Henderson v. Eaves

1973 OK 139, 516 P.2d 270
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedNovember 13, 1973
Docket45786
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 1973 OK 139 (Henderson v. Eaves) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Henderson v. Eaves, 1973 OK 139, 516 P.2d 270 (Okla. 1973).

Opinion

IRWIN, Justice:

Appellant, Ruby J. Henderson (plaintiff), obtained a default judgment against Victor H. Eaves (defendant) for the wrongful death of her minor son, Joe Henderson. In that case plaintiff alleged that her son had died as a result of a gun shot wound and that defendant had negligently fired the gun. Thereafter, plaintiff commenced garnishment proceedings against Tri-State Insurance Company (garnishee), defendant’s alleged insurer, to satisfy this judgment. A jury was waived and judgment was rendered for garnishee and plaintiff appealed.

Garnishee had issued a Homeowners Insurance Policy wherein defendant’s mother was the named insured. This policy provided that “The unqualified word ‘Insured’ includes (1) the named insured and (2) if residents of his household, his spouse, the relatives of either * * Plaintiff proceeded on the theory that defendant was a resident of his mother’s household and was an “Insured” under the terms of the policy.

The judgment rendered against defendant in the primary action recited that proper service was obtained upon defendant by leaving a copy of the summons with his mother at his usual place of residence at 2416 N.E. 24th street, herein referred to as 24th street. Plaintiff contends that this adjudication concerning defendant’s residence is conclusive against garnishee since it had notice of the action filed against defendant and was given the opportunity to defend.

The record discloses defendant was personally served on February 2, 1970, while he was incarcerated in the county jail. The service of summons referred to in the journal entry of judgment was made on *272 February ■ 3, 1970. When the purported service was made on February 3, 1970, personal service had already been obtained upon defendant. In this connection see Rice v. Bontjes, 121 Okl. 292, 250 P. 89.

In considering plaintiff’s contention that the adjudication in the journal entry of judgment concerning defendant’s residence is conclusive against garnishee, we will assume, arguendo, that defendant was an “insured” within the terms of garnishee’s insurance policy.

Plaintiff relies upon the following cases to sustain her contention. Soukop v. Employers’ Liability Assurance Corporation of London, England, 341 Mo. 614, 108 S.W.2d 86; Royal Insurance Company, Ltd. v. St. Louis-San Francisco Railroad Company, 10 Cir., 291 F. 358; and Boughton v. Farmers Insurance Exchange, Okl., 354 P.2d 1085.

In Soukop, supra, plaintiff commenced garnishment proceedings against garnishee-insurer to collect a judgment rendered in her favor against insured. Plaintiff, an employee of insured, had obtained a judgment against insured on the grounds that insured had failed to provide a reasonable and safe place to work as provided by the statutes pertaining to the health and safety of employees. The issue in that case was insured’s liability to plaintiff for failing to provide a safe place to work and not whether plaintiff’s disability was covered by insurance. Although the question of liability of insured to plaintiff may have been conclusive upon insurer in the garnishment proceedings since it had notice of the primary action and an opportunity to defend, insurer’s liability under its insurance policy was not an issue in the primary action. Insurer’s liability under the insurance policy was the issue presented in the garnishment proceedings and the judgment was affirmed on the grounds that the injuries sustained were within the terms of the policy.

In Royal Insurance Company, supra, the insured brought an action against insurer to recover on its contract of indemnity the amount it had been compelled to pay in damages. Insurer defended the action on the grounds that insured was not legally liable and no judgment would have been rendered against insured if counsel representing the insured had defended the action on the proper grounds. The primary action had been defended by counsel for insured with the full knowledge, consent and approval of the insurer.

The court recognized that the very question put in issue, tried and determined in the primary action was the “legal liability” of the insured. In that case the court held that where one liable (insurer) is notified of a suit against the person primarily liable (insured) and is given the opportunity to defend, a judgment therein is conclusive against him in the absence of fraud.

Although the liability of insured was established in the primary action and that judgment was conclusive on insurer in so far as insured’s liability was concerned, insurer’s liability to indemnify insured was not adjudicated in the primary action but in insured’s action against insurer.

In Boughton, supra, the insurance policy provided that the insurer would pay insured (Boughton) all sums insured would be legally entitled to recover against an uninsured motorist within the policy limits. Insured brought an action against an uninsured motorist, notified insurer of the action and insurer was afforded the opportunity to defend. Insurer refused to defend because of an arbitration provision in the insurance contract. Insured recovered a judgment against the uninsured motorist and insurer refused to pay the judgment. Insured brought an action against insurer to recover under the terms of the insurance policy. On appeal we held the question of damages and legal liability could not be relitigated.

The issue adjudicated in the primary action was the uninsured motorist’s liability to Boughton. The issue adjudicated in Boughton’s action against her insurer was the insurer’s liability to Boughton under the insurance policy.

*273 The above cases support plaintiff’s theory that since garnishee had notice of plaintiff’s action against defendant and had an opportunity to defend, that the judgment establishing defendant’s liability to plaintiff is conclusive on garnishee-insurer if defendant is an “insured” within the terms of the insurance policy. However, they will not support plaintiff’s theory that the recitation in the journal entry of judgment concerning defendant’s residence is conclusive against garnishee.

Garnishee cites U.S.F. & G. v. Dawson Produce Co., 180 Okl. 119, 68 P.2d 105. In that case, Singhrs brought an action against Dawson on the grounds that the personal injuries he sustained were caused by the alleged negligent manner in which Dawson maintained its premises. Dawson called upon its insurer, U.S.F. & G., to defend the action and insurer refused to do so. Judgment was rendered in favor of Singhrs against Dawson and Dawson paid the judgment. In that judgment, Singhrs was adjudicated to be Dawson’s employee.

Insurer had issued to Dawson an employer’s liability policy indemnifying him against loss by reason of liability for damages on account of injuries to Dawson’s employees. Dawson sought to be indemnified by insurer for the judgment it had paid Singhrs. Dawson asserted in its petition against insurer that Singhrs was his employee at the time of the injury and that in the previous action he was adjudicated to be its employee.

The issue presented was whether insurer, who had notice of the prior action and called upon to defend, was conclusively bound by the adjudication in the primary action that Singhrs was Dawson’s employee.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1973 OK 139, 516 P.2d 270, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/henderson-v-eaves-okla-1973.