Brock v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance

98 P.3d 759, 195 Or. App. 519, 2004 Ore. App. LEXIS 1260
CourtCourt of Appeals of Oregon
DecidedOctober 6, 2004
Docket0107-07402; A120757
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 98 P.3d 759 (Brock v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brock v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance, 98 P.3d 759, 195 Or. App. 519, 2004 Ore. App. LEXIS 1260 (Or. Ct. App. 2004).

Opinion

*521 HASELTON, P. J.

Plaintiff insured appeals, challenging a summary judgment in favor of defendant insurer. Plaintiff argues that the trial court erred in its interpretation of ORS 742.013(l)(a) concerning whether a copy of plaintiffs insurance application was “indorsed upon or added to the insurance policy when issued [.]” Plaintiff further asserts that the trial court erred in denying plaintiffs cross-motion for partial summary judgment against certain defenses. Defendant raises a cross-assignment of error, arguing that, in the event we reverse on appeal, we should also conclude that the trial court erred in failing to grant defendant’s request for rescission of the insurance contract. For the reasons set forth below, we conclude that the trial court erred in construing and applying ORS 742.013 and, thus, reverse and remand. Further, we conclude that defendant’s “cross-assignment” is not cognizable on appeal.

On appeal from a judgment resulting from cross-motions for summary judgment, if the granting of one motion and the denial of the other are assigned as error, both are reviewable. Each moving party has the burden of demonstrating that there are no material issues of fact and that the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Eden Gate, Inc. v. D&L Excavating and Trucking, Inc., 178 Or App 610, 622, 37 P3d 233 (2002). In regard to each motion, we view the evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party.

Plaintiff alleged in his complaint claims for breach of an insurance contract, as well as other claims not at issue on appeal. 1 Plaintiff alleged that he was involved in a vehicle accident on October 23,1998; that his vehicle was insured by defendant; that he filed a claim with defendant; and that defendant denied his claim. He alleged damages of $24,779 in his contract claim. In its answer, defendant asserted as an affirmative defense that plaintiff lacked coverage under the insurance agreement because plaintiff had made false statements in his application for insurance concerning his driving and insurance history and that defendant had relied on those *522 statements in issuing the policy. Defendant further alleged affirmative defenses that plaintiffs claim was barred either because (1) plaintiff had misrepresented the circumstances surrounding the loss, as well as the quality, condition, and value of his vehicle, or (2) plaintiff had made false statements in an examination under oath and refused to sign the examination under oath transcripts, in violation of his contractual obligations.

Defendant moved for summary judgment, asserting, alternatively, that the court should hold that there was no coverage as a matter of law or that the court should rescind the insurance contract. 2 3***In support of its motion, defendant submitted evidence that plaintiff had made misrepresentations on his application for insurance by failing to reveal that his driving privileges had been suspended and that he had had numerous traffic violations in the three years preceding the application. Defendant also submitted an affidavit that stated that, if plaintiff had accurately disclosed his history in applying for insurance, defendant’s underwriting department would not have approved his application.

Plaintiff filed a cross-motion for partial summary judgment, raising a variety of arguments. Two are particularly pertinent to our analysis on appeal. First, plaintiff argued that, under ORS 742.013(1), defendant could not rely on misrepresentations made in the insurance application. 3 ORS 742.013(1) provides, in part:

“All statements and descriptions in any application for an insurance policy by or in behalf of the insured, shall be deemed to be representations and not warranties. Misrepresentations, omissions, concealments of facts and incorrect statements shall not prevent a recovery under the policy *523 unless the misrepresentations, omissions, concealments of fact and incorrect statements:
“(a) Are contained in a written application for the insurance policy, and a copy of the application is indorsed upon or attached to the insurance policy when issued[.]”

(Emphasis added.) Plaintiff asserted that, because no copy of his application was “indorsed upon or attached to his insurance policy when issued,” defendant could not rely on any misrepresentations in his application as a basis for avoiding coverage.

Second, plaintiff argued that, under OAR 836-080-0235, defendant was precluded from avoiding coverage based on any misrepresentations in plaintiffs application for coverage because defendant’s letter denying coverage did not refer to those alleged misrepresentations. 4 As support for that argument, plaintiff proffered a letter from defendant to plaintiff, which stated that the coverage was being denied because of plaintiffs refusal to complete the examination under oath, plaintiffs “material misrepresentations regarding the condition and history of his car,” and defendant’s uncertainty that the loss occurred as reported, citing the relevant policy provisions concerning each of those reasons. The letter further provided that defendant “does not waive any other defenses available to it under the law or under any conditions or limitations of the insurance contract.”

The circuit court initially denied defendant’s motion for summary judgment and granted in part plaintiffs motion for partial summary judgment. In particular, the court held that ORS 742.013(l)(a) precluded defendant from avoiding coverage based on plaintiffs misrepresentations in his application for insurance because “a copy of the application [was not] endorsed upon or attached to the insurance policy when issued [.]”

*524 Immediately before trial, the trial judge—who was not the same judge who had decided the cross-motions for summary judgment—indicated that he wished to reconsider the summary judgment rulings and invited a motion for reconsideration by defendant. 5 On reconsideration, the trial judge allowed defendant’s motion for summary judgment and denied plaintiffs motion for partial summary judgment.

In a letter opinion, the trial judge interpreted the requirement of ORS 742.013

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
98 P.3d 759, 195 Or. App. 519, 2004 Ore. App. LEXIS 1260, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brock-v-state-farm-mutual-automobile-insurance-orctapp-2004.