Fuller v. Snyder

752 N.E.2d 1212, 323 Ill. App. 3d 303, 257 Ill. Dec. 32, 2001 Ill. App. LEXIS 503
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedJune 28, 2001
Docket4-00-0253
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 752 N.E.2d 1212 (Fuller v. Snyder) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fuller v. Snyder, 752 N.E.2d 1212, 323 Ill. App. 3d 303, 257 Ill. Dec. 32, 2001 Ill. App. LEXIS 503 (Ill. Ct. App. 2001).

Opinions

JUSTICE MYERSCOUGH

delivered the opinion of the court:

In July 1998, Francis Fuller sued Dale Snyder for personal injuries resulting from a two-car accident. Snyder was driving a loaner vehicle owned by Hurley Dodge (Hurley), an automotive dealership. Universal Underwriters Insurance Company (Universal) insured Hurley’s vehicles. Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate) provided Snyder’s automobile insurance. In February 1999, Allstate filed a declaratory judgment action against Universal, seeking a declaration that Universal’s garage liability insurance policy provided sole primary coverage. In November 1999, Universal filed a counterclaim for declaratory judgment, seeking reimbursement for Allstate’s prorated share of the personal injury settlement. Both Allstate and Universal filed motions for summary judgment. In January 2000, the trial court granted Allstate’s motion, concluding that Universal was primarily obligated to defend Snyder and that the limits of the Universal policy were $500,000. We allowed Universal’s motion to file a late notice of appeal. We affirm.

I. BACKGROUND

On appeal, the following facts are undisputed. In September 1997, Snyder was a permissive user of a vehicle owned by Hurley when it collided with a truck being driven by Francis Fuller and containing a passenger, Charles Fuller. The collision caused property damage and personal injuries to the Fullers. Universal initially refused Allstate’s tender of Snyder’s defense. Allstate settled the property damage claim for $1,600. Universal settled the personal injury claims for $50,000. Allstate incurred $11,034.50 in defending Snyder.

However, Universal’s brief states that Snyder was test-driving Hurley’s truck while Allstate’s brief notes that Hurley was repairing Snyder’s own vehicle. Universal’s brief cites an agreed statement of facts, which states, “Snyder, with permission, took possession as a loaner vehicle a 1992 Dodge Dakota truck owned by Hurley Dodge.” Nothing in the record on appeal indicates that Snyder was test-driving. Accordingly, we consider Snyder’s vehicle to have been a loaner from Hurley.

Snyder’s insurance with Allstate had policy limits of $300,000 for bodily injury per person, $500,000 for bodily injury per occurrence, and $100,000 for property damage per occurrence. Allstate’s policy had an “other insurance” clause that provided that its insurance would be excess over other collectible insurance.

Hurley was a named insured in Universal’s $500,000 garage liability policy, which stated:

“WE will pay all sums the INSURED legally must pay as DAMAGES *** because of INJURY to which this insurance applies caused by an OCCURRENCE arising out of GARAGE OPERATIONS or AUTO HAZARD.”

Universal’s policy included the following in “who is an insured” under the auto hazard:

“(4) any other person or organization required by law to be an INSURED while using an AUTO covered by this [c]overage [p]art within the scope of YOUR permission.”

However, the policy provided the following limitation:

“With respect to the AUTO HAZARD part (4) of WHO IS AN INSURED, the most WE will pay is that portion of such limit needed to comply with the minimum, limits provision law in the jurisdiction where the OCCURRENCE took place. When there is other insurance applicable, WE will pay only the amount needed to comply with such minimum limits after such other insurance has been exhausted.” (Emphasis added.)

Finally, the Universal policy had an “other insurance” clause, which provided as follows:

“The insurance afforded by this [c]overage [p]art is primary, except it is excess:

***

(2) for any person or organization under part (3) or (4) of WHO IS AN INSURED with respect to the AUTO HAZARD.”

In February 1999, Allstate filed this declaratory judgment action, arguing that it was not primarily obligated to defend Snyder and seeking judgment from Universal for the costs of Snyder’s defense. In October 1999, Allstate filed a motion for summary judgment. Universal also moved for summary judgment in October 1999. In November 1999, Universal filed a counterclaim against Allstate, seeking reimbursement for Allstate’s prorated share of a $50,000 personal injury settlement between Universal and the Fullers. Universal also filed a motion for summary judgment on the counterclaim. In January 2000, the trial court denied both of Universal’s motions for summary judgment and granted Allstate’s motion. Universal appealed.

II. ANALYSIS

A. Standard of Review

•1 The interpretation of an insurance policy is a question of law. Outboard Marine Corp. v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., 154 Ill. 2d 90, 108, 607 N.E.2d 1204, 1212 (1992). As a question of law, our review of the trial court’s granting of summary judgment is de nova. Outboard Marine, 154 Ill. 2d at 102, 607 N.E.2d at 1209. In construing the terms of an insurance policy, a court must afford the policy language its plain and ordinary meaning if the words are unambiguous. Lincoln Logan Mutual Insurance Co. v. Fornshell, 309 Ill. App. 3d 479, 483, 722 N.E.2d 239, 242 (1999). We will apply unambiguous terms as written unless they contravene public policy. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. v. Villicana, 181 Ill. 2d 436, 442, 692 N.E.2d 1196, 1199 (1998).

B. Sole Primary Coverage

Universal acknowledges that it was primarily obligated to defend Snyder under the supreme court’s recent holding in State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. v. Universal Underwriters Group, 182 Ill. 2d 240, 695 N.E.2d 848 (1998), and our recent decision in Pekin Insurance Co. v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co., 305 Ill. App. 3d 417, 711 N.E.2d 1227 (1999). However, Universal claims that those cases did not address the issue whether Allstate also has primary coverage as a result of mutually repugnant “other insurance” clauses in the policies.

Universal relies on the First District’s opinion in Universal Underwriters Insurance Group v. Griffin, 287 Ill. App. 3d 61, 677 N.E.2d 1321 (1997), which predated State Farm. The approach in Griffin examined the “other insurance” clauses in each policy. Griffin, 287 Ill. App. 3d at 74, 677 N.E.2d at 1330. Universal’s “excess-escape” clause restricted its liability to the extent that its own limits exceeded the limits of other available insurance, and the court found it to be enforceable. Griffin, 287 Ill. App.

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Fuller v. Snyder
752 N.E.2d 1212 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2001)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
752 N.E.2d 1212, 323 Ill. App. 3d 303, 257 Ill. Dec. 32, 2001 Ill. App. LEXIS 503, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fuller-v-snyder-illappct-2001.