Coleman v. Charlesworth

608 N.E.2d 464, 240 Ill. App. 3d 662, 181 Ill. Dec. 391
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedDecember 30, 1992
Docket1-90-2162
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 608 N.E.2d 464 (Coleman v. Charlesworth) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Coleman v. Charlesworth, 608 N.E.2d 464, 240 Ill. App. 3d 662, 181 Ill. Dec. 391 (Ill. Ct. App. 1992).

Opinion

JUSTICE RIZZI

delivered the opinion of the court:

Plaintiffs, Deborah Coleman, as personal representative of the estate of Kenneth F. Coleman, Jr., deceased, Sandra K. Ritter, as administrator of the estate of Terry C. Ritter, deceased, Lily Ann Baker, as administrator of the estate of Brian Baker, deceased, Harry R. Evans, Wendy Keating, as administrator of the estate of William Keating, deceased, Windy City Balloon Port, Ltd. (Windy City), and Dean Stellas, brought this declaratory judgment action in the circuit court seeking a declaration as to whether a policy of insurance exists between Windy City and defendant M.E. Charlesworth, individually and as representative of those underwriters signatory to cover note HR 802040, and whether the injuries sustained by plaintiffs in the balloon accident that occurred on August 15, 1981, are within the coverage of that insurance policy. The trial court granted defendant’s motion for summary judgment, ruling that plaintiffs have no rights against defendant because the injuries sustained by plaintiffs in the balloon accident do not fall within the coverage provisions of the insurance policy issued to Windy City by defendant. Plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment was denied.

On appeal, plaintiffs contend that (1) the plain and unambiguous terms of the cover note of the insurance policy issued to Windy City extend coverage for the injuries sustained by plaintiffs in the balloon accident; (2) the trial court erred when it ruled that there is no coverage under the premises provisions of the insurance policy issued to Windy City for the injuries they sustained in the balloon accident; (3) the trial court erred when it ruled that there is no coverage under the products liability provisions of the insurance policy issued to Windy City for the injuries they sustained in the balloon accident; and (4) the insurance policy issued to Windy City was in effect on the date of the balloon accident due to defendant’s failure to provide direct notice of his intention not to renew the policy as required by section 143.17 of the Illinois Insurance Code (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1981, ch. 73, par. 755.17). We affirm.

Windy City operated a public balloon launching facility which offered commercial sightseeing flights to the public for a specified charge using hot air and helium balloons owned by third parties. Windy City also provided refueling and repair facilities for hot air and helium balloons when needed. On May 12, 1978, Windy City purchased an insurance policy from Urbine-Sides Insurance Agency (Urbine-Sides) providing aviation premises and products liability coverage, subject to certain exclusions, for bodily injury and property damage arising from operations at Windy City for a period of one year. Substantially identical renewal one-year policies were issued by Urbine-Sides effective May 12,1979, and May 12, 1980.

On August 15, 1981, a hot air balloon piloted by James Bickett departed from a launching site at Windy City carrying five passengers. Shortly after departure, the balloon struck power lines owned and operated by Commonwealth Edison near Barrington Hills, Illinois, and crashed to the ground, killing Bickett and passengers Kenneth E Coleman, Jr., Terry C. Ritter, Brian Baker and William Keating. Passenger Harry Evans survived, but sustained severe burns and injuries. In April 1985, plaintiffs filed a wrongful death action in the circuit court of Lake County against Windy City and several other defendants, including the manufacturer of the balloon and certain of its component parts. Defendant, however, refused to appear, defend or extend insurance coverage on behalf of Windy City for the loss. On June 3, 1988, the circuit court of Lake County entered an uncontested judgment in favor of plaintiffs and against Windy City in the amount of $4.4 million based on a finding of negligence on the part of Windy City.

On March 2, 1988, plaintiffs brought this declaratory judgment action in the circuit court of Cook County seeking a declaration as to whether a policy of insurance exists between Windy City and defendant, and whether the injuries sustained by plaintiffs in the balloon accident are within the coverage of this insurance policy. The parties filed cross-motions for summary judgment. On October 6, 1989, the trial court granted in part defendant’s motion for summary judgment, ruling that there is no coverage under the premises provisions of the insurance policy issued to Windy City for the injuries sustained by plaintiffs in the balloon accident. The trial court, however, withheld any ruling with respect to coverage under the products liability provisions of the policy. On June 21, 1990, the trial court granted defendant’s motion for summary judgment in toto, ruling that the products liability provisions of the insurance policy issued to Windy City also do not provide coverage for the injuries sustained by plaintiffs in the balloon accident. Plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment was denied. This appeal followed.

Plaintiffs first argue that the plain and unambiguous terms of the cover note of the insurance policy issued to Windy City extend coverage for the injuries sustained by plaintiffs in the balloon accident. We disagree. The cover note of an insurance policy, equivalent to the binder issued by domestic insurers, does not contain the definitive provisions or formalities of an insurance policy. Rather, the determinative terms and conditions of an insurance policy are set forth in the policy itself. We, therefore, conclude that the trial court correctly based its rulings in the present case on the terms and conditions of the insurance policy rather than the provisions of the cover note.

Plaintiffs next argue that the trial court erred when it ruled that there is no coverage under the premises provisions of the insurance policy issued to Windy City for the injuries they sustained in the balloon accident. The insurance policy issued to Windy City contains the following provisions within the premises coverage section of the policy:

“THIS SECTION IS SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING EXCLUSIONS: ***
2. Bodily injury or property damage caused by * * *
(b) any Ships, Vessels, Craft, or Aircraft owned, chartered, used or operated by or on account of the assured (Windy City).”

We hold that this exclusion precludes coverage under the premises provisions of the policy here because the hot air balloon that caused plaintiffs’ injuries was an aircraft being used and operated by Windy City through its agent Bickett, the pilot of the ill-fated balloon flight, acting within his authority to carry on the business of the enterprise.

A joint venture is an association of two or more persons to carry on a single enterprise for profit. (Minyo v. Minyo (1991), 220 Ill. App. 3d 746, 751, 581 N.E.2d 170, 173.) A joint venture may be implied or established by proof of surrounding facts and circumstances, including whether the parties have the intent to carry on an enterprise for profit, whether the parties have a joint interest in the enterprise as reflected by the contribution of property, finances, effort, skill or knowledge by each party of the venture, whether there is a joint exercise of control over the enterprise, and whether the parties share in the profits of the enterprise. (Herst v.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
608 N.E.2d 464, 240 Ill. App. 3d 662, 181 Ill. Dec. 391, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/coleman-v-charlesworth-illappct-1992.