed in the Clerk’s office in the case is a part of the record. I believe it to be.
MR. FRAZIER: That is our intention. I wanted to make sure that was the intention of my opposing counsel that those depositions in their entirety—
THE COURT: If it is not, then I stand to be corrected. The Court of Appeals has never been bashful about pointing out the error—
MR. FRAZIER: For the sake of clarity, I would like to tender those two as part of the technical record. They have been filed with the Clerk and have been stamped and that’s our intentions.
THE COURT: They are part of the record.

This case was tried on October 31, 1979. The Tennessee Rules of Appellate Procedure took effect July 1, 1979.

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Bluebook (online)
639 S.W.2d 916, 1982 Tenn. LEXIS 356, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/allstate-insurance-co-v-young-tenn-1982.