Brennan v. General Accident Fire & Life Assurance Corp.

574 A.2d 580, 524 Pa. 542, 1990 Pa. LEXIS 98
CourtSupreme Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedApril 27, 1990
Docket65 E.D. Appeal Docket 1989
StatusPublished
Cited by71 cases

This text of 574 A.2d 580 (Brennan v. General Accident Fire & Life Assurance Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brennan v. General Accident Fire & Life Assurance Corp., 574 A.2d 580, 524 Pa. 542, 1990 Pa. LEXIS 98 (Pa. 1990).

Opinions

OPINION OF THE COURT

PAPADAKOS, Justice.

This is an appeal from an order of the Superior Court which reversed the judgment of the Court of Common Pleas of Delaware County. The Common Pleas Court affirmed a decision of the Board of Arbitrators who entered an award in favor of William J. Brennan, III, Administrator of the Estate of William J. Brennan, Jr., (Appellant), and against General Accident Fire and Life Assurance Corporation, LTD., (Appellee), in the sum of $15,000.00, and for an award entered in favor of William J. Brennan, III, Administrator of the Estate of Evelyn Brennan, (Appellant), and against General Accident Fire and Life Assurance Corporation, LTD., (Appellee), in the sum of $15,000.00.

William J. Brennan and Evelyn M. Brennan died in 1979 as a result of an automobile accident caused by Joseph Gehling. Gehling’s insurance carrier, Harleysville Insurance Company, paid its policy limits in the amount of $30,000.00 to the Brennans’ Estate. [$15,000.00 in settlement of each claim.] The Brennans had a motor vehicle [545]*545insurance policy with Appellee which provided for underinsured motorist coverage in the amount of $30,000.00. Appellant made numerous attempts to effect an amicable settlement with the Appellee for the fatal injuries sustained by the decedents, but Appellee refused to make any payment, claiming that its policy allowed it to “setoff” any monies received by its insured from a third party settlement.

The policy in question contained an agreement providing for arbitration in the event an amicable settlement could not be reached. When it became apparent that the parties were at an impasse, Appellant invoked the arbitration provision and instructed Appellee to appoint an arbitrator. Appellee ignored this request, and the Appellant filed a Petition to Enforce Arbitration Agreement with the Common Pleas Court of Delaware County. On March 13, 1981, Judge R. Barclay Surrick granted the Petition and issued an order directing the Appellee to proceed to common law arbitration in accordance with the provisions of the insurance policy.

Appellee immediately filed a Notice of Appeal with the Superior Court of Pennsylvania. The Superior Court quashed the appeal as premature. Brennan v. General Accident Fire and Life Assurance Corp. LTD., 307 Pa.Superior Ct. 288, 453 A.2d 356 (1982). An arbitration hearing was then scheduled.

In preparation for the arbitration hearing, memoranda of law were submitted by both parties. Appellant’s memorandum of law raised two issues: the first issue related to the doctrine of estoppel — Appellants argued they were entitled to the limit of the underinsurance policy, ($30,000.00), because of a misrepresentation by one of Appellee’s agents that was relied upon to its detriment; and the second issue concerned the possible awarding of delay damages as contemplated by Pa.R.C.P. 238. The parties agreed that in the absence of a finding of estoppel by the arbitrators, the limit of liability clause in the subject insurance policy would preclude the Appellants from recovering anything from the Appellee. The parties stipulated that there were two separate claims for injuries involved in this matter, which result[546]*546ed in the death of William J. Brennan, Jr., and Evelyn Brennan, that each claim has a value of at least $60,000.00 and that the carrier for the under insured tort-feasor has paid its policy limit of $30,000.00 or $15,000.00 in settlement of each claim. No other agreements were made. The arbitration hearing was then held.

Two of the arbitrators on the panel found that the doctrine of estoppel did not preclude the Appellee from raising any defenses it had under its policy. Further, the arbitrators found that if each claim was considered separately, as was appropriate, and Appellee was given the reductions mandated by the policy, Appellee still remained liable for $15,000.00 for each claim or for a total of $30,000.00 which represented the policy limits on underinsurance. Additionally, although counsel for the Appellants under the policy indicated the issue before the Board was estoppel, with respect to Appellee’s claims investigator, the Board concluded that it was required to consider the facts, terms, and provisions of the policy, and the applicable law, in order to reach a fair and just decision, even if a particular issue was not pursued or raised by counsel. And finally, the arbitrators noted they were to act as the final judge of the law and fact with respect to those issues within the scope of the arbitration clause:

Any issue relating to coverage is within the purview of the arbitration clause. Hade v. Nationwide Insurance Co., 349 Pa.Superior Ct. 541, 503 A.2d 980 (1986).1 The third arbitrator dissented, finding:
...' that the only question to be presented to the arbitrators was whether Appellee ... was estopped from raising defenses in its policy. Once this issue was decided in favor of Appellee, there was nothing left to further consider.

Following the award, Appellee filed a petition to vacate the award of the arbitrators in the Court of Common Pleas of Delaware County, and in response the Appellant filed [547]*547preliminary objections. Appellee wished to set aside the award and opinion of the arbitrators by claiming the arbitrators exceeded their jurisdiction and/or authority and decided an issue not submitted to them. The lower court simultaneously denied the Appellee’s petition and the Appellant’s preliminary objections, and judgment was entered affirming the award of the arbitrators.

Appellee then appealed to the Superior Court and argued that the “setoff” issue was waived because it was not presented to the arbitration panel and that the arbitrators had exceeded their scope of authority. In a memorandum opinion, the Superior Court agreed with the Appellee and found that the arbitrators’ consideration of the issue of “setoff” constituted an action outside their scope of authority, because arbitrators do not have the authority to decide questions not submitted by the parties. They further held, that the arbitrators at bar exceeded the parameters of their power in awarding underinsurance benefits to the Appellants. The Superior Court affirmed that portion of the arbitration award which found no delay damages and the estoppel issue inapplicable; but vacated the portion of the award which determined that the estate was entitled to benefits notwithstanding the “setoff” provision of the policy-

Consequently, the Administrator of these estates, Appellant herein, sought further review in this court and argues that arbitrators are empowered to determine all questions necessary to a resolution of the disputes between parties and in this case that the arbitrators had the authority to decide the issue of “setoff” here.

The arbitration agreement in question is contained in the underinsured motorist provision of the insurance policy issued by the Appellee and sets forth the jurisdiction of the arbitrators.

The policy language relevant to this issue provides: “ARBITRATION”

If we and the covered person disagree whether that person is legally entitled to recover damages from the [548]

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
574 A.2d 580, 524 Pa. 542, 1990 Pa. LEXIS 98, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brennan-v-general-accident-fire-life-assurance-corp-pa-1990.