Indiana Insurance v. Mission National Insurance

874 F.2d 631
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedApril 27, 1989
DocketNos. 86-4379, 86-4400
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 874 F.2d 631 (Indiana Insurance v. Mission National Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Indiana Insurance v. Mission National Insurance, 874 F.2d 631 (9th Cir. 1989).

Opinion

NOONAN, Circuit Judge:

Indiana Insurance Co. (Indiana), an Indiana corporation, brought a suit for declaratory judgment against Mission National Insurance Co. (Mission), a California corporation, seeking construction of the relationship of the two companies’ policies as they involved excess insurance. Washington law governed this case of diversity jurisdiction. The district court granted Indiana's summary judgment motion as to Mission’s liability on its policy, but granted Mission’s motion for summary judgment as to its obligation being subsequent to the fulfillment of Indiana’s obligation. We re[632]*632verse both summary judgments and remand for trial.

FACTS

On March 20, 1983 William LaBossier had an automobile accident as he drove a Datsun pickup truck. William was 17, a high school student living at home. Two fellow students, who were passengers, were injured. Suits were brought in their names against William’s parents, Larry and Sandra LaBossier, and against their closely-held companies, Machinists, Inc., and Machinists (DSR), Inc.

The three insurance companies involved were the following:

(1) Safeco Insurance Co. of America (Safeco) had issued a policy to the corporations and to Larry LaBossier and Sandra LaBossier individually, providing coverage of $500,000 for each accident. The policy covered several automobiles and the Dat-sun pickup truck. The declarations were set forth under the heading “Commercial Policy Declarations,” where it was declared that the business insured was a machine shop. The insurance covered “anyone else [in addition to the insured] while using with your permission a covered auto you own.”

(2) Indiana had issued an excess liability policy to Larry and Sandra LaBossier. The policy referred to underlying insurance policies which covered automobiles, home owners liability and water craft. The limit of liability was $5 million. The insurance covered any person using an automobile owned by the insured with the permission of the insured. The policy had a clause as to “other insurance” that reads as follows:

6. OTHER INSURANCE: The insurance afforded by this policy shall be excess insurance over any other valid and collectible insurance available to the insured and applicable to any part of ultimate net loss, whether such other insurance is stated to be primary, contributing, excess or contingent, provided that if such other insurance provides indemnity only in excess of a stated amount of liability per occurrence, the insurance afforded by this policy shall contribute therewith with respect to such part of ultimate net loss as is covered hereunder, but Indiana shall not be liable for a greater proportion of such loss than the amount which would have been payable under this policy bears to the sum of said amount and the amounts which would have been payable under each other excess indemnity policy applicable to such loss, had each such policy been the only policy so applicable.

(3)Mission had issued an “Umbrella Liability Policy” to Machinists, Inc., Production Machinists and Machinists (DSR) with a limit of $5 million. The policy referred to the underlying insurance as that of Safeco for automobile liability in the amount of $500,000. This policy, too, had a provision as to “other insurance” that read as follows:

If other valid and collectible insurance with any other insurer is available to the insured covering a loss also covered by this policy, other than insurance that is specifically stated to be excess of this policy, the insurance afforded by this policy shall be in excess of and shall not contribute with such other insurance. Nothing herein shall be construed to make this policy subject to the terms, conditions and limitations of other insurance.

PROCEEDINGS

Safeco accepted liability and paid to the limits of its policy as to one plaintiff. Indiana and Mission disputed their responsibility vis-a-vis each other.

On Indiana’s motion for summary judgment against Mission the district court on June 6, 1986 ruled that the question of ownership of the Datsun was a conclusion of law to be derived from the totality of the facts. The court noted that the Datsun was registered jointly under the names of both Larry and William LaBossier. The court concluded that, therefore, Larry La-Bossier was “presumptively an owner of the vehicle.” The court further found that the only facts supporting Mission’s contention that this presumption was rebutted and that Larry did not own the truck were [633]*633that both Larry and William had furnished testimony that they did not think of Larry as the owner and that on the day of the accident William was not using the truck with the specific knowledge and consent of his father. This evidence the court held was “insufficient to rebut the presumption of ownership, especially given the strong showing of probative facts supporting that presumption in this case.” The court further ruled that Larry had extended “general permission” to William to use the truck. The court concluded that Mission had liability under its policy.

On cross-motions for summary judgment as to the apportionment between the two insurers, the district court ruled on October 31, 1986 that Mission was liable for damages only after the Safeco and Indiana policies had been exhausted.

Mission appealed from the district court’s determination that its policy extended coverage. Indiana appealed from the court’s ruling that Mission was not required to contribute.

On February 9,1987 Indiana settled with the other plaintiff for $1,200,000. In exchange for this payment release from liability was given to Larry and Sandra LaBossier; Machinists, Inc.; Machinists (DSR), Inc.; Production Machinists; Safeco; Indiana; and Mission.

ANALYSIS

The Ownership of the Datsun

Contrary to the conclusion of the district court, there are material facts in dispute which cannot be resolved by summary judgment. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c). Under Washington law to determine “whether an automobile is owned by an unemancipated minor child residing at home, or by his parents,” the following elements must be considered:

1. Who paid for the car.
2. Who had the right to control the use of the car.
3. The intent of the parties who bought and sold the car.
4. The intent of the parents and the child relative to ownership.
5. To whom did the seller make delivery of the car.
6. Who exercised property rights in the car from the date of its purchase to the date of the accident.
7. Any other circumstantial evidence.

Coffman v. McFadden, 68 Wash.2d 954, 416 P.2d 99, 102 (1966).

As to 1, William in deposition testimony said that he had paid $2,000 down for the car and that he had made most of the monthly payments until he went to college. His father had co-signed the note to purchase the car, and his parents had kept up the payments after he had gone to Boston University. As to 2, William’s deposition indicated that normally his parents would not use the Datsun but if their cars were not available, they might use it.

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874 F.2d 631, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/indiana-insurance-v-mission-national-insurance-ca9-1989.