Carson v. Nationwide Mutual Insurance

169 N.E.2d 506, 84 Ohio Law. Abs. 378, 14 Ohio Op. 2d 137, 1960 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 263
CourtClark County Court of Common Pleas
DecidedJuly 19, 1960
DocketNo. 53321
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 169 N.E.2d 506 (Carson v. Nationwide Mutual Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Clark County Court of Common Pleas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Carson v. Nationwide Mutual Insurance, 169 N.E.2d 506, 84 Ohio Law. Abs. 378, 14 Ohio Op. 2d 137, 1960 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 263 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1960).

Opinion

OPINION

By GOLDMAN, J.

This is an action to recover medical and hospital expenses' resulting from injuries incurred by plaintiff as a result of an accident he suffered when his farm tractor was struck by a land motor vehicle while he was operating the tractor on a public highway.

The resulting medical expenses exceeded $2,000.00 and plaintiff contends that defendant is obligated to pay that sum which represents the limit of liability under the provisions of a policy of insurance which was in effect at the time of the accident, and which included coverage for such expenses if incurred within one year following the accident, and provided further that the injuries incurred under circumstances described and set forth in the policy.

At a pre-trial conference, agreements and stipulations were entered into, the effect of which was to leave for decision only the legal issue as to whether or not under the agreed facts and stipulations, the plaintiff’s loss was covered by the provisions of the policy.

Thus, it was agreed and stipulated that the defendant issued the policy of insurance described in the pleadings; that it was in effect on all dates involved in this action; that no modification or endorse[379]*379ments subsequent to its issuance were made which in any way changed or effected the coverage of the policy in question; that the plaintiff was the policyholder named in the policy of insurance; that he suffered an accident while driving a farm type tractor which under the policy is regarded as a land motor vehicle; that said tractor was pulling a trailer on a public road and that while so engaged was involved in an accident with a truck; that no physical touching between the person of the plaintiff and the truck with which his vehicle was involved occurred at any time during said collision; that the vehicle which plaintiff was operating and which he then owned was not the vehicle specifically described in the policy of insurance; that as a result of the accident the plaintiff was injured and within the year thereafter incurred reasonable medical and hospital expense in excess of the policy limits and in an amount, not less than $2,000.00.

Thereafter the case was assigned for .trial by jury, but by agreement of the parties the trial assignment was vacated and the case submitted to the Court for decision upon the foregoing agreed facts and stipulations and upon briefs then and subsequently submitted to the Court.

Plaintiff’s Exhibit “1,” the insurance policy involved, is titled “A Simplified Family Liability and Automobile Policy” and provides for four categories of coverages, one of which provides for medical payments, the others being designated comprehensive, collision and liability, and with varying and different premiums allocated for each separate category of coverage.

(All emphasis in this opinion is by the Court.)

In a declaration attached thereto plaintiff is identified as the policyholder, and the description of the auto specifically covered and insured for the purposes applicable to the several categories of coverage is that of a Buick Station Wagon, and the limit of liability for medical payments is therein stated to be $2,000.00 for each person injured.-

All of pages 1 and 2 of the policy deal with what are designated as “Insuring Agreements” and on the top half of page 3 are listed and set forth in two columns the “Exclusions” which appear under that designation, and the remaining provisions of the policy on pages 3 and 4- appear under the designation “Conditions.”

The pertinent provisions of the policy under which recovery in this case is both sought and denied are to be found on page 1 of the policy under “Insuring Agreements’” subtitled “Coverages.” Subsection D (2) of the “Coverages” provides for payment of all reasonable expenses incurred within one year following an accident to the policyholder whose injury was sustained:

“(a) by being struck by a land motor vehicle or trailer, or

(b) while in or upon, entering or alighting from any other land motor vehicle or trailer except one owned by the Policyholder or a member of his household.. . .”

Plaintiff claims he is entitled to recover under above sub-paragraph (a) since the injuries resulted, he contends, from his being “struck by a land vehicle or trailer.”

Defendant -contends that sub-paragraph (b) specifically denies recovery if the injuries were sustained while in a land motor vehicle, if [380]*380such vehicle is one owned by the policyholder. The defendant further contends that plaintiff was not “struck by a land motor vehicle or trailer” as claimed and as that expression appears in sub-paragraph (a) because there was no physical touching between the person of the plaintiff and the vehicle which collided with the one in which he was then riding.

The decision in this case therefore rests upon the interpretation and meaning of the language “by being struck by a land motor vehicle or trailer” and the effect, if any, of sub-paragraph (b) of the policy which limits recovery under that sub-paragraph to injuries received while in or upon or operating a vehicle other than one owned by policyholder or by a member of his household.

The first question to be considered is therefore: whether or not within the context of this policy a person is “struck by a land motor vehicle” when the vehicle which he is then operating or in which he is riding is involved in a collision with another vehicle and such person receives injuries admittedly resulting from such accident, even though there has been no physical touching between the person injured and the vehicle which collided with the one in which he was riding or which he was operating.

Defendant urges a negative answer. It reviews and emphasizes the background and history of _ medical pay insurance to indicate the logic and reason for the interpretation it seeks. It also cites as authority for its contention the case of Johnston v. Maryland Casualty Co., 155 Pacific 2d, 806, the second syllabus of which reads as follows:

“A truck operator who was still in the truck after collision with a passenger automobile and never had any personal contact with the automobile was not ‘struck by an automobile’ within meaning of automobile accident policy insuring against injury by being struck by an automobile.”

What exactly is meant and understood by the phrase “struck by an automobile”?

Webster’s New International Dictionary devotes three full columns to the varied definitions and meanings of the word “strike” and they include the words and phrases “to hit,” “dash,” “clash” or “to come in collision with.”.

The various rules of construction applied in the interpretation of insurance contracts are clear and find general approval and agreement. One such rule is well.stated in the first syllabus of a case cited by the defendant:

“Where there is no uncertainty or ambiguity in language of accident insurance policy, rights and liabilities of parties must be determined in accordance with plain, ordinary and popular sense of language used.” Gant v. Provident Life and Accident Ins. Co., 147 S. E. 740.

Also,

“One of the rules which has been applied most frequently is the principle that the words in an insurance policy are to be given their ordinary and usual meaning.” 38 A. L. R. 2d 870.

And,

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
169 N.E.2d 506, 84 Ohio Law. Abs. 378, 14 Ohio Op. 2d 137, 1960 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 263, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/carson-v-nationwide-mutual-insurance-ohctcomplclark-1960.