Crabtree v. State Farm Ins. Co.

632 So. 2d 736, 1994 WL 62776
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedFebruary 28, 1994
Docket93-C-0509
StatusPublished
Cited by111 cases

This text of 632 So. 2d 736 (Crabtree v. State Farm Ins. Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Crabtree v. State Farm Ins. Co., 632 So. 2d 736, 1994 WL 62776 (La. 1994).

Opinion

632 So.2d 736 (1994)

Stephen CRABTREE and Debra Sue Crabtree
v.
STATE FARM INSURANCE CO.

No. 93-C-0509.

Supreme Court of Louisiana.

February 28, 1994.

*737 Madeleine M. Landrieu, Robert J. David, Gainsburgh, Benjamin, Fallon, David & Ates, New Orleans, for applicant.

David J. Mithcell, Dan R. Dorsey, Porteous, Hainkel, Johnson & Sarpy, New Orleans, Stephen N. Elliott, Bernard, Cassisa, Saporito & Elliott, Metairie, for respondent.

KIMBALL, Justice.[*]

We granted certiorari to consider whether a wife's mental anguish suffered upon witnessing *738 an injury to her husband constitutes a separate bodily injury under an automobile insurance policy thereby entitling the wife to her own per person policy limit subject to the aggregate per accident limit. We conclude the wife's mental anguish constitutes "bodily injury" within the meaning of the policy, and finding that the policy language defining "bodily injury to one person" to include "all injury and damages to others resulting from this bodily injury" does not reasonably contemplate bodily injury to others, we conclude the wife's mental anguish claim is not subject to the single person policy limit regardless of whether her mental anguish "results from" or "derives from" her husband's bodily injuries. We further conclude the wife's mental anguish was suffered "in the same accident" as that which caused the injury to her husband. Accordingly, we hold the wife's mental anguish constitutes a separate bodily injury under the policy entitling her to her own per person policy limit subject to the aggregate per accident limit.

FACTS

On January 27, 1990, Stephen Crabtree was riding his motorcycle while his wife Debra followed him in her automobile. An oncoming car, owned by Robert F. Vetter and operated by his son, James, crossed the center line and struck Mr. Crabtree head on. Mrs. Crabtree witnessed the accident. When she went to help her husband, she discovered one of his legs had been almost completely severed below the knee.

Plaintiffs, Mr. and Mrs. Crabtree, brought suit against their UM insurer, the Vetters, and the Vetters' insurer, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, seeking damages for Mr. Crabtree's injuries and for Mrs. Crabtree's loss of consortium and mental anguish claims.[1] Prior to trial, the parties stipulated to the following: (1) the accident was caused solely by the fault of James Vetter; (2) Debra Crabtree meets all the requisites for a Lejeune claim;[2] (3) State Farm's policy provides to plaintiff limits of $25,000 per person with an aggregate of $50,000 per accident; and (4) Stephen Crabtree's injuries exceed $25,000. Additionally, in argument before the trial court, both parties stated State Farm had stipulated that Debra's Lejeune claim is worth or exceeds $25,000.

In accordance with the stipulations, State Farm tendered into the registry of the court the sum of $27,604.17, representing its single bodily injury policy limits plus accrued legal interest. Both parties agreed this amount was to be applied to Stephen Crabtree's personal injuries and Debra Crabtree's loss of consortium claim.

State Farm contended it had no further liability under the policy. Plaintiffs argued Mrs. Crabtree's Lejeune claim constituted an additional bodily injury under the policy such that Mrs. Crabtree would be entitled to her *739 own $25,000 per person limit subject to the $50,000 per accident aggregate limit.

Plaintiffs filed a "Motion for Declaratory Judgment" seeking a declaration that the mental anguish suffered by Mrs. Crabtree constitutes a separate bodily injury from Mr. Crabtree's thus invoking the $50,000 per accident limits of the policy.[3] State Farm, on the other hand, filed a motion for summary judgment arguing Mrs. Crabtree's Lejeune claim is "derivative" of Mr. Crabtree's claim and thus subject to the $25,000 single policy limit attributable to Mr. Crabtree's injuries. State Farm argued in the alternative that mental anguish is not a "bodily injury" covered under the policy.

The trial court granted State Farm's motion and denied plaintiffs' motion, finding Mrs. Crabtree's Lejeune claim is derivative.

The Louisiana Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal affirmed, agreeing with the trial court's conclusion that Mrs. Crabtree's Lejeune claim derived from the bodily injury to Mr. Crabtree. 613 So.2d 701. The court of appeal further concluded Mrs. Crabtree's damages "resulted from" the bodily injury to her husband within the meaning of the policy's definition of "bodily injury to one person." Accordingly, the court held State Farm was liable only up to the $25,000 single person limit.

We granted plaintiffs' writ application[4] and now reverse.

ANALYSIS

The State Farm insurance policy at issue obligates State Farm to "pay damages which an insured becomes legally liable to pay because of ... bodily injury to others." The policy provides $25,000 in coverage for damages due to bodily injury to each person with an aggregate of $50,000 in bodily injury for each accident regardless of the number of people injured in the accident. Under the Limits of Liability section, as modified by the 6994RR Amendatory Endorsement, the policy provides:

The amount of bodily injury liability coverage is shown on the declarations page under "Limits of Liability—Coverage A— Bodily Injury, Each Person, Each Accident". Under "Each Person" is the amount of coverage [$25,000] for all damages due to bodily injury to one person. "Bodily injury to one person" includes all injury and damages to others resulting from this bodily injury. Under "Each Accident" is the total amount of coverage [$50,000], subject to the amount shown under "Each Person", for all damages due to bodily injury to two or more persons in the same accident.

The policy defines "bodily injury" as "bodily injury to a person and sickness, disease or death which results from it."

Plaintiffs contend State Farm is liable under the $50,000 aggregate policy limit for "all damages due to bodily injury to two or more persons in the same accident." State Farm contends its liability is limited to the $25,000 policy limit for "all damages due to bodily injury to one person."

To determine the amount of State Farm's liability, we must interpret the insurance policy to decide three issues: (1) whether the policy language defining "bodily injury to one person" to include "all injury and damages to others resulting from this bodily injury" encompasses Mrs. Crabtree's mental anguish; (2) whether Mrs. Crabtree's mental anguish constitutes "bodily injury" as defined in the policy; and (3) whether Mrs. Crabtree suffered her mental anguish "in the same accident" as that which caused Mr. Crabtree's bodily injuries. If "bodily injury to one person" encompasses Mrs. Crabtree's mental anguish, then State Farm's liability is limited to the $25,000 policy limit for "all damages due to bodily injury to one person." If not, and if Mrs. Crabtree's mental anguish constitutes "bodily injury" suffered "in the same accident," then State Farm is liable under the $50,000 aggregate policy limit for "all *740 damages due to bodily injury to two or more persons in the same accident."

(1) Does "bodily injury to one person" encompass Mrs. Crabtree's mental anguish?

State Farm characterizes the first issue in terms of whether Mrs. Crabtree's Lejeune

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632 So. 2d 736, 1994 WL 62776, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/crabtree-v-state-farm-ins-co-la-1994.