Harrison v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance

330 N.E.2d 126, 164 Ind. App. 569, 1975 Ind. App. LEXIS 1187
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 24, 1975
DocketNo. 1-1074A157
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 330 N.E.2d 126 (Harrison v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Harrison v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance, 330 N.E.2d 126, 164 Ind. App. 569, 1975 Ind. App. LEXIS 1187 (Ind. Ct. App. 1975).

Opinion

Lowdermilk, J.

This appeal presents for our review two issues, namely:

(1) Did the trial court err in granting summary judgment for defendant, State Farm Mutual Insurance Company, and, [570]*570specifically, finding that no rights of plaintiffs were affected, diminished or infringed?

(2) Did the trial court err in finding that there was no genuine issue of any material fact to be determined at a trial on the merits?

Plaintiffs-appellants filed their complaint for declaratory judgment, to which State Farm filed its answer and plaintiffs moved for judgment on the pleadings.

Thereafter, a pre-trial order was entered and State Farm filed written response to plaintiffs’ motion for judgment on the pleadings.

The court treated plaintiffs-appellants’ motion for judgment on the pleadings as a motion for summary judgment and so advised the parties. State Farm then filed its response thereto.

The trial court granted summary judgment in favor of the defendant-appellee (State Farm) and against Marshall C. Harrison, Anna Plarrison and attorney, Max Howard.

This was followed by plaintiffs-appellants filing affidavits and brief in support of a summary judgment, which was duly considered by the court, and the following order and judgment was entered:

“. . . IT IS CONSIDERED, ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED BY THE COURT that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and controversy of this cause and that the plaintiffs’ Motion for Summary Judgment should be overruled and the defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment should be granted.
IT IS FURTHER CONSIDERED, ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED BY THE COURT that the defendant, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, had a right to demand of Selective Insurance Company repayment of the sum of $1,000.00 paid to the plaintiffs, Marshall Harrison and Anna Harrison, under the medical coverage provisions of the insurance policy in question, and that the defendant had a right to receive payment of said $1,000.00 from Selective Insurance Company under the subrogation provisions of said policy and under the medical trust agreement signed by the plaintiffs Harrison. IT IS FURTHER CONSIDERED, ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED BY THE COURT that the [571]*571action of the defendant in demanding and receiving the payment of $1,000.00 in question has not infringed, interfered with, diminished, or affected the rights of the plaintiffs in their claim against Selective Insurance Company or its insured.
IT IS FURTHER CONSIDERED, ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED BY THE COURT that summary judgment herein be, and it is hereby entered for the defendant, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, and that the costs of this proceeding be taxed against the plaintiffs.
ALL OF WHICH IS ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED BY THE COURT this 29th day of April 1974.”

The facts of the case are comparatively simple and are not in dispute. Plaintiffs Anna Harrison and Marshall C. Harrison owned an automobile which was insured by State Farm and which was involved in a collision with another motor vehicle. This policy is not in dispute and is a part of the record.

Plaintiff-appellant Max Howard is the attorney retained by Harrisons to prosecute their claim for injuries sustained and property damage against the tortfeasors. Neither of the tortfeasors nor their insurer, Selective Insurance Company, is a party to this action.

Under the State Farm policy carried by Harrisons, the Harrisons were entitled to $500.00 medical benefits each. State Farm paid Harrisons $500.00 each, pursuant to the terms of the medical coverage.

Pursuant to the medical coverage provisions Harrisons were required to execute a medical trust agreement when disbursement of the medical pay benefits were made by State Farm.

State Farm made the payment, after which plaintiffs-appellants Harrisons retained plaintiff-appellant Max Howard as their attorney.

There had been correspondence between Harrisons and State Farm concerning Harrisons’ obligation to repay State Farm in the event of settlement or judgment. Before suit was filed by Max Howard for the Harrisons against the tortfeasors, [572]*572the insurer of the tortfeasors, Selective Insurance Company, mailed a check to State Farm for $1,000.00. This was followed by attorney Howard making demand on State Farm for return of the $1,000.00 to Harrisons until such time as the Harrisons’ dispute with the tortfeasors was settled or a judgment rendered. State Farm refused this demand, which resulted in a lawsuit and the appeal we are now entertaining.

The principal question involved herein is: May an injured person’s own medical benefit insurer make demand upon and receive direct payment from the insurance carrier for a tortfeasor without regard to the rights of the injured persons and their attorney?

For us to answer this question, we must first determine and construe the subrogation provisions of the policy of insurance issued by State Farm to the Harrisons.

The policy in question provides:

“4. Subrogation. Upon payment under coverages A, B, D, D-50, F, G. H, and division 1 of W-l and W-2 of this .policy the company shall be subrogated to all of the insured’s rights of recovery therefor and the insured shall do whatever is necessary to secure such rights and do nothing to prejudice them.
Upon payment under coverages C, M and divisions 3 of W-l and W-2 of this policy the company shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to the proceeds of any settlement or judgment that may result from the exercise of any rights of recovery which the injured person or anyone receiving such payment may have against any person or organization and such person shall execute and deliver instruments and papers and do whatever else is necessary to secure such rights. Such person shall do nothing after loss to prejudice such rights.”

We shall group the two specifications of error and treat them together, pursuant to Ind. Rules of Procedure, Trial Rule 8.3(A) (7).

Harrisons and Howard state in their brief “Subrogation of medical payment benefits is not prohibited in Indiana” and cite Imel v. Travelers Indemnity Company (1972), 152 Ind. App. 75, 281 N.E.2d 919 as authority therefor.

[573]*573However, they do not quit with the above admission but contend that State Farm, as a condition precedent to payment of the medical payment benefits to Harrisons, required the execution of the “medical trust agreement” and that the “agreement” is not a subrogation agreement, as authorized by the policy, but purports to authorize State Farm to take “any action” to recover the money paid. This, Harrisons contend, is contrary to Indiana law and they rely on American States Ins. Co. v. Williams (1972), 151 Ind. App. 99, 278 N.E.2d 295 at 300, wherein this court stated:

“The duty of the insurer to pay damages arises solely out of its contract with its insured and not by reason of any special relationship between the insurer and the uninsured motorist.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
330 N.E.2d 126, 164 Ind. App. 569, 1975 Ind. App. LEXIS 1187, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/harrison-v-state-farm-mutual-automobile-insurance-indctapp-1975.