Black v. National Merit Ins. Co.

226 P.3d 175
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedMarch 1, 2010
Docket62979-4-I
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 226 P.3d 175 (Black v. National Merit Ins. Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Black v. National Merit Ins. Co., 226 P.3d 175 (Wash. Ct. App. 2010).

Opinion

226 P.3d 175 (2010)

Norman BLACK; Janis Warner; Cecelia Black; and Lester Black, Appellants,
v.
NATIONAL MERIT INSURANCE COMPANY, a domestic insurer and Washington corporation, Respondent, and
Tracey Radcliffe, Defendant.

No. 62979-4-I.

Court of Appeals of Washington, Division 1.

March 1, 2010.

*177 Ralph James Brindley, David Merritt Beninger, Luvera Barnett Brindley Beninger et al., Seattle, WA, for Appellants.

Patrick S. Brady, Carl E. Forsberg, Forsberg & Umlauf PS, Seattle, WA, for Defendant/Respondent.

COX, J.

¶ 1 Norman Black, Janis Warner, Cecilia Black, and Lester Black appeal the summary dismissal of their claims based on an automobile insurance policy issued by National Merit Insurance Company. The Blacks[1] have failed in their burden to show that they are entitled to the benefits of insureds under the liability coverage provisions of the policy. We affirm.

¶ 2 The facts are not in dispute. The Blacks were severely injured when their car collided with a pickup truck driven by Marissa Goodell, a teenager. Tracey Radcliffe was one of three teenage passengers in Goodell's pickup when it collided with the Blacks' car. Goodell died at the scene of the accident.

¶ 3 According to the police report, the accident occurred as a result of Goodell speeding and executing an unsafe passing maneuver. Radcliffe was sitting in the front passenger seat when the accident occurred. None of the law enforcement reports—which include police reports, tests and reenactments, and multiple witness interviews— show that Radcliffe touched the wheel of the pick-up truck or in any other way affected Goodell's driving.

¶ 4 At the time of the accident, Radcliffe's parents, Strider and Renee Klusman, were the named insureds under an automobile insurance policy issued by National Merit. Under the provisions of that policy that are relevant to this appeal, liability coverage existed for the Klusmans and any "family member," subject to the terms and conditions of that policy.

¶ 5 The Blacks sued Radcliffe and the other passengers riding in Goodell's pickup at the time of the accident. They claimed that Goodell and the passengers were joint tortfeasors.

¶ 6 Following mediation in 2006, Radcliffe settled with the Blacks. As part of that settlement, Radcliffe assigned to them her rights, claims, and causes of action against National Merit based on the Klusmans' automobile insurance policy. The Blacks then demanded payment of the liability limits of the National Merit policy.

¶ 7 National Merit declined the demand and moved for partial summary judgment against the Blacks and Radcliffe on the issue of liability coverage. In reply, the Blacks sought a determination that coverage existed. The trial court granted National Merit's motion.

¶ 8 The Blacks appeal.[2]

LIABILITY COVERAGE

¶ 9 The Blacks argue that liability coverage exists under the policy and that the trial court erred by granting National Merit's motion for partial summary judgment. Because the Blacks fail in their burden to show that they are entitled to the benefits of insureds under the liability coverage provisions of the policy, we disagree.

¶ 10 A motion for summary judgment is proper only when the pleadings, affidavits, depositions, and admissions on file, viewed in a light most favorable to the nonmoving party, demonstrate that no issue of material fact *178 exists, and the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.[3]

¶ 11 Courts construe insurance policies as contracts.[4] "The court considers the policy as a whole, and gives it a `fair, reasonable, and sensible construction as would be given to the contract by the average person purchasing insurance.'"[5] If the policy language is clear and unambiguous, the court must enforce it as written and may not modify it or create ambiguity where none exists.[6]

¶ 12 A clause in an insurance policy is only ambiguous when, "`on its face, it is fairly susceptible to two different interpretations, both of which are reasonable.'"[7]

¶ 13 If a term is defined in a policy, then the term will be interpreted in accordance with that policy definition.[8] If a policy term is not defined, then it will be given its "`plain, ordinary, and popular' meaning."[9] If a term in a policy is undefined, courts may look to the dictionary to determine the common meaning.[10] However, to be meaningful, dictionary definitions must be regarded in the context of the particular insurance policy.[11]

¶ 14 To determine whether liability coverage exists, the court engages in a two-step process.[12] "The insured must show the loss falls within the scope of the policy's insured losses. To avoid coverage, the insurer must then show the loss is excluded by specific policy language."[13]

¶ 15 Interpretation of insurance contracts is a question of law, which this court reviews de novo.[14] Likewise, we review de novo summary judgment orders.[15]

¶ 16 Under the National Merit policy, liability coverage is provided when a "covered person" becomes legally responsible for bodily injury or property damages because of an auto accident. The liability coverage section of the policy provides two alternative definitions of a "covered person":

1. You or any family member with respect to the ownership, maintenance or use of any covered auto or trailer.
2. Any person using your covered auto.[[16]]

¶ 17 Under the first of the above definitions, it is undisputed that Radcliffe was a "family member" under the policy and that she was "using"[17] the Goodell "auto"[18] at the *179 time of the accident. Likewise, there is no dispute that she was a "person" for purposes of the second of the above definitions of the policy.

¶ 18 The Blacks, as assignees of Radcliffe's interests, were therefore required to show that under the remaining terms of either definition Radcliffe is a "covered person." Specifically, did this claim fall within the scope of "any covered auto" in the first definition of "covered person"? Alternatively, did this claim fall within the scope of "your covered auto" in the second definition of "covered person"?

Interpretation of "Any Covered Auto"

¶ 19 The Blacks first argue that Radcliffe is a "covered person" under the first definition of that phrase because the Goodell vehicle in which she was riding as a passenger qualifies as "any covered auto." According to the Blacks, the Goodell vehicle qualifies as "any covered auto" because it "had liability insurance protection," albeit under a policy issued by another insurer. This is not a persuasive argument.

¶ 20 "When interpreting a contract our primary goal is to discern the intent of the parties, and such intent must be discovered from viewing the contract as a whole."[19] "In the absence of anything in the context of a contract clearly indicating a contrary intent, when the same word is used in different parts of the contract, it will be presumed to be used in the same sense throughout the contract."[20] According to the rules of insurance policy interpretation, a policy term that is not defined should be given its "`plain, ordinary, and popular' meaning."[21] However, as this court has noted, dictionary definitions must be viewed in context.[22]

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
226 P.3d 175, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/black-v-national-merit-ins-co-washctapp-2010.