Bachman v. Locke

974 F. Supp. 1010, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21369, 1996 WL 910772
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Kentucky
DecidedSeptember 10, 1996
DocketCivil Action No. 95-141
StatusPublished

This text of 974 F. Supp. 1010 (Bachman v. Locke) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bachman v. Locke, 974 F. Supp. 1010, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21369, 1996 WL 910772 (E.D. Ky. 1996).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

FORESTER, District Judge.

This matter is before the Court on the motion of defendant Mirac, Inc., d/b/a Enterprise Rent-A-Car (“Mirac”), pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 60, for relief from the Court’s opinion and order dated July 3, 1996 and for reconsideration of Mirac’s motion for summary judgment. The plaintiff having responded, and Mirac having filed its reply, this matter is now ripe for review.

I. BACKGROUND

. Defendant Mirac’s connection with this action stems from the rental of a vehicle to Howard Ruegsegger1 in Michigan. It is undisputed that under the terms of the rental agreement only Ruegsegger and an individual named Tom Thurlow were authorized to drive the vehicle. It is also undisputed that the rental agreement granted permission for the vehicle to leave the state of Michigan and travel to Florida. Although none of the par[1011]*1011ties provided the Court with a legible copy of the rental agreement, it appears undisputed that the rental agreement contained a provision entitled “Bodily Injury/Property Damage Responsibility to Third-Parties” which provided that “[i]f renter or other authorized driver is in compliance with all provisions of this Agreement, and is between 25 and 70 years old, owner’s financial responsibility extends to renter and other drivers named on this Agreement and approved by owner for third-party claims arising from the use of this car as required by motor vehicle minimum financial responsibility laws of the state where the car is operated unless the Agreement requires the renter to provide such coverage. Renter is responsible for damage or loss to property transported by or in the car.” The rental contract also contained a provision stating that “[a] violation of the contract shall exist if the car is used or driven ... (b) by any person under the age of 21 without owner’s written permission ... (E) by any person other than the renter without the written consent of the owner.”

This lawsuit arises from a car accident that occurred on April 8, 1993 between plaintiff David Bachman and the rental vehicle owned by defendant Mirac. Apparently, the renter Ruegsegger had allowed his daughter to take the vehicle on vacation to Florida. Defendant Locke, a friend of Ruegsegger’s daughter, was driving the vehicle at the time of the collision. Although no party has provided any information concerning Locke’s age at the time of the collision, it appears undisputed that she was under the age of 21 at the time. Furthermore, it is undisputed that she was not named in the rental agreement as an authorized driver of the vehicle.

Mirac previously moved for summary judgment arguing that because Locke was not authorized to drive the vehicle, Mirac had no obligation to provide coverage under the rental agreement. Defendant Locke responded that although she did not have permission to drive the vehicle under the rental agreement, she did have the permission of the renter. Thus, Locke argued that under Kentucky law she had a good faith basis from which she could believe that she was authorized to drive. In addition, because the rental agreement provided that the vehicle could travel to Florida, Locke argued it was foreseeable that the vehicle would travel through Kentucky. Plaintiff Bachman responded that because he was not a party to the contract between Mirac and Ruegsegger, that contract should not effect his ability to proceed with his lawsuit. Furthermore, plaintiff argued that Mirac’s liability turns on factual questions of Mirae’s relationship to the renter and driver, and whether such relationship is one of master/servant or principal/agent. According to plaintiff, under the doctrine of respondeat superior the owner of a vehicle is liable for the acts of its servant or agent, and also for the acts of a second permittee.

When no reply was received, the Court considered the various arguments of the parties, and denied the motion for summary judgment, finding that the agreement between Mirac and Ruegsegger does not provide a basis for summary judgment in this case.

II. MOTION FOR RELIEF FROM ORDER

Mirac’s motion for relief from the Court’s order is premised on the fact that the Court’s decision was rendered without the benefit of Mirac’s reply memorandum. Mirac claims when it received the Court’s opinion and order entered July 3, 1996 it learned that its reply, apparently due to some clerical error, had not been filed and made part of the record. Attached to Mirac’s motion is the affidavit of Melissa J. Trent, secretary for Mirac’s attorney, who states that she prepared the replies for mailing and placed them in the basket for outgoing mail. Mirac asks that the Court revisit its decision denying Mirae’s motion for summary judgment with the aid of the absent replies.

In reply to defendant Locke’s response, Mirac argues that Locke does not benefit from Kentucky’s statute requiring the owner of a vehicle to provide coverage because Locke did not have the owner’s permission to operate the vehicle. While Mirac states that it would have provided coverage for Ruegsegger or the other named driver, Locke’s operation of the vehicle was clearly in violation of the rental agreement, which is therefore unenforceable. Mirac draws support for its position from Preferred Risk Mutual In[1012]*1012surance Co. v. Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance Co., 872 S.W.2d 469 (Ky.1994), in which the Supreme Court of Kentucky, after quoting KRS 304.39-080(5), stated:

It appears clear from this language that there is no duty on a vehicle owner to provide minimum tort liability insurance or security for use by an operator who does not have the owner’s permission or who converts the vehicle to his own use. Such a policy was the law in this Commonwealth before the MVRA (effective July 1, 1975) and continues to be after its passage.

Id. at 470-71 (citations omitted). Although Locke argues that she had permission to operate the vehicle, Mirac stresses that the permission she had came from the renter, not the owner of the vehicle. Mirac argues that under the terms of the rental agreement, Ruegsegger did not have the authority to grant Locke permission to drive the vehicle. Finally, Mirac notes that the purpose of the MVRA is to assure that a driver will be insured to a minimum level. In this ease, Locke is insured by her own carrier, and possibly could have pursued a claim against Ruegsegger’s carrier.

In reply to plaintiffs response, Mirac argues that rather than presenting a situation where Mirac is trying to enforce its contract with Ruegsegger against plaintiff, plaintiff is instead trying to enforce the contract against Mirac. The contract in question concerned the rental of the vehicle involved in the accident, and provided for liability insurance against third parties. As with any contract of insurance, this coverage contained exclusions and only covered certain individuals. Had Ruegsegger been involved in the accident, the contract would have been applicable. However, since the accident involved a non-authorized driver, Mirac contends that it cannot be held liable.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
974 F. Supp. 1010, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21369, 1996 WL 910772, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bachman-v-locke-kyed-1996.