Federal Insurance v. National Distributing Co.

417 S.E.2d 671, 203 Ga. App. 763, 1992 Ga. App. LEXIS 619
CourtCourt of Appeals of Georgia
DecidedMarch 10, 1992
DocketA91A1709, A91A1710
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 417 S.E.2d 671 (Federal Insurance v. National Distributing Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Federal Insurance v. National Distributing Co., 417 S.E.2d 671, 203 Ga. App. 763, 1992 Ga. App. LEXIS 619 (Ga. Ct. App. 1992).

Opinion

Beasley, Judge.

National Distributing Company sued its commercial umbrella liability insurer, Federal Insurance Company, for refusing to indemnify it against a punitive damage claim, asserted against National in litigation in Florida arising from the commission of a tort in Florida. In Case No. A91A1709, Federal appeals the trial court’s grant of National’s motion for partial summary judgment and its denial of Federal’s motion for summary judgment. In Case No. A91A1710, National cross-appeals the trial court’s failure to enter judgment in stated monetary amounts for various damage claims asserted by National against Federal.

The facts

National, a wholesale distributor of alcoholic beverages, is a Georgia corporation with its principal place of business in Atlanta. Federal is a New Jersey corporation transacting business in Georgia through an Atlanta office. National’s one-year policy with Federal became effective on April 1, 1983. Oberdorfer, an independent insurance agency with its office in Atlanta, solicited and negotiated the policy with Federal through telephone conversations, with all parties physically present in Atlanta. The policy was delivered to National in Atlanta, National sent a check for the premium payment to Oberdorfer in Atlanta, and Oberdorfer forwarded the premium payment to Federal in Atlanta.

The insurance policy names National as the insured, Federal as the umbrella insurer, and Fireman’s Fund as the primary or underlying insurance carrier. An endorsement names 36 additional “named [764]*764Insureds” located in Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, California, and Colorado. Most of the additional named insureds are distributing companies. Seven of the named insureds are located in Florida.

In 1984, William Cason, a Florida resident, was employed by National as a salesman in the area of Pensacola, Florida. He solicited orders from bars, lounges, restaurants, and package stores in the Pensacola area and transmitted these orders to National’s central computer center in Jacksonville. In turn, the orders were conveyed to National’s warehouse in Pensacola, which shipped the liquor and invoices to the Florida buyers.

On March 20, 1984, Cason caused an automobile accident near Destín, Florida, in which Helen Hurst and others were injured. At the time of the accident Hurst was a college student residing in Georgia, and she is still a Georgia resident. She brought suit in Florida against National, Cason, and Gordon Davis, who was Cason’s sales manager. The Hurst suit, and others arising from this automobile accident, were defended by Fireman’s Fund.

Hurst sought punitive damages against National on grounds that it was vicariously liable for Cason’s aggravated conduct and that it was directly liable for its own aggravated conduct in hiring and/or retaining Cason. However, “Florida public policy prohibits liability insurance coverage for punitive damages assessed against a person because of his own wrongful conduct. [Cits.] The Florida policy of allowing punitive damages to punish and deter those guilty of aggravated misconduct would be frustrated if such damages were covered by liability insurance.” U. S. Concrete Pipe Co. v. Bould, 437 S2d 1061, 1064 (3) (Fla. 1983). For this reason, Federal notified National that it would not be liable for any direct punitive damages awarded Hurst in the Florida litigation, although there might be coverage for imposition of punitive damages based on vicarious liability. Federal suggested that National obtain independent counsel in the Hurst case, which National did.

On the advice of independent counsel, National settled Hurst’s direct punitive damage claim for $1 million on April 23, 1987. At that time, National’s primary liability insurance had been exhausted. Under the settlement agreement, National was to pay Hurst the sum of $200,000 upon execution of the agreement and thereafter the sum of $50,000 quarterly, plus interest on the unpaid balance at 7.5 percent per annum, for four consecutive years until payment of the principal sum of $1,000,000. She later settled her remaining damage claims against National and its employees for $3 million, which was paid by Federal. Payments under the settlement agreement have been made to Hurst in Georgia.

On February 9, 1990, National instituted this action against Fed[765]*765eral, alleging that it had made demand on Federal to indemnify it for payment of the $1 million to Hurst, and its failure and refusal to do so constituted a breach of contract, wherefore National sought reimbursement for: sums paid to Hurst to date (which totalled $864,883 in principal and interest), sums to be paid her in the future, pre-judgment and post-judgment interest, statutory bad faith penalties, and attorney fees incurred in the Hurst action and in this action.

Federal filed a motion for summary judgment on grounds that Florida tort law applies to the present controversy and under Florida law a defendant is prohibited, as a matter of public policy, from obtaining reimbursement or indemnification for punitive damages resulting from the defendant’s own wilful or wanton acts; alternatively, if Georgia law applies, the insuring of punitive damages is currently against Georgia public policy.

National filed a cross-motion for partial summary judgment on grounds that it is entitled to judgment as a matter of law on all issues arising out of this litigation except the issue of its entitlement to recovery of reasonable attorney fees in prosecuting this action.

The law

The traditional method of resolving choice-of-law issues is through a tripartite set of rules, which are lex loci contractus, lex loci delicti, and lex fori. Under the rule of lex. loci contractus, the validity, nature, construction, and interpretation of a contract are governed by the substantive law of the state where the contract was made, except that where the contract is made in one state and is to be performed in another state, the substantive law of the state where the contract is performed will apply. General Elec. Credit Corp. v. Home Indem. Co., 168 Ga. App. 344, 349 (2) (309 SE2d 152) (1983). Under the rule of lex loci delicti, tort cases are governed by the substantive law of the state where the tort was committed. Ohio Southern Express Co. v. Beeler, 110 Ga. App. 867, 868 (1) (140 SE2d 235) (1965). Under the rule of lex fori, procedural or remedial questions are governed by the law of the forum, the state in which the action is brought. Menendez v. Perishable Distrib., 254 Ga. 300 (329 SE2d 149) (1985).

In lieu of the lex loci contractus rule, the Restatement (Second) of Conflicts, § 188 (1971) applies a multi-factor “center of gravity” or “grouping of contacts” test, which takes into consideration: the place of contracting; the place of negotiation; the place of performance; the location of the subject matter of the contract; and the domicile, residence, nationality, place of incorporation and place of business of the parties. In several jurisdictions, including Georgia and Florida, the Restatement approach has been rejected so far and the traditional method retained. General Tel. Co. of the Southeast v. Trimm, 252 [766]*766Ga. 95 (311 SE2d 460) (1984); Sturiano v. Brooks, 523 S2d 1126, 1128 (4, 5) (Fla. 1988).

Even if an application of these rules renders the law of another state applicable, the forum, within constitutional limits, is not required to give the law of another state extra-territorial effect.

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Fed. Ins. Co. v. NAT. DISTRIBUTING CO. INC.
417 S.E.2d 671 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1992)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
417 S.E.2d 671, 203 Ga. App. 763, 1992 Ga. App. LEXIS 619, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/federal-insurance-v-national-distributing-co-gactapp-1992.