Chancellor v. Aetna Casualty & Surety Co.

843 F. Supp. 175, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19819
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Mississippi
DecidedSeptember 15, 1993
DocketNo. 2:92cv285
StatusPublished

This text of 843 F. Supp. 175 (Chancellor v. Aetna Casualty & Surety Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Chancellor v. Aetna Casualty & Surety Co., 843 F. Supp. 175, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19819 (S.D. Miss. 1993).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

PICKERING, District Judge.

This matter is before the Court on Motion for Summary Judgment filed on behalf of the Defendant. The Court, having reviewed the motion, the briefs of the parties, the authorities cited, and being otherwise fully advised in the premises, finds as follows, to-wit;

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

The facts necessary for the adjudication of the Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment have been stipulated between the parties. The following is a brief synopsis of the facts. On November 22, 1989, the Plaintiff, Howard Chancellor, was driving a tractor/trailer rig hauling a load of steel for Henderson Steel Corporation (“Henderson Steel”) to various customers of Henderson Steel. On the day in question, the Plaintiff was using a trailer owned by Henderson Steel and insured by Aetna, the Defendant. At approximately 6:00 a.m., the Plaintiffs rig collided with the rear of a pickup truck driven by John Lee McDonald. As a result of the accident the Plaintiff was injured. The driver of the pickup truck did not have in force any liability insurance at the time of the accident, and therefore, he was an unin[177]*177sured motorist. At the time of the accident, the Plaintiff had uninsured motorist coverage on his tractor with Canal Insurance Company, and Canal has paid its entire limits of $10,000.00 in uninsured motorist coverage to the Plaintiff. On the day in question, Henderson Steel had a policy with the Defendant which provided $750,000.00 of uninsured motorist coverage per covered auto to the named insureds under Henderson Steel’s policy.

On November 20,1992, the Plaintiff filed a Complaint against Aetna, contending that he is entitled to recover uninsured motorist benefits under Henderson Steel’s insurance policy with the Defendant.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 56(c) authorizes summary judgment where “the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories and admissions on file, together with affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Celotex Corporation v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2552, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). A judge’s function at the summary judgment stage is not himself to weigh the evidence and determine the truth of the matter, but to determine whether there is a genuine issue for trial. There is no issue for trial unless there is sufficient evidence favoring the non-moving party for a jury to return a verdict for that party. If the evidence is merely colorable, or is not significantly probative, summary judgment may be granted. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986).

Although Rule 56 is peculiarly adapted to the disposition of legal questions it is not limited to that role. Professional Managers, Inc. v. Fawer, Brian, Hardy & Zatzkis, 799 F.2d 218, 222 (5th Cir.1986). “The mere existence of a disputed factual issue, therefore, does not foreclose summary judgment. The dispute must be genuine, and the facts must be material.” Id. “With regard to ‘materiality' only those disputes over facts that might affect the outcome of the lawsuit under the governing substantive law will preelude summary judgment.” Phillips Oil Co. v. OKC Corp., 812 F.2d 265, 272 (5th Cir. 1987).

In making its determinations of fact on a motion for summary judgment, the Court must view the evidence submitted by the parties in a light more favorable to the non-moving party. McPherson v. Rankin, 736 F.2d 175, 178 (5th Cir.1984).

The moving party has the duty to demonstrate the lack of genuine issue of material fact and the appropriateness of judgment as a matter of law to prevail on his motion. Union Planters Nat’l Leasing v. Woods, 687 F.2d 117 (5th Cir.1982). Once a properly supported motion for summary judgment is presented, the nonmoving party must rebut with “significant probative” evidence. Ferguson v. National Broadcasting Co., Inc., 584 F.2d 111, 114 (5th Cir.1978). In other words, the “nonmoving litigant is required to bring forward ‘significant probative evidence’ demonstrating the existence of a triable issue of fact.” In re Municipal Bond Reporting Antitrust Litig., 672 F.2d 436, 440 (5th Cir. 1982). To defend against a proper summary judgment motion, one may not rely on mere denial of material facts nor on unsworn allegations in the pleadings or arguments and assertions in briefs or legal memoranda. The nonmoving party’s response, by affidavit or otherwise, must set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(e); see also Union Planters Nat’l Leasing v. Woods, 687 F.2d at 119.

LEGAL ARGUMENT

The Defendant contends that it is entitled to summary judgment as a matter of law in that the Plaintiff is not entitled to recover uninsured motorist benefits under the insurance policy in question. The Defendant argues that the Plaintiff, as an independent contractor, is not a “named insured” under the policy in question and therefore, the Plaintiff has no basis to claim uninsured motorist benefits under the policy. More specifically, the Defendant alleges that neither Henderson Steel, nor the Defendant intended to secure or provide uninsured motorist benefits to the Plaintiff since he was an indepen[178]*178dent contractor using his own tractor and pulling a non-listed trailer. The Defendant also contends that under the policy’s definition of “occupying” the Plaintiff was not “occupying” Henderson Steel’s trailer at the time of the accident. See Exhibit B attached to Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment. The Defendant also argues that the Mississippi Uninsured Motorist Act and the public policy underlying the Act does not apply to commercial fleet policies, but only to individual family automobile insurance. See Miss.Code Ann. § 83-ll-l(a) (1972). Furthermore, since the legislature restricted its concerns to private passenger type vehicles with load carrying capacities less than 1,500 pounds which were not used in the business of the insured, the Defendant contends that the trailer in question which was carrying in excess of 30,000 pounds is specifically excluded. The Defendant also argues that according to the holding of Aetna Casualty & Surety Co. v. Barker,

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Related

Erie Railroad v. Tompkins
304 U.S. 64 (Supreme Court, 1938)
Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.
477 U.S. 242 (Supreme Court, 1986)
Phillips Oil Company v. Okc Corporation
812 F.2d 265 (Fifth Circuit, 1987)
State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co. v. Davis
613 So. 2d 1179 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1992)
Harris v. Magee
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Wickline v. US Fidelity & Guar. Co.
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Washington v. Georgia American Ins. Co.
540 So. 2d 22 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1989)
In Re Koestler for Benefit of Koestler
608 So. 2d 1258 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1992)
Stevens v. United States Fid. & Guar. Co.
345 So. 2d 1041 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1977)
Aetna Cas. & Sur. Co. v. Barker
451 So. 2d 731 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1984)
Pearthree v. Hartford Acc. & Indem. Co.
373 So. 2d 267 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1979)

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Bluebook (online)
843 F. Supp. 175, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19819, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chancellor-v-aetna-casualty-surety-co-mssd-1993.