E. Brooke Matlack, Inc. v. Walrath

24 F.R.D. 263, 2 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 212, 1959 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4196
CourtDistrict Court, D. Maryland
DecidedSeptember 22, 1959
DocketCiv. A. No. 9106
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 24 F.R.D. 263 (E. Brooke Matlack, Inc. v. Walrath) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Maryland primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
E. Brooke Matlack, Inc. v. Walrath, 24 F.R.D. 263, 2 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 212, 1959 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4196 (D. Md. 1959).

Opinion

R. DORSEY WATKINS, District Judge.

On August 29, 1956 this action was brought by E. Brooke Matlack, Inc. (Mat-lack) against the defendant Randolph Roger Walrath (Walrath) to recover expenditures allegedly necessitated by an accident occurring in Pennsylvania on December 31, 1952, when a tractor-trailer owned by Walrath and operated by his employee, Janaskie, collided with a Greyhound bus. At the time of the accident there was in effect between Walrath as lessor and Matlack as lessee an equipment lease agreement covering, among other tractors and trailers, the tractor-trailer involved in the above mentioned collision. Numerous passengers on the bus were injured and, accordingly, on their behalf claims were made and/or suits instituted in this court and other courts against both Matlack and Walrath.1 A claim for property damage was also asserted by the Pennsylvania Greyhound Lines, Inc. Matlack, as a defendant in the suits brought by the injured passengers, filed cross-claims against its co-defendant Walrath. These cross-claims were later dismissed by a stipulation which provided that the withdrawal of the cross-claims was without prejudice and that Walrath would interpose no objection to any action brought by Matlack, subsequent to the trial of the negligence suits, against Walrath, for the purpose of Matlack’s asserting a claim to indemnity. The complaint in the instant case alleges that in an effort to mitigate damages and to dispose of the pending claims and suits as economically as possible the plaintiff effected settlement of all of said claims and suits by paying in settlement the sum of $131,-712.85 and in addition incurring costs of $4,627.37 and that, as its liability to the various claimants is based solely on the negligence of Janaskie, the agent, servant and employee of the defendant Walrath, it is entitled to full reimbursement in the amount of $136,340.22 from defendant Walrath.

After answering the complaint and asserting a number of defenses, the defendant, through discovery proceedings, had by March of 1958 established that Mat-lack was insured primarily with the American Fidelity and Casualty Co. with excess coverage provided by certain underwriters at Lloyd’s pursuant to the terms of a policy issued by Coast Surplus Lines, Inc.; that “the settlements of $131,712.85 and costs of $4,627.37, mentioned in the Complaint, [were] paid by American Fidelity and Casualty Company, Inc. and Coast Surplus Lines Agency, Inc. under the terms of the policies * * *”;2 and that “* * * the American Fidelity & Casualty Company made the various settlements until the primary retention of 10/20/10 was paid. It is the understanding of the plaintiff that all excess payments were made by the assured and that Mendes and Mount paid the assured and the assured issued its check.”3 Accordingly, in view of Rule 17(a), F.R.Civ.P., 28 U.S.C.A., providing that every “action shall be prosecuted in the name of the real party in interest” and in view of the specific application of this rule by the Supreme Court in United States v. Aetna Casualty & Surety Co., 1949, 338 U.S. 366, 380-381, 70 S.Ct. 207, 215, 94 L.Ed. 171, to the case of an insurer-subrogee wherein the court stated if “the subrogee has paid an entire loss suffered by the insured, it is the only real party in interest and must sue in its [265]*265own name” 4 it was manifestly clear that as the pleadings then stood the plaintiff had no right to maintain the cause of action alleged. See also: American Fidelity & Casualty Co., Inc v. All American Bus Lines, Inc., 10 Cir., 1949, 179 F.2d 7, certiorari denied 1951, 342 U.S. 851, 72 S.Ct. 79, 96 L.Ed. 642. The defendant was fully aware of the situation and in his memorandum on this point states:5

“ * * * At this point, Walrath’s attorney researched the law * * * and well realizing his tactical position and the impossibility of Mat-lack’s recovering in the suit as brought, [he] attended the pre-trial conference before this Court on March 26, 1959. At this conference, Walrath admittedly did not request Matlack to amend his suit, for such an amendment would certainly not be advantageous to Walrath—he being in an impregnable position. The Court, no doubt recognizing the obvious fact that insurance companies 6 had an interest in the outcome, raised the issue as to whether they should be made parties Plaintiff or Defendant.” 7

The record shows that during the pretrial conference mentioned above the court, sua sponte, raised the question as to the necessity or desirability of the insurance carriers of both plaintiff and defendant being made parties to the suit. Counsel stated they did “not desire to make any changes in the parties of record.” The memorandum of that conference in pertinent part further indicates that the parties of record stated the issues involved to be as follows:

“ * * * 3. Defendant does not contest the reasonableness of the settlements as such; plaintiff contends the settlements were pursuant to an agreement that they would be without prejudice and that the liability between plaintiff and defendant should subsequently be determined. Defendant denies such agreement, and, therefore, contends that the plaintiff, in substance, is a volunteer. The question of the circumstances of such agreement vel non is the vital issue in the case.”
******
“5. Both parties agree that defendant was in complete control of the truck and driver on the return trip in the course of which the accident occurred. Plaintiff contends, however, that the law with respect to such responsibility was not settled at the time of the accident or at the time when the alleged agreement to settle without prejudice was made, and that the uncertainty was one of the reasons for such alleged agreement. Defendant denies personal knowledge of the alleged agreement for settlement without prejudice. Defendant, however, admits that he was represented by an attorney furnished by his insurance carrier. The questions, therefore are (a) was such an agreement in effect made, and (b) if so was it binding personally on the defendant.”
«g * * *
“Defendant contends that if at the time of the accident there was a joint operation, then he was covered [266]*266by Matlack and/or his policy, and there would be no personal liability; if (as is now admitted) the operation at the time was solely for the benefit of defendant, then plaintiff had no obligation or liability, and the settlement was that of a volunteer, from which no personal liability on the part of the defendant would arise.”

It was further agreed “for the purpose of this trial that negligence on the part of Janaskie [defendant Walrath’s employee] may be assumed”.8

On the day set for the taking of testimony relative to the determination of the issues, as settled at the pretrial conference, the court again restated its concern about the nominal party plaintiff.

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Bluebook (online)
24 F.R.D. 263, 2 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 212, 1959 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4196, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/e-brooke-matlack-inc-v-walrath-mdd-1959.