Ellis v. New Amsterdam Casualty Co.

194 S.E. 687, 169 Va. 620, 1938 Va. LEXIS 238
CourtSupreme Court of Virginia
DecidedJanuary 13, 1938
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 194 S.E. 687 (Ellis v. New Amsterdam Casualty Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ellis v. New Amsterdam Casualty Co., 194 S.E. 687, 169 Va. 620, 1938 Va. LEXIS 238 (Va. 1938).

Opinion

Campbell, C. J.,

delivered the opinion of the court.

This is an action at law brought by the plaintiff in error against the New Amsterdam Casualty Company, defendant in error, to establish the liability of the defendant upon a policy of insurance issued by the defendant in favor of one S. Jaffe. There was a trial by a jury which resulted in a verdict in favor of the plaintiff. Upon motion of the defendant, the trial court set aside the verdict of the jury and entered a final judgment for defendant in error.

The controlling facts are as follows:

In September, 1933, the defendant issued to S. Jaffe, as an individual, a liability insurance policy covering a Chevrolet truck. The pertinent provisions of the policy are these:

“Statement 8: The occupation or Business of the named Assured is Merchant (furs and hides).

“Statement 9: The purposes for which the above described automobiles or trailers are to be used are Commercial Delivery.

“General Agreement—Does hereby agree with the named Assured as respects bodily injuries or death suffered, or alleged to have been suffered, by any person or persons other than the named Assured as the result of accidents occurring in the continental limits of the United States and Canada while this Policy is in force, by reason of the ownership, maintenance or use of any automobile or trailer described in the Schedule of Statements, including the loading' and unloading of such automobile or trailer;

“Omnibus Coverage—(9) To extend the insurance provided by this Policy under Agreements (1) and (2) so as to be available, in the same manner and under the same conditions as it is available to the named Assured, to any person or persons while riding in or legally operating any [623]*623of the automobiles or trailers described in the Schedule of Statements, and to any person, firm or corporation legally responsible for the operation thereof, provided such use or operation is with the permission of the named Assured, or, if the named Assured is an individual, with the permission of an adult member of the named Assured’s household other than a chauffeur or a domestic servant; * * * The unqualified term ‘Assured’ wherever used in this policy shall include in each instance any other person, firm or corporation entitled to insurance under the provisions and conditions of this paragraph, but the qualified term ‘named assured’ shall apply only to the Assured named and described as such in the Schedule of Statements:

“Exclusions—Condition A: This Policy does not cover any accident: (1) caused by an automobile or trailer while being used in any race or speed test; (2) caused by any automobile or trailer while being driven by any person in violation of law as to age, or under the age of fourteen (14) years in any event; (3) caused by any automobile while being used for towing or propelling any trailer or any vehicle used as a trailer; unless such automobile or trailer are described in the Schedule of Statements, but incidental assistance to a stranded automobile is permitted; (4) caused by any automobile or trailer while being used for rental and/or livery purposes, or for carrying of passengers for a consideration, unless permitted by the description of usage appearing in the Schedule of Statements; (5) caused by any automobile or trailer of the truck or delivery type or station wagon type used to carry persons to or from picnics, outings or games; (6) caused by any automobile or trailer while being used in any busines, trade or occupation other than described in the Schedule of Statements; * * *

“Statutory Provisions—Condition F: Any specific statutory provision in force in the state in which it is claimed that the Assured is liable for any accident covered hereby shall supersede any provision in this Policy inconsistent therewith.”

[624]*624At the time of the accident suffered by plaintiff, Jaffe, the assured, a resident of Suffolk, Virginia, was engaged in the business of buying cattle, furs and hides and also operated a stall in the Suffolk market. On the afternoon preceding the accident, Jaffe instructed his employee, Charles Gray, to take two coops of chickens to Portsmouth, Virginia, to have them killed by a rabbi. Gray performed this service, returned to Suffolk and deposited the chickens in the ice box at the market place. Instead of leaving the truck at Jaffe’s place of business, he proceeded to a pool room in Suffolk, picked up several negro boys and drove to the Cotton Club, a negro resort situated four miles from Suffolk. On the return from the Cotton Club, about 11:30 P. M., the truck collided with a bicycle upon which the plaintiff was riding. As a result of the collision, plaintiff suffered severe injuries.

On September 14, 1934, plaintiff brought an action by notice of motion against S. Jaffe, as principal, and Gray, as agent, to recover damages as a result of the accident. Gray was called as an adverse witness by counsel for plaintiff and5 testified that at the time of the accident he was using the truck for his own pleasure and against the orders of Jaffe. The trial resulted in a verdict against Gray and in favor of Jaffe. Sometime subsequent to the entry of judgment upon the verdict of the jury, Gray filed in the clerk’s office an affidavit in which he repudiated the testimony given by him upon the trial of the case and set forth in the affidavit that at the time of the accident he had permission of Jaffe to use the truck. Following the filing of this affidavit plaintiff brought the present action against the defendant, and upon the trial of the case, Gray testified as a witness for the plaintiff, repudiating his former testimony and claiming he had the permission of Jaffe to drive the truck at the time of the accident. This statement was flatly contradicted by Jaffe. The trial resulted, as heretofore stated, in a verdict for the plaintiff, which the court set aside and entered judgment for the defendant.

[625]*625The error assigned is predicated upon the action of the court in setting aside the verdict and entering judgment for defendant. Whether or not, if we had been upon the jury trying the case, we would have accepted the statement of Gray, is immaterial and irrelevant. Upon a conflict of evidence the jury has accepted the evidence of Gray and in this jurisdiction the question of conflict is settled by the verdict of the jury.

• In Margiotta v. Aycock, 162 Va. 557, 174 S. E. 831, 834, Justice Holt said:

“It is true that they claim that plaintiff’s witnesses out of court and in the preceding trials had made statements materially different from those made in the present trial. This is an argument which might with compelling force have been addressed to the jury. It doubtless was, but it can seldom avail on appeal. If all that is claimed be conceded, it still could not change results, for the issue was the truth of those made here and not elsewhere. A jury has the right to believe the testimony of a confessed perjurer though it should weigh his statements with great caution. The approval of the verdict by the trial judge adds weight to the verdict.”

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194 S.E. 687, 169 Va. 620, 1938 Va. LEXIS 238, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ellis-v-new-amsterdam-casualty-co-va-1938.