Goff v. New Amsterdam Casualty Co.

48 N.E.2d 584, 318 Ill. App. 586, 1943 Ill. App. LEXIS 915
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedMay 5, 1943
DocketGen. No. 42,351
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 48 N.E.2d 584 (Goff v. New Amsterdam Casualty Co.) 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
Goff v. New Amsterdam Casualty Co., 48 N.E.2d 584, 318 Ill. App. 586, 1943 Ill. App. LEXIS 915 (Ill. Ct. App. 1943).

Opinion

Mr. Presiding Justice Burke

delivered the opinion of the court.

Miss Josie Edler, who resided at and was employed as a bank teller in New Orleans, was the owner of a black Chevrolet coupe, purchased in April 1935. The , New Amsterdam Casualty Company issued its policy insuring her against loss from the liability imposed by law for damages on account of injuries or death in the operation of the automobile between April 22, 1935 and April 22, 1936. The policy contained what is commonly known as an omnibus or extended coverage clause, making it available to any person while operating the scheduled automobile “provided such use or operation is with the permission of the named assured.” Miss Edler left New Orleans September 28, 1935 and drove her car to Chicago, arriving on October 2, 1935. George D. French, a widower and a resident of New Orleans, arrived in Chicago a few days before Miss Edler. At that time he was engaged in business in Chicago. He owned a green 1934 or 1935 two door Chevrolet sedan. He lived with his four children, Marion, George, William and Frances in the 7200 block on South Shore Drive in Chicago. Miss Edler lived at the Country Club Hotel, 6930 South Shore Drive, Chicago.' They were engaged to be married and she was on a leave of absence from her position with the bank. He kept his car in the Drive-In Garage, 7000 South Shore Drive, and he also drove Miss Edler’s car into the same garage and made arrangements for its storage and upkeep. On Sunday, March 15,1936, while driving Miss Edler’s automobile, Mr. French collided with another automobile driven by George Kellerman, and as a result George Keller-man, Lydia Kellerman and Mr. French were killed, and Alberta Bohnhoff sustained bodily injuries. An administrator was appointed for the estate of George D. French, deceased. The administratrix of the estate of George Kellerman, deceased, brought action and recovered a judgment of $7,000 against the administrator of the estate of George D. French, deceased. The administratrix of the estate of Lydia Kellerman, deceased, brought action and recovered a judgment for $4,000 against the administrator of the estate of George D. French, deceased. Alberta Bohnhoff brought action and recovered a judgment of $9,000 against the ádministrator of the estate of George D. French, deceased. These judgments were entered on June 9, 1939. After the institution of the actions the administrator of the estate of George D. French, deceased, delivered to the casualty company the three summonses in such actions and requested it to defend under the terms and conditions of the policy issued to Miss Josie Edler. The casualty company caused the appearance and answer of the administrator of the estate of George D. French, deceased, to be entered in each of the actions. The casualty company subsequently advised the administrator of the estate of George D. French, deceased, that the causes of action arising out of the collision were not covered by the policy issued to Miss Edler. Thereupon, the attorneys selected by the casualty company withdrew as counsel for the defendants in each of the cases. The administrator of the estate of George D. French, deceased, filed his amended complaint in the superior court of Cook county against the New Amsterdam Casualty Company, a corporation, alleging that the defendant wrongfully breached the terms of the policy by failing and refusing to defend the actions mentioned and by failing and refusing to pay the judgments; and asked damages in the sum of $20,000, plus interest at the rate of 5 per cent per annum from June 9,1939. Issue was joined and the case was tried before the court and a jury, resulting in a verdict for the plaintiff in the sum of $22,658.10. Motions by the defendant for a directed verdict, for a judgment non obstante veredicto and for a new trial were overruled and judgment was entered on the verdict, to reverse which this appeal is prosecuted.

Plaintiff’s theory of the case is that George D. French had implied permission of the assured, Josie Edler, to operate her automobile on the day the accident occurred and that therefore the insurance extended to George D. French as an additional assured - under the provisions of the omnibus coverage clause. Defendant’s theory of the case is that the assured, under the policy of insurance, was Miss Josie Edler and that George D. French, at the time and place of the operation of her automobile, was not an assured under the policy; that the evidence clearly and without any contradiction shows that the car of Josie Edler was driven by George D. French at the time and place of the accident without her knowledge, consent or permission, and that defendant was under no obligation to defend the suit brought against the administrator of the estate of George D. French, or to pay any judgments rendered against him on account of the accident.

Asserting that the plaintiff failed to prove the charges of the amended complaint, that the court erred in refusing to direct a verdict in its favor, that the verdict is manifestly against the weight of the evidence, and citing in support of its argument Byrne for use of King v. Continental Casualty Co., 301 Ill. App. 447; Soukup v. Halmel, 357 Ill. 576; Cocos v. American Automobile Ins. Co., 302 Ill. App. 442; People v. Luster, 292 Ill. App. 244, and numerous other cases, defendant asks that the judgment be reversed. Plaintiff insists that the evidence shows that French operated the automobile with the implied permission of the named assured. We agree with the contention of plaintiff that the permission which the policy contemplates need not be expressly given, that it may arise and be implied from a course of conduct and that it may be shown by circumstantial evidence. In order to determine whether there was competent evidence to establish that French had implied permission to use Miss Edler’s car on the day of the fatal collision, we have carefully read the transcript of the testimony. Three depositions were read to the jury, two of which were given by Miss Edler, and one witness appeared in person. The first deposition of Miss Edler was taken at New Orleans at the instance of defendant on January 7, 1940, and the second deposition was taken at the instance of plaintiff at New Orleans on January 2, 1942. The deposition of Frances French, daughter of George D. French, deceased, was taken at New Orleans on July 24, 1941. The only witness called by plaintiff who testified in open court was William Yule. In her second deposition, which was read to the jury as part of plaintiff’s case, Miss Edler testified that she did not see her automobile on the day of the accident. The last time she saw the automobile prior to the accident was about March 13, 1936. Asked as to who made arrangements for the storing of her car at the Drive-In Garage, she answered that Mr. French drove it in for her. He drove the car into the garage “and asked them how much it would be and they told him.” She went over there several days after the car was driven into the garage “and told them I wanted my car and they let me have it”; that the car was stored in that garage from October 5, 1935 until the day of the collision. Asked as to who paid the bills for the storage of the car, she answered that she did. She further answered; “I did not pay the amount. I would give Mr. French the money and he would pay them for it whenever it was due.” The first day or two after she arrived in Chicago the car was stored in a garage near the Congress Hotel. After that it was always stored in the Drive-In Garage.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
48 N.E.2d 584, 318 Ill. App. 586, 1943 Ill. App. LEXIS 915, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/goff-v-new-amsterdam-casualty-co-illappct-1943.