Geico General Insurance Company v. Dusti Dawn Howard, Pat Howard, and wife Penne Howard
This text of Geico General Insurance Company v. Dusti Dawn Howard, Pat Howard, and wife Penne Howard (Geico General Insurance Company v. Dusti Dawn Howard, Pat Howard, and wife Penne Howard) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.
Opinion
I N THE COURT OF APPEALS OF TENNESSEE
EASTERN SECTI ON FILED March 6, 1996
Cecil Crowson, Jr. Appellate C ourt Clerk
GEI CO GENERAL I NSURANCE ) C/ A NO. 03A01- 9511- CH- 0040 8 COM PANY, ) ) ANDERSON CHANCERY Pl a i nt i f f - Appe l l e e , ) ) HON. W LLI AM E. LANTRI P, I v. ) CHANCELLOR ) DUSTI DAW HOW N ARD, PAT HOW ARD ) a n d wi f e PENNE HOW ARD, RAY ) GABRI ELLE COX, a nd J OHN P. ) HOW ARD a nd wi f e M ARI A S. ) HOW ARD, ) VACATED ) AND De f e nda nt s - Appe l l a nt s . ) REMANDED
_ _ _ _ _ _ __________________ ______________
THE FARM ERS AUTOMOBI LE ) C/ A NO. 03A01- 9511- CH- 0040 7 I NSURANCE ASSOCI ATI ON, AN ) I LLI NOI S CORPORATI ON, ) ) Pl a i nt i f f - Appe l l e e , ) ) v. ) ) DUSTI DAW HOW N ARD, PAT HOW ARD ) a n d wi f e , PENNE HOW ARD, RAY ) GABRI ELLE COX, a nd J OHN P. ) HOW ARD a nd wi f e , M ARI A S. ) HOW ARD, ) VACATED ) AND De f e nda nt s - Appe l l a nt s . ) REMANDED
J . W LLI AM COLEY, HODGES DOUGHTY & CARSON, Knoxvi l l e , f or I Pl a i n t i f f - Appe l l e e , GEI CO Ge ne r a l I ns ur a nc e Compa ny of Ame r i c a .
ROGER L. RI DENOUR, Cl i nt on, f or De f e nda nt - Appe l l a nt , Ra y Ga b r i e l l e Cox.
W CLARK M . EREDI TH, J OYCE, M EREDI TH, FLI TCROFT & NORM AND, Oa k Ri d g e , f or De f e nda nt s - Ap pe l l a nt s , Dus t i Da wn Howa r d, Pa t Ho wa r d , a nd Pe nne Howa r d. ROBERT M . CHEM ERS a nd J OHN M M GREGOR, PRETZEL & STOUFFER, . c CHARTERED, Chi c a go, I l l i noi s , a nd ROCKFORDE D. KI NG, EGERTON, M AFEE, ARM STEAD & DAVI S, c I Kn o x v i l l e , f or Pl a i nt i f f - Appe l l e e , The Fa r me r s Aut omobi l e I n s u r a nc e As s oc i a t i on.
O P I N I O N
Fr a nks . J .
The s e de c l a r a t or y j udgme nt a c t i ons a r os e a s a r e s u l t
o f a s i ngl e c a r a c c i de nt .
GEI CO Ge ne r a l I ns u r a nc e Compa ny of Ame r i c a ( " GEI CO" )
h a d i s s ue d a f a mi l y a ut o mobi l e i ns ur a nc e pol i c y t o Er ne s t P.
Ho wa r d , a nd t he Fa r me r s Aut omobi l e I ns ur a nc e Compa ny
As s o c i a t i on ( " Fa r me r s " ) ha d i s s ue d a pol i c y of i ns ur a nc e t o
J o h n P. Howa r d. Bot h po l i c i e s we r e i n f or c e a t t he t i me of
t h e a c c i de nt .
The i ns ur a nc e c ompa ni e s s ought a de c l a r a t i on t ha t
n e i t h e r pol i c y pr ovi de d c ove r a ge t o Dus t i Da wn Howa r d f or t h e
a c c i d e nt . The Tr i a l Cour t de t e r mi ne d t he r e we r e no di s put e d
i s s u e s of ma t e r i a l f a c t a nd gr a nt e d bot h i ns ur a nc e c ompa ni e s
s u mma r y j udgme nt , on t he ba s i s t ha t Dus t i , da ught e r of Er ne s t
P. a n d Pe nne Howa r d, ha d not be e n gi ve n pe r mi s s i on t o ope r a t e
2 t h e 1 992 For d Ae r os t a r .
The undi s put e d f a c t s a r e t ha t on Augus t 16, 1993,
Du s t i wa s dr i vi ng t he 1992 For d Ae r os t a r owne d by he r Aunt a n d
Un c l e , J ohn P. a nd M r i a S. Howa r d, whe n s he wa s i nvol ve d i n a a
s i n g l e mot or ve hi c l e a c c i de nt . J ohn a nd M r i a we r e vi s i t i n g a
t h e Er ne s t Howa r ds ( hi s br ot he r ) i n Te nne s s e e , a t t he t i me o f
t h e a c c i de nt . J ohn a nd M r i a a nd Er ne s t a nd hi s wi f e Pe nne a
h a d g o ne t o Ga t l i nbur g, Te nne s s e e on a n out i ng t ha t a f t e r no o n ,
a n d J ohn l e f t hi s ve hi c l e a t Er ne s t ' s home , a l ong wi t h t he i r
t wo s ma l l c hi l dr e n, whe r e Dus t i wa s r e s pons i bl e f or t he c a r e
o f t h e c hi l dr e n.
On t he mor ni ng of Augus t 16, Dus t i ha d a c c ompa ni e d
M r i a t o a s hoppi ng ma l l wi t h M r i a ope r a t i ng t he va n. a a As t o
t hi s t r i p, Dus t i t e s t i f i e d t hus :
Q. Dus t i , di d you ha ve a c onve r s a t i on wi t h your Aunt M r i a on t he oc c a s i on of goi ng t o t he ma l l a t ha t da y?
A. Ye s .
Q. And woul d you t e l l us wha t t ha t c onve r s a t i on wa s r e ga r di ng t he ve hi c l e you we r e i n?
A. She t ol d - - s he a s ke d me - - we we r e a t M Dona l d' s a nd we we r e goi ng t o be on our wa y c ba c k home , s he a s ke d me i f I ' d l i ke t o dr i ve t he va n. 1
Q. And wha t wa s your r e s pons e a t t ha t t i me ?
A. I t ol d he r t ha t , no, I di d not .
Q. And ha d your pa r e nt s a t a ny t i me or your a un t a nd unc l e put a ny r e s t r i c t i ons on you a t a ny t i me t ha t you' r e a wa r e of i n t he ge ne r a l us e of ve hi c l e s ?
1 Th i s a c c o u n t i s d i s p ut e d by M r i a . a
3 A. No.
Dus t i , i n h e r a f f i da vi t , f ur t he r e xpl a i ne d:
La t e r t ha t da y, my pa r e nt s , a unt a nd unc l e de c i de d t o s pe nd t he r e ma i nde r of t he da y i n Ga t l i nbur g. I t wa s a l s o de t e r mi ne d t ha t I wa s t o ba bys i t my younge r c ous i ns whi l e t he y we r e gone . No di s c us s i ons c onc e r ni ng wha t t he c hi l dr e n a nd I c o u l d or c oul d not d o oc c ur r e d. I wa s not t ol d wha t t i me t he y woul d r e t ur n home .
As my pa r e nt s , a unt a nd unc l e we r e l e a vi ng, my unc l e t os s e d t he ke ys t o hi s va n t o me , a s ki ng t h a t I c l os e t he wi ndows i f r a i n be ga n. No ot he r i ns t r uc t i ons c onc e r ni ng t he va n we r e gi ve n. I be l i e ve d a t t ha t t i me a nd l a t e r , I ha d pe r mi s s i on t o dr i ve t he va n.
The Fa r me r s pol i c y i ns ur i ng J ohn Howa r d' s va n,
c o n t a i ns t he f ol l owi ng e xc l us i on:
( a) W do not pr ovi de l i a bi l i t y c ove r a ge f or a ny e pe r s on: . . .
( b) Us i ng a ve hi c l e wi t hout a r e a s ona bl e be l i e f t ha t t ha t pe r s on i s e nt i t l e d t o do s o.
The GEI CO pol i c y i s s ue d t o Er ne s t wi t h r e ga r d t o a
n o n - o wne d ve hi c l e pr ovi de s c ove r a ge t o:
You a nd your r e l a t i ve s whe n us i ng a pr i va t e pa s s e nge r a ut o or t r ai l er . Suc h us e mus t be wi t h t he pe r mi s s i on, or r e a s ona bl e be l i e f t o be wi t h t h e pe r mi s s i on, of t he owne r a nd wi t hi n t he s c ope of t ha t pe r mi s s i on;
a n d GEI CO' s uni ns ur e d mot or i s t c ove r a ge pol i c y pr ovi s i on,
p r o v i de s :
But t he t e r m " i ns ur e d a ut o" doe s not i nc l ude :
. . . ( i i ) a n a ut o be i ng us e d wi t hout t he owne r ' s pe r mi s s i on; .
A s umma r y j ud gme nt pr oc e e di ng i s " not i n a ny s e ns e
t o b e vi e we d a s a s ubs t i t ut e f or a t r i a l of di s put e d f a c t ua l
i s s ue s " . Ev c o Cor por at i on v . Ros s , 528 S. W 2d 20, 25 ( Te nn . .
4 1975) . W r e t he r e i s a di s put e a s t o a ny ma t e r i a l f a c t , o r he
d o u b t a s t o t he c onc l us i ons t o be dr a wn f r om t ha t f a c t , a
mo t i o n f or s umma r y j udgme nt i s not a ppr opr i a t e . By r d v . Hal l ,
8 4 7 S. W 2d 208 ( Te nn. 1993) . .
I n t hi s a c t i on, t he r e a r e di s put e d i s s ue s of
ma t e r i a l f a c t a nd t he i n f e r e nc e s whi c h ma y be dr a wn f r om
e vi de nc e . None of t he r e por t e d c a s e s i n t hi s j ur i s di c t i on
c i t e d by t he pa r t i e s i s c ont r ol l i ng, s i nc e t hos e c a s e s do n o t
c o n s i d e r t he l a ngua ge c ont a i ne d i n t he s e pol i c i e s . The
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Geico General Insurance Company v. Dusti Dawn Howard, Pat Howard, and wife Penne Howard, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/geico-general-insurance-company-v-dusti-dawn-howar-tennctapp-1996.