Earley v. Aetna Casualty & Surety Co.

59 Pa. D. & C.2d 623, 1972 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 319
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Luzerne County
DecidedJuly 21, 1972
Docketnos. 898 and 983
StatusPublished

This text of 59 Pa. D. & C.2d 623 (Earley v. Aetna Casualty & Surety Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Luzerne County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Earley v. Aetna Casualty & Surety Co., 59 Pa. D. & C.2d 623, 1972 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 319 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1972).

Opinion

D ALESSANDRO, J.,

NATURE OF PROCEEDINGS

Preliminary objections of defendant, Aetna Casualty & Surety Company, in the nature of (1) a demurrer, (2) a motion to strike the complaint and (3) a motion for more specific complaint, as they pertain to both suits captioned above. Both cases involved common questions of facts and law.

ALLEGED FACTS

On June 3, 1964, Mary Potorski of 1409 Plane Street, Avoca, Pa., purchased and contracted for an “auto-rite” liability insurance policy from defendant, Aetna Casualty and Surety Company (hereinafter referred to as Aetna), through its duly authorized agent, Leonard Selenski (hereinafter referred to as Selenski) of 62 Second Street, Wyoming, Luzerne County, Pa., wherein the insured persons were Mary Potorski (mother) owner of a 1957 Chevrolet 210 sedan, Joseph Potorski, her son, and Mary Ann Potorski, her daughter. Mrs. Potorski paid Mr. Selenski a premium of $116 for one-year’s liability coverage from June 3, 1964, for $25,000 for each occurrence. There is no indication that Mrs. Potorski ever received the insurance policy; however, she did receive an “auto-rite policy 20 days binder” stating “prepaid $116.00” and “received from the named insured for premium payment $116.00 ... on June 3, 1964, signed Leonard Selenski.”

On January 9, 1965, Barbara Glowaniak (now Barbara Earley and hereinafter referred to as Barbara Earley) and Edward Francis were passengers in the [625]*625Potorski Chevrolet which was driven by Joseph Potorski when it hit a pole and caused injury to Barbara Earley and Edward Francis. The Potorski family timely reported the accident to Selenski for the purpose of having Aetna handle the claims of Barbara Earley and Edward Francis against them. Selenski and Aetna told Mary Potorski that there was no contract of insurance in existence on the date of the accident and that neither Selenski nor Aetna would defend or insure Mary Potorski or her son, Joseph, against any claims or liability resulting from the aforementioned accident.

On April 20, 1966, Barbara Earley filed suit against Mary and Joseph Potorski in Luzerne County to May term, 1966, no. 1291, and Edward Francis filed suit on the same date against Mary and Joseph Potorski in Luzerne County to January term, 1967, no. 1064, for damages resulting from the accident. Because of the refusal of Selenski and Aetna to handle the claims, the Potorski family obtained private counsel and settlements were eventually agreed to as follows:

For Barbara Earley — $9,000—Judgment entered 12-31-70 against Mary & Joseph Potorski.
For Edward Francis — $9,500—Judgment entered 1-7-71 against Mary & Joseph Potorski.

After the agreed settlements and judgments, Mary and Joseph Potorski assigned to Barbara Earley and Edward Francis their claims against Aetna for failure to provide them with liability insurance coverage and/or defense to the respective lawsuits.

The complaints in issue are those brought by Barbara Earley and Edward Francis under the rights they claim they own by virtue of the assignment which they received from the Potorskis. In the first count of each complaint, demand is made upon Aetna under the alleged contract of insurance and in the [626]*626second count of each complaint demand is made upon Selenski as the insurer.

The court concludes that all three preliminary objections of Aetna are denied as hereinafter stated.

DEMURRER

In its demurrer, Aetna claims:

1. The complaints fail to allege that an auto-rite policy was executed and delivered to plaintiffs’ assignor.

2. The 20-day binder issued by Selenski automatically expired prior to the date of the alleged accident.

3. If the written 20-day binder and the alleged contemporaneous oral representation to extend the coverage for one year constitutes one agreement, plaintiffs cannot recover against Aetna on the basis of said oral representation in the absence of fraud, accident or mistake.

4. Plaintiffs cannot recover because of the failure to allege that the representation of the annual coverage was authorized or ratified by defendant, Aetna.

5. The bare allegations of agency are conclusions of law and are contrary to the law that an insurance broker is the general agent of the insured for the procuring of a policy and remains the insured’s agent during the term of the policy.

We will consider the various bases of the demurrer individually. The general rules applicable to the demurrer are as follows:

A demurrer admits every well-pleaded, material, relevant fact set forth in the complaint and every inference fairly deducible from the facts pleaded (Clevenstein v. Rizzuto, Appellant, 439 Pa. 397; Hoffman v. Misericordia Hospital of Philadelphia, 439 Pa. [627]*627501, 503), and all facts of which the court may take judicial notice: West Norriton Township v. Abel Investment Co., 19 D. & C. 2d 58.

“In determining whether a demurrer should be sustained and the complaint dismissed the question presented is whether, on the facts averred, the law says with certainty that no recovery is possible”: Hoffman v. Missricordia Hospital of Philadelphia, 439 Pa. 501, 503.
“Judgment in favor of the demurring party cannot be entered when there is any doubt as to the propriety of the entry of such a judgment. It may only be entered when it is clear that the demurring party is entitled to it”: 2 Anderson Pa. Civ. Prac. §1017.61, pages 534-536; Hoffman v. Misericordia Hospital of Philadelphia, 439 Pa. 501; Clevenstein v. Rizzuto, 439 Pa. 397.

1. A contract of insurance can exist even though a policy has not been delivered to the insured: Hamilton v. Lycoming Mutual Insurance Co., 5 Pa. 339; Levan v. Pottstown Railway Co., 279 Pa. 381; Rossi v. Firemen's Ins. Co., 310 Pa. 242; Harris v. Meyers, 160 Pa. Superior Ct. 607.

While it is true that the complaints fail to allege that a written auto-rite policy was executed and delivered to Potorski, they do allege that Aetna’s agent Selenski quoted and collected a premium of $116 for one-year’s coverage from June 3, 1964, that he issued the written 20-day binder, and that he represented, stated and agreed with Potorski that the $116 premium provided coverage for a period of one year from June 3, 1964, which Potorski relied upon as being insured for one year.

An indemnity insurance contract, unless prohibited by statute, may rest upon a parol agreement without delivery of the policy to the insured: Hamilton v. [628]*628Lycoming Mutual Insurance Co., 5 Pa. 339; Levan v. Pottstown Railway Co., 279 Pa. 381; Rossi v. Firemen's Insurance Co., 310 Pa. 242; Harris v. Meyers, 160 Pa. Superior Ct. 607.

“No principle of the common law requires that contracts of insurance, any more than other simple contracts, need be in writing, and therefore, in the absence of charter or statutory regulations forbidding them, oral contracts of insurance are valid.” Hamilton v. Insurance Company, 5 Pa. 339; Levan v. Pottstown Railway Co., 279 Pa. 381; Rossi v. Firemen’s Insurance Co., 310 Pa. 242; Harris v. Meyers, 160 Pa. Superior Ct. 607.

No statutory prohibition has been pointed out to the court, nor are we aware of any. It is evident that plaintiffs’ alleged causes of action lie upon an oral contract of insurance.

2.

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Related

Clevenstein v. Rizzuto
266 A.2d 623 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1970)
Martin v. Wilson
92 A.2d 193 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1952)
Harvey Probber, Inc. v. Kauffman
124 A.2d 699 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1956)
Rossi v. Firemen's Insurance Co.
165 A. 16 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1932)
Harris v. Meyers (Et Al.)
52 A.2d 375 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1947)
Hamilton v. Lycoming Mutual Insurance
5 Pa. 339 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1847)
Levan v. Pottstown, Phœnixville Ry. Co.
124 A. 89 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1924)
Hoffman v. Misericordia Hospital
267 A.2d 867 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1970)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
59 Pa. D. & C.2d 623, 1972 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 319, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/earley-v-aetna-casualty-surety-co-pactcomplluzern-1972.