Equity Mutual Insurance Co. v. Insurance Co. of North America

602 S.W.2d 904, 1980 Mo. App. LEXIS 2765
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedJuly 28, 1980
DocketNo. 11268
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 602 S.W.2d 904 (Equity Mutual Insurance Co. v. Insurance Co. of North America) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Equity Mutual Insurance Co. v. Insurance Co. of North America, 602 S.W.2d 904, 1980 Mo. App. LEXIS 2765 (Mo. Ct. App. 1980).

Opinion

PREWITT, Judge.

Equity Mutual Insurance Company (Equity Mutual) appeals from a judgment declaring that it and respondent Insurance Company of North America (INA) both provided primary liability insurance coverage on a tractor-trailer unit involved in a collision and that both should share the payments made in settlement of liability claims [906]*906and the costs of defense in proportion to the coverages provided by their respective policies. Equity Mutual contends that its policy is excess and that it is only obligated for claims after INA’s liability limit has been exhausted. The trial court determined that respondent Grain Dealers Mutual Insurance Company was not liable to contribute toward the settlements or the cost of defense of the claims. In oral argument appellant conceded that the trial court was correct in its ruling regarding Grain Dealers Mutual Insurance Company.

House of Webster, Inc. (Webster) leased a tractor unit from Ryder Truck Rental, Inc. (Ryder) by “Truck Rental Agreement” stating that the tractor was rented “with liability”, apparently referring to liability insurance. The date of the agreement is not shown but on the agreement is stated: “DATE & TIME OUT 10-4-74” and “DATE DUE IN 10/30/74”. Thereafter Webster rented from Ryder a trailer unit by “Truck Rental Agreement”. Its “DATE & TIME OUT” was “11-8-74” and “DATE DUE IN” was “12/4/74”. A box was also checked on the rental agreement on the trailer indicating its rental was “WITH LIABILITY”. In another place on the agreement an employee of Webster initialed a provision which would appear to require Webster to “provide liability insurance”. Equity Mutual issued a “General Liability-Automobile Policy” to Webster effective December 14, 1973 through December 14, 1974. On November 17, 1974, there was in effect an automobile liability insurance policy issued by INA to Ryder.

While the units were being operated together on November 17,1974 by an employee of Webster, they were involved in a multiple motor vehicle collision in Dallas County, Missouri. As a result of the collision, settlements for wrongful death and bodily injury totaled $356,250, of which INA paid $189,375 and Equity Mutual $166,875. Property damage claims were settled for $2,856.50. INA and Equity Mutual each paid $1,428.25. Equity Mutual expended $6,006.76 for attorneys fees and incurred $1,008.86 in court costs in defending the claims. INA expended $32,144.82 for attorneys fees, $2,337.47 for investigation, and $4,288.72 for court costs. The Equity Mutual and INA policies each contained a limit of $100,000 for death or bodily injury to one person and a limit of $300,-000 for all deaths or injuries resulting from one occurrence. INA’s property damage limit was $25,000 and Equity Mutual’s $50,-000. Equity Mutual and INA both admit that they provided coverage for Webster and its employee who was operating the tractor-trailer and that both insurance companies have to bear a part of the losses as a result of the collision.

The trial court found that since the policies of INA and Equity Mutual “contain the same or similar ‘other insurance’ clauses, the policies are considered and found to be mutually repugnant, and therefore, that said policies are equally applicable to the losses”. The trial court determined that each company should bear one-half of the cost of the settlements for wrongful death and bodily injury and one-half of the defense of those claims and that Equity Mutual should have paid two-thirds of the property damage claims and two-thirds of the cost of defending that claim. It ruled that Equity Mutual should reimburse INA so that each company bear an equal amount of the settlements and expenses due to the claims for wrongful death and bodily injury and so that Equity Mutual would bear two-thirds of the property damage loss and expense.

Equity Mutual contends that as it insured the operator, and INA the owner of the vehicles, its insurance is “excess” and INA’s is “primary” and that Equity Mutual should only be responsible for the bodily injury liability and wrongful death losses in excess of INA’s $300,000 limit, and for none of the property damage loss. Equity Mutual also claims that it should not have to reimburse INA for any of INA’s expenses in defending the claims.

Equity Mutual cites numerous cases such as United States Fidelity & Guaranty Company v. Safeco Insurance Company of America, 522 S.W.2d 809 (Mo. banc 1975), [907]*907contending that there is a “general rule” in Missouri that places primary liability on the insurer of the owner of an automobile rather than insurer of the operator. That rule appears to be often applied when courts are “dealing with the standard automobile liability policy”. 522 S.W.2d at 821. We are not here dealing with two standard automobile liability policies. The INA policy was issued, contemplating that Ryder would rent vehicles to others under rental agreements. We think it more appropriate to decide the question in accordance with the provisions of the applicable policies rather than upon any general rule. Whether the owner’s insurance is primary depends on the policy provisions and the circumstances of the collision. Arditi v. Massachusetts Bonding & Insurance Company, 315 S.W.2d 736, 743 (Mo. 1958).

INA and the trial court put great emphasis on Arditi. There the two insurance policies each contained “other insurance” clauses which purported to make each policy excess. The court determined that those provisions were indistinguishable in meaning and intent, were “mutually repugnant”, and should be disregarded and the loss apportioned between the two companies. 315 S.W.2d at 743. Our decision is based upon the provisions of policies which are different. Arditi held that resort should be made to the specific provisions of the policies involved and we do so here.

The Equity Mutual policy provides:

“6. Other Insurance: The insurance afforded by this policy is primary insurance, except when stated to apply in excess of or contingent upon the absence of other insurance. When this insurance is primary and the insured has other insurance which is stated to be applicable to the loss on an excess or contingent basis, the amount of the company’s liability under this policy shall not be reduced by the existence of such other insurance.
When both this insurance and other insurance apply to the loss on the same basis, whether primary, excess or contingent, the company shall not be liable under this policy for a greater proportion of the loss than that stated in the applicable contribution provision below:
(a) Contribution by Equal Shares. If all of such other valid and collectible insurance provides for contribution by equal shares, the company shall not be liable for a greater proportion of such loss than would be payable if each insurer contributes an equal share until the share of each insurer equals the lowest applicable limit of liability under any one policy or the full amount of the loss is paid, and with respect to any amount of loss not so paid the remaining insurers then continue to contribute equal shares of the remaining amount of the loss until each such insurer has paid its limit in full or the full amount of the loss is paid.
(b) Contribution by Limits.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
602 S.W.2d 904, 1980 Mo. App. LEXIS 2765, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/equity-mutual-insurance-co-v-insurance-co-of-north-america-moctapp-1980.