Figard v. Pa. National Mutual Casualty Co.

42 Pa. D. & C.3d 593, 1986 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 236
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Somerset County
DecidedDecember 22, 1986
Docketno. 176 Civil 1985
StatusPublished

This text of 42 Pa. D. & C.3d 593 (Figard v. Pa. National Mutual Casualty Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Somerset County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Figard v. Pa. National Mutual Casualty Co., 42 Pa. D. & C.3d 593, 1986 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 236 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1986).

Opinion

FIKE, J.,

This case is before the court on motions for summary judgment filed by plaintiff and by defendant, Nationwide Insurance Company.

Plaintiff filed a petition for declaratory judgment against the defendant insurance companies,, to determine plaintiff’s right to be compensated under the Pennsylvania No-fault Motor Vehicle Insurance Act1 (hereinafter No-fault Act) for.injuries plaintiff received on January 24, 1985, when he was struck by a passing automobile, as plaintiff was standing outside and behind a vehicle in which he had been a passenger.

Elsie Peracchio was the driver of the automobile in which plaintiff had been riding as a passenger. The Peracchio vehicle was insured by defendant, Pennsylvania National Mutual Casualty Insurance Company, (hereinafter PNI). An individual by the name of Kirmeyer was the driver of the automobile that struck plaintiff. The Kirmeyer vehicle was insured by defendant, Nationwide Insurance Com[595]*595pany, (hereinafter Nationwide). At the time of the accident, a tow truck was also present in the vicinity. The tow truck was operated by James Weaver. The Weaver vehicle was insured by PNI.

The declaratory judgment action named PNI, as the insurer of the Peracchio vehicle, and Nationwide, as the insurer of the Kirmeyer vehicle, as original defendants. Subsequently, Nationwide joined PNI as an additional defendant, as insurer of the Weaver tow truck vehicle, asserting that the Kirmeyer vehicle was also involved and possibly liable for payment of benefits.

Defendant, PNI, responded to the complaint by filing preliminary objections, claiming, inter alia, that plaintiffs complaint failed to aver facts sufficient to establish that PNI, as the insurer of the Peracchio vehicle, was the applicable security under section 204(a) of the No-fault Act. More specifically, PNI’s preliminary objections claimed that plaintiffs complaint did not aver facts sufficient to show that plaintiff was an insured, or the driver or other occupant of a motor vehicle, under the No-fault Act, section 204(a) and that plaintiff, therefore, must look to Nationwide as the carrier for the Kirmeyer vehicle which actually struck plaintiff, as the applicable security under section 204(a)(4). PNI’s brief in support of its preliminary objections stated the issue to be whether plaintiff was an occupant for purposes of section 204(a)(4) of the No-fault Act. In the court’s opinion on PNI’s preliminary objection, the issue presented by those preliminary objections was stated by the court as follows: “When an uninsured passenger in a motor vehicle exits that vehicle after it becomes lodged in a snowbank on the berm of a highway, and then is struck and injured by an oncoming vehicle, while trying to free his vehicle from the snow, is the no-[596]*596fault carrier for the vehicle of which he was a passenger hable under section 204(a)(3) of the Pennsylvania No-fault Motor Vehicle Insurance Act?” Answer to this issue turned upon whether plaintiff, when struck, could have been considered an “occupant” of the vehicle in which he had been riding as a passenger, even though he was not physically present in'that vehicle at the time of the impact. Judge Shaulis of this court decided that plaintiffs complaint did aver facts sufficient, if proved, to establish that plaintiff was an occupant under section 204(a)(3) of the act and overruled PNI’s preliminary objections. Slip opinion of Norman A. Shaulis, P.J., July 30, 1985.

Nationwide filed an answer and new matter in response to plaintiffs complaint. PNI. filed an answer to plaintiffs complaint, an answer and new matter in response to Nationwide’s complaint against PNI as additional defendant, and a reply to the new matter in Nationwide’s answer. Nationwide has also filed a reply to PNI’s new matter.

The parties have taken the depositions of Peracchio, the operator of the automobile in which plaintiff was riding; Kirmeyer, the operator of the automobile which struck plaintiff; Weaver, the operator of the tow truck; an individual by the name of Baker, who happened upon the scene and assisted in trying to remove the Peracchio vehicle from the snowbank; and plaintiff himself, all of which are of record.

Plaintiff and Nationwide now argue for summary judgment, claiming that the record as now constituted compels the legal conclusion that plaintiff was an “occupant” (within the legal definition of that term) of the Peracchio vehicle at the time of impact, and that PNI, the insurer of the Peracchio véhicle, [597]*597is therefore, responsible for paying plaintiffs claim under section 204(a)(3) of the No-fault Act.

Plaintiff also argues alternatively that if it should be determined as a matter of law that plaintiff was not still an occupant of the Peracchio vehicle at the time of impact so as to fall within section 204(a)(3), the Peracchio vehicle nevertheless is an “involved” vehicle under section 204(a)(4) and that PNI, as the carrier to whom claim was first made, is obliged to pay plaintiffs claim now under section 204(b), and then to seek contribution from Nationwide.

PNI argues that, at the least, the existence of a dispute over material issues of fact precludes summary judgment for either plaintiff or Nationwide.

Although not filing a motion for summary judgment, PNI also argues that, in fact, summary judgment should be entered in its favor. PNI claims that the facts show as a matter of law that plaintiff was not an occupant of the Peracchio automobile, that the Peracchio vehicle was not involved in the accident, and that Nationwide, as the insurer of the Kirmeyer vehicle which actually struck plaintiff, is solely responsible to pay plaintiffs claim.

The record reveals the following

FACTS

On January 24, 1985, shortly after 3:00 p.m., plaintiff and Elsie Peracchio left Seven Springs and drove to Rockwood. Peracchio drove her automobile. Plaintiff was a passenger. At about 5:00 or 6:00 p.m., plaintiff and Peracchio began their return trip from Rockwood to Seven Springs. When they were near Seven Springs, as they traveled in a generally westerly direction, on a legislative route in Middlecreek Township, the Peracchio automobile was crowded off the road into a snowbank along the northerly side of the road, where it became stuck. [598]*598The Peracchio automobile was parallel with the road and facing westerly.

Plaintiff got out of the car and attempted to free the vehicle from the snowbank.

Shortly thereafter, Paul Baker passed by, parked his vehicle some distance from the scene, and returned and assisted plaintiff and Peracchio in their attempts to free the Peracchio automobile.

A tow truck operated by James Weaver passed by on its way to Seven Springs and Weaver observed the stranded Peracchio automobile.

Baker, Figard and Peracchio continued to attempt to dislodge the Peracchio automobile but were not able to move it at all.

Attempts to free the automobile were suspended and Baker and plaintiff stood behind the Peracchio vehicle talking. Discussions centered on obtaining assistance in getting the car out of the snowbank.

Baker and plaintiff had discontinued their attempts to move the vehicle and were standing behind the car between 15 minutes and 20 minutes to one-half hour, when the tow truck came by again on its return from Seven Springs. Baker and plaintiff were standing anywhere from 2 to 3 feet to 10 feet behind the car.

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Bluebook (online)
42 Pa. D. & C.3d 593, 1986 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 236, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/figard-v-pa-national-mutual-casualty-co-pactcomplsomers-1986.