Indiana Insurance Co. v. Federated Mutual Insurance

415 N.E.2d 80, 1981 Ind. App. LEXIS 1218
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedJanuary 20, 1981
Docket1-480A101
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 415 N.E.2d 80 (Indiana Insurance Co. v. Federated Mutual 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
Indiana Insurance Co. v. Federated Mutual Insurance, 415 N.E.2d 80, 1981 Ind. App. LEXIS 1218 (Ind. Ct. App. 1981).

Opinion

NEAL, Presiding Judge.

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

Plaintiff-appellee Federated Mutual Insurance Company (Federated) filed an action against defendant-appellant Indiana Insurance Company (Indiana) seeking a declaratory judgment as to each insurer’s respective liability upon a $100,000 settlement. The cause was submitted to the trial court on stipulated facts and supporting briefs. The trial court entered its findings of fact and conclusions of law, and adjudged both insurers liable for an equal amount of the settlement.

STATEMENT OF THE FACTS

The facts most favorable to the judgment are as follows: On April 21, 1973, Terry Smith (Smith), while on the job for his employer, Howard and Hannon, Inc. (Han-non), test drove a 1962 International truck-tractor (truck) which was owned and offered for sale by East Side Supply & Service, Inc. (East Side). During the test drive, Smith was involved in an accident with a motorcycle driven by Richard Clough (Clough) who, as a result of his injuries, filed a lawsuit against East Side and Han-non. At the time of the accident, Hannon was insured under a comprehensive liability policy issued by Federated for an annual premium cost of $2,684. Federated’s policy limits for bodily injury were $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence. Also at the time of the accident East Side, the owner of the truck, was insured under a comprehensive liability and garage insurance policy issued by Indiana for an annual premium cost of $2,644. Likewise, Indiana’s policy limits for bodily injury were $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence. Indiana and Federated settled out of court with Clough for $100,000, but both insurers reserved the right to contest their respective liability under the terms of their policies. Attached to Indiana’s and Federated’s insurance policies were “other insurance” clause provisions. The “other insurance” provision, commonly called an excess clause, in Federated’s policy stated:

“Additional Provisions
Excess Insurance — Hired and Nonowned Automobiles
With respect to a hired automobile or a non-owned automobile, this insurance shall be excess insurance over any other valid and collectible insurance available to the insured.”

Indiana’s “other insurance” provision, commonly called an escape clause, stated:

“Limited Coverage for Certain Insureds *82 This endorsement modifies such insurance as is afforded by the provisions of the policy relating to the following: GARAGE INSURANCE.
In consideration of the reduced rate of the premium made applicable to the garage liability insurance, it is agreed that garage customers are not insureds with respect to the automobile hazard except in accordance with the following additional provisions:
1. If there is other valid and collectible insurance, whether primary, excess or contingent, available to the garage customer and the limits of such insurance are sufficient to pay damages up to the amount of the applicable financial responsibility limit, no damages are collectible under this policy.
2. If there is other valid and collectible insurance available to the garage customer, whether primary, excess or contingent, and the limits of such insurance are insufficient to pay damages up to the amount of the applicable financial responsibility limit, then this insurance shall apply to the excess of damages up to such limit.
3. If there is no other valid and collectible insurance, whether primary, excess or contingent, available to the garage customer, this insurance shall apply but the amount of damages payable under this policy shall not exceed the applicable financial responsibility limit.
4. As used in this endorsement:
‘Applicable financial responsibility limit’ refers to the applicable limit of the financial responsibility law of the state where the automobile is principally garaged.
‘Garage customer’ means any person other than
(1) An employee, director, stockholder, partner, or member of the named insured, or a resident of the same household as the named insured, such employee, director, stockholder, partner or member; or
(2) Any other person or organization named in item 2b of the declarations as to (b) of the declarations and any person while using an automobile furnished to such named person or organization.”

At the close of the evidence the trial court issued findings of fact and conclusions of law which may be summarized as follows:

1) Indiana contends Smith is a garage customer as is defined in its escape clause which limits its liability to the State of Indiana’s financial responsibility limit of $15,000;
2) Indiana contends Federated’s coverage is sufficient to pay damages up to $15,000 so that Smith is not an insured under Indiana’s policy;
3) Federated contends its excess clause is mutually repugnant to Indiana’s escape clause and so Indiana is either primarily liable for the whole settlement or should share primary liability with it so that each insurer pays one-half of the $100,000 settlement;
4) Since Smith was driving a non-owned automobile under Federated’s policy, its coverage amounted to “excess insurance over any other valid and collectible insurance available to the insured”;
5) Absent the two insurers’ excess and escape clauses, the method of apportionment of the $100,000 settlement under their policies is virtually the same where “other insurance” exists;
6) The “Limited Coverage for Certain Insureds” endorsement (escape clause) of Indiana’s policy and the excess insurance for non-owned automobiles of Federated’s policy (excess clause) are in irreconcilable conflict and mutually repugnant;
7) Because their “other insurance” clauses irreconcilably conflict, they are to be disregarded and the settlement should be prorated in accordance with the primary bodily injury limits of Indiana’s and Federated’s policies;
8) Under the authority of Indiana Insurance Company v. American Underwriter’s, Inc., (1973) 261 Ind. 401, 304 N.E.2d 783, the court finds Indiana’s escape clause and Federated’s excess clause mu *83 tually repugnant, and the clauses must be disregarded; and
9) Since the limit of liability is the same under each insurer’s policy, Federated and Indiana are each liable for $50,000 of the $100,000 settlement.

ISSUES

Indiana states the issues as follows:

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415 N.E.2d 80, 1981 Ind. App. LEXIS 1218, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/indiana-insurance-co-v-federated-mutual-insurance-indctapp-1981.