Bankers & Shippers Insurance v. James H. Hartman & Son, Inc.

537 F. Supp. 374, 1982 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13267
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedJanuary 8, 1982
DocketCiv. A. Nos. 81-1776, 81-4081
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 537 F. Supp. 374 (Bankers & Shippers Insurance v. James H. Hartman & Son, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bankers & Shippers Insurance v. James H. Hartman & Son, Inc., 537 F. Supp. 374, 1982 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13267 (E.D. Pa. 1982).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

WEINER, District Judge.

This is an action in which plaintiff, Bankers and Shippers Insurance Company of New York (“Bankers”), insurer of P. Liedtka Trucking, Inc. (“Liedtka”), is seeking to recover from all the defendants either jointly or severally, a. payment made by plaintiff to Linda and William Rice. The payment was made out of a contract of reinsurance obtained by plaintiff in settlement of an injury claim by the Rices arising out of an accident involving an automobile operated by Linda Rice and a tractor-trailer leased by Liedtka from its owner defendant James H. Hartman & Son, Inc. (“Hartman”), and operated by defendant Dennis L. Townsend (“Townsend”). Defendant Carolina Casualty Insurance Company (“Carolina”) insured Hartman. The case was tried to the Court sitting with a jury. The court submitted the case to the jury with instructions to answer special written interrogatories. The jury answered the interrogatories finding that at the time of the accident, Townsend was the agent of both Hartman and Liedtka; that Townsend was negligent in his operation of the tractor-trailer, and his negligence was a proximate cause of the accident; that Hartman was negligent in failing to properly maintain its tractor-trailer or in allowing Townsend to operate its tractor-trailer, and its negligence was a proximate cause of the accident; that Liedtka was negligent in failing to inspect the tractor-trailer it leased from Hartman, but that its negligence was not a proximate cause of the accident; and that Carolina was right in not participating in the settlement of the Rice claim. Presently before the Court are several motions as follows:

1. Motion of Defendant Dennis L. Townsend for Entry of Judgment in his favor against the plaintiff, Bankers and Shippers Insurance Company of New York.

[376]*3762. Motion of Defendant James H. Hartman & Son, Inc. for Entry of Judgment in its favor against the plaintiff Bankers and Shippers Insurance Company of New York.

3. Motion of plaintiff Bankers and Shippers Insurance Company of New York for Entry of Judgment as follows:

(a) Against plaintiff Bankers and in favor of defendant Townsend with respect to Bankers’ claim against Townsend;

(b) In favor of plaintiff Bankers against defendant Hartman for $238,141.76 with respect to Bankers’ claim against Hartman;

(c) Against defendant Townsend and in favor of defendant Hartman and third party defendant Carolina with respect to Townsend’s crossclaim and third party claim, as these claims would be rendered moot by entry of judgment in favor of Townsend against Bankers by virtue of (a) above;

(d) Against Hartman and in favor of Bankers with respect to Hartman’s counterclaim against Bankers;

(e) Against Hartman and in favor of Townsend with respect to Hartman’s cross-claim against Townsend; and

(f) Against Carolina and in favor of Bankers with respect to Carolina’s cross-claim against Bankers.

With respect to the declaratory judgment action brought by Bankers against Carolina, Bankers moves for entry of judgment that:

(a) the insurance policy issued by Bankers to Liedtka does not afford insurance coverage to Hartman for liability imposed upon Hartman arising out of its own independent negligence in connection with the Rice accident; and

(b) the insurance policy issued by Carolina to Hartman affords coverage to Hartman for liability arising from its independent negligence in connection with the Rice accident.

Motion of Dennis L. Townsend for Entry of Judgment Against Bankers and Shippers Insurance Company of New York

This motion is granted since Bankers and Shippers Insurance Company of New York agrees that the judgment should be entered, in light of the finding by the jury that Townsend was the agent of both Hartman and Liedtka at the time of the accident.

Motion of James H. Hartman, Inc. for Entry of Judgment Against Bankers and Shippers Insurance Company of New York

Hartman contends that it was an insured under the policy which Bankers issued to Liedtka. Thus, Hartman concludes Bankers may not obtain indemnification from its own insured in regard to payment of policy proceeds by Bankers to Rice. Sherwood Trucking, Inc. v. Carolina Casualty Insurance Co., 552 F.2d 568 (4th Cir. 1977); Turner Construction Co. v. John B. Kelly Co., 442 F.Supp. 551 (E.D.Pa.1976). We agree with Hartman’s conclusion that an insurance company may not obtain indemnification from its own insured. However, we do not agree that Hartman was an insured under Bankers’ policy of insurance issued to Liedtka.

The “Truckmen’s Endorsement” of Bankers’ insurance policy to Liedtka provides:

“Persons Insured
each of the following is insured under this insurance to the extent set forth below:
(a) the named insured;
(b) any partner or executive officer thereof;
(c) Any other person while using an owned automobile or a hired automobile with the permission of the named insured, provided his actual operation or (if he is not operating) his other actual use thereof is within the scope of such permission, but with respect to bodily injury or property damage arising out of the loading or unloading thereof, such other person shall be an insured only if he is:
(1) a lessee or borrower of the automobile ; or
(2) an employee of the named insured or of such lessee or borrower; or
[377]*377(3) a person or organization, or any agent or employee thereof, engaged in the business of transporting property by automobile for the named insured or for others.
(d) any other person or organization, but only with respect to his or its liability because of acts or omissions of an insured under (a), (b) or (c) above.”

Since the jury found that Townsend was the agent of Liedtka at the time of the accident, there is no question that Townsend is covered under the Bankers’ policy to Liedtka. However, Hartman’s position differs greatly from that of Townsend. Hartman is not the “named insured” under Bankers’ policy nor is it a “partner or executive officer thereof”, thus does not fall under either (a) or (b) above.

We must next examine the provisions of (c) of the policy to determine if Hartman is covered thereunder. The jury found that Hartman was negligent in failing to properly maintain its tractor-trailer or in allowing Townsend to operate its tractor-trailer. Thus, Hartman’s negligence was independent of the negligence of Townsend.1 Hartman argues, nevertheless, that he is insured under Bankers’ policy as to the general use of the tractor-trailer in carrying out the terms of the trip lease with Liedtka. Hartman contends that it was using the tractor-trailer with the permission of the named-insured Liedtka, within Liedtka’s permission, the permission being the contractual terms of the trip lease between Hartman and Liedtka. We do not agree.

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Bluebook (online)
537 F. Supp. 374, 1982 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13267, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bankers-shippers-insurance-v-james-h-hartman-son-inc-paed-1982.