Ferqueron v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance

610 S.E.2d 184, 271 Ga. App. 572, 2005 Fulton County D. Rep. 418, 2005 Ga. App. LEXIS 108
CourtCourt of Appeals of Georgia
DecidedFebruary 10, 2005
DocketA04A1712
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 610 S.E.2d 184 (Ferqueron v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance) 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
Ferqueron v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance, 610 S.E.2d 184, 271 Ga. App. 572, 2005 Fulton County D. Rep. 418, 2005 Ga. App. LEXIS 108 (Ga. Ct. App. 2005).

Opinion

SMITH, Presiding Judge.

This appeal arises out of the trial court’s order reducing a jury verdict in favor of plaintiff Ronnie O’Neal Ferqueron by the amount of workers’ compensation benefits paid or owed to Ferqueron. Because Ferqueron agreed to use the general verdict form about which *573 he now complains, and because we cannot conclude from the incomplete record before us that the trial court erred in reducing the judgment, we affirm.

Ferqueron brought this action against Benito Hernandez for injuries Ferqueron received in a motor vehicle collision. Ferqueron settled with Hernandez’s insurance carrier under a limited liability release for its policy limits of $15,000. Ferqueron was driving his employer’s vehicle at the time of the collision and either received or was owed workers’ compensation benefits totaling $33,044.68. Ferqueron was an insured under three policies issued by State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company. The policies provided UM coverage totaling $45,000. In addition, Ferqueron was an insured under a policy issued by Zurich-American Insurance Company, which covered the vehicle Ferqueron was driving at the time of the collision. That policy provided UM coverage of $40,000. Both insurance companies filed answers to Ferqueron’s complaint. It is undisputed that State Farm was the primary carrier.

The case proceeded to trial, with the jury awarding Ferqueron damages of $50,000. The trial court reduced the jury’s verdict by $15,000, the amount of the previously entered limited liability release. The $15,000 reduction is not a subject of this appeal. On motion by the insurers, the trial court concluded that the insurers were entitled to an offset for the amount of workers’ compensation benefits paid to Ferqueron. The court then entered judgment in Ferqueron’s favor in the amount of $1,955.32 and concluded that Zurich was discharged from the action. Ferqueron appeals, arguing that the verdict was improperly reduced by the amount of workers’ compensation benefits. He more specifically contends that “[t]he general verdict form precluded the trial court from determining what ‘sums’ the jury was paying plaintiff for medical expense, lost earnings and pain and suffering.”

The policies issued by State Farm provided for payment of damages arising from injuries caused by the driver of an uninsured or underinsured vehicle. Under the section entitled “Limits of Liability,” the policies also recite as follows: “Any amount payable under this coverage shall be reduced by any amount paid or payable to or for the insured: a. under any worker’s compensation, disability benefits, or similar law; or b. under any policy of property insurance.”

It is axiomatic that “[w]hen the language of a policy is unambiguous and capable of but one reasonable construction, we enforce the contract as written.” (Citation and footnote omitted.) Crafter v. State Farm Ins. Co., 251 Ga. App. 642, 644 (554 SE2d 571) (2001). The language in the policies issued to Ferqueron unambiguously provides to State Farm a setoff for workers’ compensation benefits paid to an insured. We have held that such setoffs are permissible. As stated in *574 Northbrook &c. Ins. Co. v. Merchant, 215 Ga. App. 273, 276 (450 SE2d 425) (1994), “[t]he unambiguous terms of the policies] at issue provide for the offset of uninsured motorist benefits based upon the workers’ compensation benefits to which the insureds are entitled, and this limitation in liability is not precluded by statute or contrary to the public policy of this State.”

Acknowledging that similar setoff language has been approved generally in cases such as Northbrook, Ferqueron contends that the setoff was inappropriate here pursuant to language in the uninsured motorist statute, OCGA§ 33-7-11 (a) (1). That subsection requires an uninsured insurance carrier to “pay the insured all sums which said insured shall be legally entitled to recover as damages from the owner or operator of an uninsured motor vehicle.” (Emphasis supplied.) Id. He further contends that this case is analogous to workers’ compensation subrogation cases, in which the employer or insurer must establish that an injured employee has been “fully and completely compensated” pursuant to OCGA § 34-9-11.1 (b). Ferqueron also argues that the reduction of his verdict was erroneous because a general verdict form was used, rather than a special verdict form that broke down the verdict into damages for medical expenses, lost earnings, and pain and suffering. As best we can understand Ferqueron’s arguments in four interrelated enumerations of error, he appears to contend that a portion of the jury’s award constituted damages for pain and suffering, and since workers’ compensation benefits do not cover this element of damages, the setoff erroneously denied him “all sums” to which he was entitled.

We cannot agree with Ferqueron that reversal is required on the ground that a general verdict form was used. As shown by the stipulated facts contained in the consolidated pretrial order, Ferqueron was aware that the insurers planned to seek a setoff for money paid under the workers’ compensation settlement. That order further reflects that Ferqueron expressly agreed to the use of a general verdict form. He complained of the form of the verdict only after the insurers moved for a reduction in the verdict. If that verdict failed to specify a certain award for pain and suffering, and if in fact such a breakdown was required so that the trial court, and this court, could determine whether Ferqueron had received “all sums” due him, it was Ferqueron’s duty to bring this to the trial court’s attention “before the jury was excused.” Witty v. McNeal Agency, Inc., 239 Ga. App. 554, 560 (3) (a) (521 SE2d 619) (1999). Ferqueron failed in this regard and cannot now complain. As stated in Schulz v. Sherwinter, 227 Ga. App. 380 (489 SE2d 348) (1997), “[wjhere a party agrees to the manner in which his rights shall be submitted for determination in *575 the trial court, he will not be able to complain on appeal that the proceedings had in conformity thereto were erroneous. [Cit.]” Id. at 381 (1).

In addition to the general verdict form to which Ferqueron consented, the record contains only a limited portion of the trial transcript. Ferqueron himself expressly stated in his notice of appeal that only “[a] partial transcript of evidence and proceedings will be filed for inclusion in the record on appeal.” That partial transcript includes the closing arguments of State Farm’s counsel and a colloquy between the trial court and all counsel in which State Farm’s counsel indicated that he would likely file a motion to reduce the jury’s verdict. Also included are documents that appear to be copies of medical bills and statements issued to Ferqueron. One exhibit attached to the partial transcript indicates medical expenses of $16,921.73.

Even though the partial transcript contains some information concerning the special damages suffered by Ferqueron, we cannot determine from the record before us the complete extent of those damages.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
610 S.E.2d 184, 271 Ga. App. 572, 2005 Fulton County D. Rep. 418, 2005 Ga. App. LEXIS 108, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ferqueron-v-state-farm-mutual-automobile-insurance-gactapp-2005.