Haskins v. Prudential Ins Co Am

Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit·Decided August 28, 2000·No. 99-3486·Published

Opinion

5(&200(1'(' )25 )8//7(;7 38%/,&$7,21  +DVNLQVY3UXGHQWLDO,QV 1R 3XUVXDQW WR 6L[WK &LUFXLW 5XOH 

&RRI$PHULFD (/(&7521,& &,7$7,21  )(' $SS 3 WK &LU )LOH 1DPH DS

IURP&RQJUHVVWKDQVWDWXWRU\ODQJXDJHFRXSOHGZLWKUHOHYDQW OHJLVODWLYH KLVWRU\ VHH HJ  &RQJ 5HF 6 81,7('67$7(6&28572)$33($/6 GDLO\HG2FW  VWDWHPHQWRI6HQ'ROH  VWDWLQJWKDW WKHDUELWUDWLRQSURYLVLRQHQFRXUDJHVDUELWUDWLRQEXWmZKHUH )257+(6,;7+&,5&8,7 WKH SDUWLHV NQRZLQJO\ DQG YROXQWDULO\ HOHFW WR XVH WKHVH BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB PHWKRGVl  WR GLUHFW WKH FRXUWV WR IDLWKIXOO\ LQWHUSUHW WKLV SURYLVLRQ RI WKH &5$  )XUWKHU WKH 6XSUHPH &RXUW KDV DOUHDG\LQGLFDWHGWKDWWKHLGHQWLFDOVWDWXWRU\ODQJXDJHLQD SURYLVLRQ RI WKH $PHULFDQV ZLWK 'LVDELOLWLHV $FW RI  52%(57 / +$6.,16 65 ; $'$   86& †  KDV PHDQLQJ  6HH :ULJKW Y 3ODLQWLII$SSHOOHH  8QLYHUVDO0DULWLPH6HUY&RUS86Q   m2XUFRQFOXVLRQWKDWDXQLRQZDLYHURIHPSOR\HHULJKWVWRD  1R Y  IHGHUDOMXGLFLDOIRUXPIRUHPSOR\PHQWGLVFULPLQDWLRQFODLPV ! PXVW EH FOHDU DQG XQPLVWDNDEOH PHDQV WKDW DEVHQW D FOHDU  ZDLYHU LW LV QRW µDSSURSULDWHj ZLWKLQ WKH PHDQLQJ RI WKLV 358'(17,$/ ,1685$1&(  SURYLVLRQRIWKH$'$WRILQGDQDJUHHPHQWWRDUELWUDWHl  &203$1< 2) $0(5,&$DND  7KHPDMRULW\jVRSLQLRQLQVWHDGUHQGHUVWKHVWDWXWRU\ODQJXDJH 7KH3UXGHQWLDO,QVXUDQFHDQG  PHDQLQJOHVV  5HDVRQDEOH MXULVWV FDQ DQG ZLOO GLVSXWH )LQDQFLDO6HUYLFHV  ZKHWKHU DQ\ SDUWLFXODU IDFWV RU FDWHJRU\ RI FDVHV DUH 'HIHQGDQW$SSHOODQW  mDSSURSULDWHlIRUDQDJUHHPHQWWRDUELWUDWH,GRQRWDJUHH  KRZHYHU WKDW ZH KDYH WKH SRZHU WR mILQG>@ LW ZRXOG EH 1 XQZLVHlWRDSSO\WKHVWDWXWRU\ODQJXDJH $SSHDOIURPWKH8QLWHG6WDWHV'LVWULFW&RXUW $FFRUGLQJO\,UHVSHFWIXOO\GLVVHQW IRUWKH1RUWKHUQ'LVWULFWRI2KLRDW7ROHGR 1RnsDPHV*&DUU'LVWULFWsXGJH $UJXHG0DUFK 'HFLGHGDQG)LOHG$XJXVW %HIRUH%2**6DQG&2/(&LUFXLWsXGJHV=$7.2)) &KLHI'LVWULFWsXGJH VR ZKHUH WKH VFRSH RI WKH HDUOLHU VWDWXWH LV EURDG EXW WKH VXEVHTXHQW VWDWXWHV PRUH VSHFLILFDOO\ DGGUHVV WKH WRSLF DW KDQG $V ZH UHFRJQL]HG UHFHQWO\ LQ 8QLWHG 6WDWHV Y (VWDWH RI 5RPDQL  mD VSHFLILF SROLF\ HPERGLHG LQ D ODWHU IHGHUDO VWDWXWH VKRXOG FRQWURO RXU FRQVWUXFWLRQ RI WKH >HDUOLHU@ VWDWXWH HYHQ WKRXJK LW KDV QRW EHHQ H[SUHVVO\ DPHQGHGl )RRG 'UXJ $GPLQ Y %URZQ :LOOLDPVRQ 7REDFFR &RUS   6 &W

   LQWHUQDO FLWDWLRQ RPLWWHG  7KH +RQRUDEOH /DZUHQFH 3 =DWNRII &KLHI 8QLWHG 6WDWHV 'LVWULFW sXGJH IRU WKH (DVWHUQ 'LVWULFW RI 0LFKLJDQ VLWWLQJ E\ GHVLJQDWLRQ

  +DVNLQVY3UXGHQWLDO,QV 1R 1R +DVNLQVY3UXGHQWLDO,QV  &RRI$PHULFD &RRI$PHULFD

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB WRDUELWUDWLRQZHZRXOGKDYHKDGOLWWOHGLIILFXOW\LQILQGLQJ WKDW 5RVHQEHUJ KDG DJUHHG WR DUELWUDWH KHU HPSOR\PHQW &2816(/ GLVFULPLQDWLRQ FODLPV ZLWKLQ WKH PHDQLQJ RI WKH  &5$l  $5*8('  &DUROH 6 .DW] 5((' 60,7+ 6+$: 0F&/$<3LWWVEXUJK3HQQV\OYDQLDIRU$SSHOODQW)UDQFLV 6HFRQG WKH PDMRULW\jV RSLQLRQ UHDGV WKH mDSSURSULDWHl s/DQGU\:$6(50$1%5<$1/$1'5< +212/' ODQJXDJHRIWKH&5$WREHVXSHUIOXRXVDFOHDUO\GLVIDYRUHG 7ROHGR2KLRIRU$SSHOOHH21%5,()&DUROH6.DW] PHWKRGRIVWDWXWRU\LQWHUSUHWDWLRQmsXGJHVVKRXOGKHVLWDWH 5((' 60,7+ 6+$:  0F&/$< 3LWWVEXUJK WRWUHDW>DVVXUSOXVDJH@VWDWXWRU\WHUPVLQDQ\VHWWLQJl 3HQQV\OYDQLD )ULW] %\HUV 7ROHGR 2KLR IRU $SSHOODQW 5DW]ODIY8QLWHG6WDWHV86  VHH )UDQFLV s /DQGU\ :$6(50$1 %5<$1 /$1'5< DOVR 8QLWHG 6WDWHV Y $ODVND  86     m7KH +212/'7ROHGR2KLRIRU$SSHOOHH &RXUWZLOODYRLGDQLQWHUSUHWDWLRQRIDVWDWXWHWKDWµUHQGHUV VRPHZRUGVDOWRJHWKHUUHGXQGDQWjl  TXRWLQJ*XVWDIVRQY =$7.2)) ' s GHOLYHUHG WKH RSLQLRQ RI WKH FRXUW LQ $OOR\G&R86  &RQJUHVVVSHFLILFDOO\ ZKLFK%2**6sMRLQHG&2/(s SS GHOLYHUHGD OHJLVODWHGLQ6HFWLRQRIWKH&5$WKDWDUELWUDWLRQRIFLYLO VHSDUDWHGLVVHQWLQJRSLQLRQ ULJKWVFODLPVLVHQFRXUDJHGm>Z@KHUHDSSURSULDWHDQGWRWKH H[WHQWDXWKRUL]HG E\ ODZl$VWKH5RVHQEHUJFRXUWQRWHG BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB m>D@WDPLQLPXPWKHZRUGVµWRWKHH[WHQWDXWKRUL]HGE\ODZj PXVWPHDQWKDWDUELWUDWLRQDJUHHPHQWVWKDWDUHXQHQIRUFHDEOH 23,1,21 XQGHUWKH)$$DUHDOVRXQHQIRUFHDEOHZKHQDSSOLHGWRFODLPV BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB XQGHU7LWOH9,,DQGWKH$'($8QGHUWKH)$$DUELWUDWLRQ /$:5(1&( 3 =$7.2)) &KLHI 'LVWULFW sXGJH DJUHHPHQWVDUHHQIRUFHDEOHµVDYHXSRQVXFKJURXQGVDVH[LVW 3ODLQWLII$SSHOODQW 5REHUW / +DVNLQV +DVNLQV  EURXJKW DW ODZ RU LQ HTXLW\ IRU WKH UHYRFDWLRQ RI DQ\ FRQWUDFWjl WKLVDFWLRQDJDLQVWKLVIRUPHUHPSOR\HU'HIHQGDQW$SSHOODQW 5RVHQEHUJ)GDW$VWRWKHILUVWSDUWRIWKH&5$ 3UXGHQWLDO,QVXUDQFH&RPSDQ\RI$PHULFD 3UXGHQWLDO ,Q FODXVHDWLVVXHWKHPDMRULW\VWDWHVWKDWLWGHFOLQHVmWRUHTXLUH KLV FRPSODLQW +DVNLQV DOOHJHG WKDW KH ZDV XQODZIXOO\ DKHLJKWHQHGVWDQGDUGWKDWDUELWUDWLRQEHµDSSURSULDWHjZLWKRXW WHUPLQDWHGEHFDXVHRIKLVDJHDQGUDFH,QUHVSRQVHWRWKH DFOHDU&RQJUHVVLRQDOUHTXLUHPHQWWRGRVRlDQGGHFLGHVWKH FRPSODLQW 3UXGHQWLDO ILOHG D PRWLRQ WR GLVPLVV +DVNLQVj FDVHRQFRQWUDFWODZJURXQGV,FDQWKLQNRIQRFOHDUHUVLJQDO FRPSODLQW DQG FRPSHO DUELWUDWLRQ ZKLFK WKH GLVWULFW FRXUW GHQLHG  )RU WKH UHDVRQV WKDW IROORZ ZH 5(9(56( WKH  MXGJPHQWRIWKHGLVWULFWFRXUW %4 WKH H[WHQW WKDW WKH PDMRULW\ VXJJHVWV WKDW WKH GLFWDWHV RI WKH )$$ ZKLFK ZDV HQDFWHG LQ  DQG ZDV PHDQW WR SXW DUELWUDWLRQ DJUHHPHQWV

,%$&.*5281' JHQHUDOO\ RQ WKH VDPH IRRWLQJ DV RWKHU FRQWUDFWV VHH HJ $PHULFDQ $LUOLQHV ,QF Y /RXLVYLOOH sHIIHUVRQ &RXQW\ $LU %G   )G   WK &LU   WUXPSV ODQJXDJH LQ WKH &5$ ZKLFK ZDV HQDFWHG LQ  +DVNLQVLVDILIW\VL[\HDUROG$IULFDQ$PHULFDQZKRZDV DQG VSHFLILFDOO\ DGGUHVVHG DJUHHPHQWV WR DUELWUDWH FLYLO ULJKWV FODLPV , HPSOR\HG E\ 3UXGHQWLDO IURP  XQWLO sXQH   GLVDJUHH

+DVNLQV FODLPV WKDW RQ WKLV GDWH KH ZDV XQODZIXOO\ 7KH mFODVVLF MXGLFLDO WDVN RI UHFRQFLOLQJ PDQ\ ODZV HQDFWHG RYHU

WHUPLQDWHG EHFDXVH RI KLV DJH DQG UDFH  'XULQJ KLV WLPH DQG JHWWLQJ WKHP WR µPDNH VHQVHj LQ FRPELQDWLRQ

HPSOR\PHQWZLWK3UXGHQWLDO+DVNLQVZDVUHSUHVHQWHGE\WKH QHFHVVDULO\ DVVXPHV WKDW WKH LPSOLFDWLRQV RI D VWDWXWH PD\ EH DOWHUHG E\ WKH LPSOLFDWLRQV RI D ODWHU VWDWXWHl 7KLV LV SDUWLFXODUO\  +DVNLQVY3UXGHQWLDO,QV 1R 1R +DVNLQVY3UXGHQWLDO,QV  &RRI$PHULFD &RRI$PHULFD

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Haskins v. Prudential Ins Co Am, (6th Cir. 2000).

Haskins v. Prudential Ins Co Am (Haskins v. Prudential Ins Co Am) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.