Hare v. State

733 So. 2d 277, 1999 WL 145308
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 18, 1999
Docket97-CA-01443-SCT
StatusPublished
Cited by41 cases

This text of 733 So. 2d 277 (Hare v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hare v. State, 733 So. 2d 277, 1999 WL 145308 (Mich. 1999).

Opinion

733 So.2d 277 (1999)

Joseph HARE
v.
STATE of Mississippi and Centra Benefit Services, Inc.

No. 97-CA-01443-SCT.

Supreme Court of Mississippi.

March 18, 1999.
Rehearing Denied May 6, 1999.

*278 Lance L. Stevens, Jackson, Attorney for Appellant.

Office of the Attorney General by T. Hunt Cole, Jr., Attorney for Appellees.

BEFORE PRATHER, C.J., SMITH AND WALLER, JJ.

SMITH, Justice, for the Court:

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

A. Statement of the Facts

¶ 1. On March 31, 1995, Appellant Joseph Hare (hereinafter "Hare") was involved in a motor vehicle accident with an uninsured motorist, Lotoya A. Weaver, in Noxubee County, Mississippi. Hare was a former employee of the Mississippi Forestry Commission who was occupationally disabled at the time of the collision and lost no wages as a result of the accident. Hare was still insured under the Mississippi State and Public School Employees' Health Insurance Plan (the "State Health Plan"), which is funded by the State of Mississippi (the "State") and administered by CENTRA Benefit Services, Inc. ("CENTRA"). Miss.Code Ann. § 25-15-11 (Supp.). The premiums for Hare's health coverage were paid 100 percent by *279 the State. Miss.Code Ann. § 25-15-15 (Supp.).

¶ 2. As a result of the collision, Hare required hospitalization and accrued medical expenses totaling $8,667.50. The State, through CENTRA, paid health insurance benefits of $6,056.44. Hare was also insured under an uninsured motorist policy issued by Progressive Insurance Company, with policy limits of uninsured coverage being $10,000.00 per person/ $20,000.00 per accident.

¶ 3. Hare ultimately recovered $10,000.00 on the uninsured motorist policy in a settlement with Progressive. The State then asserted a subrogation claim against the uninsured motorist benefits collected by Hare. At no time did Hare or the State pursue a judgment against the tortfeasor, Weaver.

B. The Proceedings Below

¶ 4. On December 13, 1995, Hare filed a Complaint for Declaratory Judgment asking the County Court of First Judicial District of Hinds County, Mississippi, to adjudicate that the State and CENTRA were not entitled to subrogation. On Motion for Summary Judgment by Hare and Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment by the State and CENTRA, County Court Judge C.A. "Chet" Henley heard oral arguments by both parties and then granted the State's motion and denied Hare's motion.

¶ 5. Hare timely appealed the decision to the Circuit Court of the First Judicial District of Hinds County. Circuit Judge L. Breland Hilburn affirmed the judgment of the county court, and Hare timely appealed to this Court on October 20, 1997.

¶ 6. Aggrieved by the circuit court's judgment, Hare appeals to this Court and raises the following contentions:

I. THE COURTS BELOW ERRED BECAUSE THE STATE'S SUBROGATION CONTRACT IS INAPPLICABLE UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES.

II. THE COURTS BELOW ERRED BECAUSE PUBLIC POLICY FORBIDS REIMBURSEMENT UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

¶ 7. Rule 56(c) of the Mississippi Rules of Civil Procedure allows summary judgment where there are no genuine issues of material fact such that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. To prevent summary judgment, the nonmoving party must establish a genuine issue of material fact by means allowable under the rule. Richmond v. Benchmark Constr. Corp., 692 So.2d 60, 61 (Miss.1997); Lyle v. Mladinich, 584 So.2d 397, 398 (Miss.1991).

¶ 8. This Court employs a de novo standard in reviewing a lower court's grant of summary judgment. Mississippi Ethics Comm'n v. Aseme, 583 So.2d 955, 957 (Miss.1991); Cossitt v. Federated Guaranty Mut. Ins. Co., 541 So.2d 436, 438 (Miss.1989). Evidentiary matters are viewed in a light most favorable to the nonmoving party. Palmer v. Biloxi Regional Medical Center, Inc., 564 So.2d 1346, 1354 (Miss.1990). If any triable issues of material fact exist, the lower court's decision to grant summary judgment will be reversed. Otherwise, the summary judgment is affirmed. Richmond, 692 So.2d at 61; Brown v. Credit Center, Inc., 444 So.2d 358, 362 (Miss. 1984).

ANALYSIS OF LAW

I. WHETHER THE COURTS BLOW ERRED BECAUSE THE STATE'S SUBROGATION CONTRACT IS INAPPLICABLE UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES.

and

II. WHETHER THE COURTS BELOW ERRED BECAUSE PUBLIC POLICY FORBIDS REIMBURSEMENT *280 UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES.

¶ 9. The County Court Judge held "... that it is clear from the indemnity contract that Defendants' right to subrogation extends to benefits provided from anyone from whom the insured [Plaintiff Hare] had the right to recover." The circuit court affirmed this analysis. Hare complains on appeal that the State Health Plan's subrogation clause is inapplicable based on its own terms.

¶ 10. Paragraph 5.3 of the State Health Plan states:

a. In the event any hospital, medical, and related service or benefit is provided for or any payment is made or credit is extended to an Employee under the Plan, the Plan shall be subrogated and shall succeed to the right of the Employee or Dependent to recovery against any person, organization, or other carrier. The acceptance of such benefits hereunder shall constitute such subrogation. The Employee or Dependent shall pay over to Department of Finance and Administration, for the Plan all sums recovered by suit, settlement, or otherwise, on account of such hospital, medical, and related service or benefit, and shall take such action to furnish such information and assistance, and execute such assignments and other instruments as may be required to facilitate enforcement of rights hereunder and shall take no action prejudicing the rights and interest of the Department of Finance and Administration hereunder.
b. Failure by the Employee or Dependent to execute such evidence of subrogation as may be required shall make the Employee or Dependent liable for all costs and expenses incurred under the Plan in his behalf because of such hospital, medical and related services. Nothing contained in this provision shall be deemed to change, modify, or vary the terms of Article V; 5.2.

(emphasis added).

¶ 11. The subrogation clause is also summarized in the Summary Plan Description, Revised January 1995, as follows:

If the Plan has paid or provided benefits on behalf of you or your covered Dependent, the Plan has the right to recover the cost of your medical care, to the extent of benefits provided, from anyone from whom you have the right to recover. In other words, we may subrogate or substitute for you and seek to recover our payment. Our right of "subrogation" does not change the type or amount of benefits available to you.
For example, if you are injured in a car accident and the Plan pays $1,000 for your related medical care, and an auto insurer pays you $500 for the same medical care services you needed as a result of that accident, the Plan will recover $500 from you, since duplicate payment was made to you in the amount of $500.
You must provide any assistance request to help the Claims Administrator recover any payments. The intent of this provision is to eliminate double payments of your medical expenses.

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Bluebook (online)
733 So. 2d 277, 1999 WL 145308, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hare-v-state-miss-1999.