Hayes v. Western United Insurance Co.

685 So. 2d 228, 96 La.App. 5 Cir. 556, 1996 La. App. LEXIS 2879, 1996 WL 658874
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 14, 1996
DocketNo. 96-CA-556
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 685 So. 2d 228 (Hayes v. Western United Insurance Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hayes v. Western United Insurance Co., 685 So. 2d 228, 96 La.App. 5 Cir. 556, 1996 La. App. LEXIS 2879, 1996 WL 658874 (La. Ct. App. 1996).

Opinion

| sDALEY, Judge.

Wilbert G. Hayes, plaintiff, appeals the trial court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of Western United Ins. Co. in this insurance cancellation dispute-. For the reasons that follow, we reverse and remand for further proceedings.

Plaintiff purchased automobile insurance on or about September 10, 1994 from Louisiana Auto Insurance Agency who procured a policy of insurance from Western United Insurance Company. The policy issued was effective September 10, 1994 and provided coverage for bodily injury, property damage, comprehensive and collision. According to Western, the policy was canceled November 8, 1994 for failure of plaintiff to provide required information. Plaintiff was involved in an accident on December 24, 1994. The ear allegedly is a total loss. Western refused to cover the claim on the basis that the policy was canceled. Plaintiff timely instituted this action to which Western moved for summary judgment on the cancellation issue. The trial court agreed with Western and granted summary judgment, dismissing Western from, | ¾this suit. Plaintiff appeals the determination that there is no genuine issue of material fact regarding the policy cancellation.

LSA-C.C.P. Art. 966 provides, in pertinent part, that a motion for summary judgment shall be rendered forthwith if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue of material fact and that the mover is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Supporting and opposing affidavits shall be made on personal knowledge, shall set forth such facts as would be admissible in evidence, and shall show affirmatively that the affiant is competent to testify to the matters stated therein. Sworn or certified copies of all papers or parts thereof referred to in an affidavit shall be attached thereto or served therewith. The court may permit affidavits to be supplemental or opposed by depositions, answers to interrogatories, or by further affidavits. LSA-C.C.P. Art. 967.

A fact is material if its existence or nonexistence may be essential to the plaintiffs cause of action under the applicable theory of recovery. Facts are “material” if they potentially insure or preclude recovery, affect the litigant’s ultimate success or determine the outcome of a legal dispute. Security National Trust v. Kalmback, 613 So.2d 664 (La.App. 2d Cir.1993); Bradford v. Louisiana Downs, Inc., 606 So.2d 1370 (La.App. 2d Cir.1992); Swindle v. Haughton Wood Company, Inc., 458 So.2d 992 (La.App. 2d Cir.1984). The mover has the burden of affirmatively showing the absence of a genuine issue of material fact and any doubt on this score should be resolved against granting the motion. Langley v. Oxford Chemicals, Inc., 559 So.2d 520 (La.App. 2d Cir.1990); Bradford v. Louisiana Downs, Inc., supra.

|4Papers supporting the mover’s position are to be closely scrutinized, whole the opposing party’s are to be indulgently treated, in determining whether the mover has satisfied his burden of proof. Vermilion Corporation v. Vaughn, 397 So.2d 490 (La.1981). When the court is presented with a choice of reasonable inferences to be drawn from subsidiary facts contained in affidavits and attached exhibits, reasonable inferences must be viewed in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion. Broom v. Leebron & Robinson Rent-A-Car, Inc., 626 So.2d 1212 (La.App. 2d Cir.1993).

A summary judgment is not appropriate where the trier of fact must weigh conflicting evidence in order to reach a conclusion upon which reasonable men could differ. Sanders v. City of Blanchard, 438 So.2d 714 (La.App. 2d Cir.1983); Pitre v. Louisiana Tech University, 596 So.2d 1324 (La. [230]*230App. 2d Cir.1991). Summary judgment is not an appropriate vehicle for the disposition of a ease, the ultimate decision in which will be based upon opinion evidence or the judicial determination of subjective facts. Whitney v. Mallet, 442 So.2d 1361 (La.App. 2d Cir.1983), writ denied 445 So.2d 437 (La.1984). A motion for summary judgment is not to be used as a substitute for trial. LSA-C.C.P. art. 966. Odom v. Hooper, 273 So.2d 510 (La.1973).

Plaintiff contends the trial court erred in two respects. First, defendant failed to comply with the statutory requirements of LSA-R.S. 22:636.1 for cancellation of the policy. Second, plaintiffs affidavit raises genuine issues of material fact regarding compliance with the Western notices precluding summary judgment.

Defendant maintains the statutory requirements for cancellation were met. They contend LSA.R.S. 22:636, not section 636.1, is applicable because the policy had been in effect less than sixty days. Therefore, according to Western, the trial court properly granted summary judgment based on the cancellation.

RTitle 22, sections 636 and 636.1 provide, in pertinent part, as follows:

LA R.S. 22:636, Cancellation by insurer
A.Cancellation by the insurer of any policy which by its terms is cancellable at the option of the insurer, or of any binder based on such policy, may be effected as to any interest only upon compliance with either or both of the following:
(l)(a) Written notice of such cancellation must be actually delivered or mailed to the insured or to his representative in charge of the subject of the insurance not less than twenty days prior to the effective date of the cancellation except where termination of coverage is for nonpayment of premium.
(b) Upon the written request of the named insured, the insurer shall provide to the insured in writing the reasons for cancellation of the policy. There shall be no liability on the part of and no cause of action of any nature shall arise against any insurer or its agents, employees, or representatives for any. action taken by them to provide the reasons for cancellation as required by this Subparagraph.
(2) Like notice must also be so delivered or mailed to each mortgagee, pledgee, or other known person shown by the policy to have an interest in any loss which may occur thereunder.
(3) Where written notice of cancellation or nonrenewal is required and the insurer elects to mail the notice, the running of the time period between the date of mailing and the effective date of termination of coverage shall commence upon the date of mailing.
(4) Any policy may be canceled by the company at any time during the policy period for failure to pay any premium when due whether such premium is 16Payable directly to the company or its agent or indirectly under a premium finance plan or extension of credit, by mailing or delivering to the insured written notice stating when, not less than ten days thereafter, such cancellation shall be effective. Nothing in this Code shall mandate a separate notice of lapse for nonpayment of premium of a policy defined as provided by R.S. 22:1405(G).
B. The mailing of any such notice shall be effected by depositing it in a sealed envelope, directed to the addressee at his last address as known to the insurer or as shown by the insurer’s records, with proper prepaid postage affixed, in a letter depository of the United States Post Office.

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Bluebook (online)
685 So. 2d 228, 96 La.App. 5 Cir. 556, 1996 La. App. LEXIS 2879, 1996 WL 658874, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hayes-v-western-united-insurance-co-lactapp-1996.