Ammons v. Transportation Insurance

219 F. Supp. 2d 885, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16217, 2002 WL 2001524
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Ohio
DecidedAugust 29, 2002
Docket2:00-cv-01080
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 219 F. Supp. 2d 885 (Ammons v. Transportation Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ammons v. Transportation Insurance, 219 F. Supp. 2d 885, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16217, 2002 WL 2001524 (S.D. Ohio 2002).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

MARBLEY, District Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

This matter is before the Court on the Plaintiffs and Defendant Allstate Indemnity Company’s Cross-Motions for Summary Judgment on Uninsured Motorist Coverage Issues. Allstate Indemnity Company (“Allstate”) filed its Motion for Summary Judgment on Uninsured Motorist Coverage Issues on December 12, 2001. On January 8, 2002, the Plaintiff filed a Consolidated Motion for Partial Summary Judgment Finding that Plaintiff is Entitled to Uninsured Motorist Benefits from Allstate and Memorandum Opposing Allstate’s Motion for Summary Judgment. Then, on January 9, 2002, Defendant Erie Insurance Group (“Erie”) filed a Memorandum Contra Allstate’s Motion for Summary Judgment on Uninsured Motorist Coverage Issues. On January 25, 2002, Allstate filed a Reply to Plaintiffs and Erie’s Responses to its Motion for Summary Judgment. Finally, on February 8, 2002, the Plaintiff filed a Reply in Support of his Motion for Partial Summary Judgment. This Court has diversity jurisdiction over this matter pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1332.

*887 Based on the following analysis, the Court GRANTS the Plaintiffs Motion for Partial Summary Judgment and DENIES Allstate’s Motion for Summary Judgment on Uninsured Motorist Coverage Issues.

II. BACKGROUND

A. Facts

On August 22, 1998, the Plaintiff, Jimmy Ammons (“Ammons”), was involved in an automobile collision with Defendant Shane Britton (“Britton”) in Grandview, Washington County, Ohio. At the time of the accident, Britton was an uninsured driver. On June 26, 2002, the parties filed a Stipulation with this Court, agreeing that Brit-ton’s negligence was the sole proximate cause of the motor vehicle collision described in Ammons’ Complaint.

At the time of the accident, Ammons, a West Virginia resident, was driving a delivery truck that was licensed in West Virginia and leased by his employer, Flowers Baking Company of West Virginia, Inc. (“Flowers”), of Bluefield, West Virginia. At the time of the accident, Flowers was insured under a motor vehicle liability policy issued by Allstate under policy number 649714270 BAP (“Policy”). The Policy has a $2,000,000 liability limit. While driving his employer’s vehicle in Ohio, Ammons was acting within the scope of his employment with Flowers. As such, Ammons was insured under the Policy and the automobile he was driving was covered under the Policy.

The Policy contains a form entitled “West Virginia Uninsured Motorist Coverage Offer” (“Form”). At the top of the Form is written “IMPORTANT NOTICE ” (emphasis in original). The Form states that West Virginia requires insureds to purchase Uninsured Motorist (“UM”) coverage with limits “not less than $20,000 per person, $40,000 per accident for uninsured bodily injury losses, and $10,000 for uninsured property losses.” It goes on to state that the “law also requires that [the insured] be given the opportunity- to purchase higher limits.” The Form then briefly explains the type of protection provided by UM coverage. 1

Page two of the Form is headed “Uninsured Motorist Coverage Offer,” and states: “Below are the different limits and the 12 month premium available to you.” Neither a premium nor the liability limits available, however, actually appear printed on the form. The Form then reads: “Number of vehicles subject to the premiums below: :_” No number is filled in on the blank line following the word “below.” The next line states: “Vehicle Description: See vehicle schedule.” Finally, beneath the portion of the Form that states “I select,” “$50,000” is written in next to a section labeled “mandatory limits.” Beneath the line where “$50,000” has been written appear optional limits of $100,000, $200,000, $250,000, $300,000, and $350,000.

On the third page of the Form, Scott Rich (“Rich”), the Director of Corporate Insurance and Benefits for Flowers’ parent company, has signed the Form beneath the statement, “I have read the IMPORTANT NOTICE, attached on Uninsured motor vehicle coverage and understand how this coverage works. I have been given the opportunity to select the optional limits of Uninsured motor vehicle coverage listed above and have selected the coverage that matches the limit I have checked.” 2

*888 B. Procedural History

On August 14, 2000, Ammons filed a Complaint in the Washington County, Ohio Court of Common Pleas, seeking recovery for the damages he suffered as a result of his collision with Britton. Then, on September 14, 2000, Defendant Transportation Insurance Company (“Transportation”) removed the case to this Court. Subsequently, on October 30, 2001, Ammons voluntarily dismissed Transportation as a party Defendant. Currently, Ammons seeks UM coverage benefits from Allstate, Flowers’ insurer, and Erie, Ammons’ personal insurer.

This matter is now before the Court on the Plaintiffs and Allstate’s Cross-Motions for Summary Judgment on the UM coverage issue. In particular, Allstate contends that Ammons is entitled to, at the most, $50,000 in UM coverage under the Policy, while Ammons asserts that he is entitled to UM coverage equal to Flowers’ liability limits of $2,000,000. Although Erie remains a Defendant in this action, for the purposes of the Cross-Motions for Partial Summary Judgment, only the Allstate Policy is at issue.

III. STANDARD OF REVIEW

When presented with cross-motions for summary judgment, courts should “ ‘evaluate each motion on its own merits and view all facts and inferences in the light more favorable to the nonmoving party.’ ” Bakery & Confectionary Union & Indus. Int’l Health Benefits & Pension Funds v. New Bakery Co. of Ohio, 133 F.3d 955, 958 (6th Cir.1998) (quoting Wiley v. United States, 20 F.3d 222, 224 (6th Cir.1994)). Significantly, a case is not necessarily appropriate for resolution at summary judgment simply because both parties have moved for summary judgment. B.F. Goodrich Co. v. U.S. Filter Corp., 245 F.3d 587, 593 (6th Cir.2001). “The filing of cross-motions for summary judgment does not necessarily mean that the parties consent to resolution of the case on the existing record or that the district court is free to treat the case as if it was submitted for final resolution on a stipulated record.” Taft Broad. Co. v. United States, 929 F.2d 240, 248 (6th Cir.1991) (citing John v. State of La. (Bd. of Trustees for State Colleges & Univs.), 757 F.2d 698

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
219 F. Supp. 2d 885, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16217, 2002 WL 2001524, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ammons-v-transportation-insurance-ohsd-2002.