Jefson ex rel. Alber v. London Guarantee & Accident Co.

11 N.E.2d 993, 293 Ill. App. 97, 1937 Ill. App. LEXIS 366
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedDecember 15, 1937
DocketGen. No. 39,445
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 11 N.E.2d 993 (Jefson ex rel. Alber v. London Guarantee & Accident Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jefson ex rel. Alber v. London Guarantee & Accident Co., 11 N.E.2d 993, 293 Ill. App. 97, 1937 Ill. App. LEXIS 366 (Ill. Ct. App. 1937).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Denis E. Sullivan

delivered the opinion of the court.

This is an appeal taken from a judgment entered in the circuit court in favor of Marvin Jefson for use of Elaine Alber, administratrix of the estate of Walter Alber, deceased, and against the garnishee, London Guarantee and Accident Company, Limited, a corporation, in the sum of $10,457.66. The cause was tried before the court without a jury.

The evidence shows that the London Guarantee and Accident Company had issued a policy of liability insurance to Louisa B. Jackson. The question arising on this appeal is whether Marvin Jef son, who was employed by Mrs. Jackson as a chauffeur and houseman and who was driving Mrs. Jackson’s automobile at the time of the accident, was an additional assured under the policy aforesaid.

Plaintiff contends that Jefson was an additional assured under the policy, while the garnishee denies that Jefson was driving the automobile with the consent of the assured and argues that there is no liability whatsoever under paragraph 9 of its policy, commonly referred to as the omnibus clause.

A stipulation of facts was entered into between the parties hereto, upon which the case will be considered. The stipulation reads as follows:

“Stipulation of Facts:

“1. That on June 23, 1934, the garnishee insurance company issued to Mrs. Louisa B. Jackson, who is one and the same person as Mrs. Arthur S. Jackson, a certain policy of automobile public liability insurance No. KD 776656, an exact copy of which policy is attached hereto as Exhibit ‘A’ and made a part hereof. The policy was in full force and effect on August 11, 1934.

“2. At that time Mrs. Jackson lived on her estate on Waukegan Boad in Lake Forest, Illinois, somewhat northwest of the city of Lake Forest, Illinois.

“3. Waukegan Boad is a road which runs in a generally northerly and southerly direction somewhat west of the city of Lake Forest, Illinois.

“4. Milwaukee Avenue is a road which, starting in the city limits of Chicago, runs therefrom in a northwesterly direction to Wheeling, Illinois, and thence almost due north. That at the latitude of Lake Forest and of the home of Mrs. Jackson on Waukeg'an Boad, Milwaukee Avenue and Waukegan Boad run substantially parallel in a north and south direction at a distance in excess of three and one-half (3%) miles apart.

“5. That the map attached hereto as Exhibit ‘B’ is hereby made a part hereof and incorporated herein by express reference and shall be considered as having been introduced in evidence and as accurate.

“6. Prior to this date Mrs. Jackson applied to the Secretary of State of Illinois and there was issued to her, an automobile license for the year 1934, No. 1282 for a Chrysler coupe, year 1933, Factory No. 7532094, Engine No. C. Q. 4246. This automobile was described in statement 4 of the above mentioned policy of insurance.

‘ ‘ 7. Marvin J ef son was, on August 11, 1934, in the employ of the defendant, Mrs. Jackson, as a chauffeur and houseman. About six o’clock on the evening of August 11,1934, he asked Mrs. Jackson for permission to take the above mentioned Chrysler coupe to g*o and have a hair-cut in Lake Forest. The other male employee of Mrs. Jackson was taking* his evening* off and Mrs. Jackson replied that it was impossible that Mr. Jefson should go. He said it would only take half an hour, and she replied, ‘Do you think in half an hour you can get a hair-cut? You know the rule is, there must be one driver on the grounds.’ He said he could do it. Whereupon Mrs. Jackson said that if he would be back in half an hour he could take it.

“8. The servants of Mrs. Jackson did not have standing permission to use cars. When they went on errands for her that was a different thing, but for their personal use they were never permitted to use the cars without coming to her. On one occasion she had loaned a car to one of the servants to drive into Chicago to go to a funeral.

“9. Mr. Jefson, immediately after the above conversation, took the automobile. He did not go to any barber shop in Lake Forest. Mr. Jefson drove south on Waukegan Road to the Half Day Road. He drove west on the Half Day Road to Milwaukee Avenue; then south on Milwaukee Avenue to the home of his sister, who was absent, the location of which home is marked on the map by the letter ‘A.’ This home was south of the village of Half Day. Then he drove southeastward on Milwaukee Avenue to Chicago, and into the neighborhood of North Avenue and Sedgwick Street, to an address at 434 Sullivan Street, the location of which on the map is marked by the letter ‘B.’ Later in the night he was driving northwestward on Milwaukee Avenue and south of the village of Wheeling, and at a point on the map marked with the letter ‘ C’ he collided with a motorcycle and another automobile parked on the east side of the pavement, causing the death of the plaintiff’s intestate. At this time he was on his way to his sister’s home. Her name was and is Mrs. Alice Weber. The location upon the map of Louisa B. Jackson’s home is marked with the letter ‘D.’ The route taken by Mr. Jefson after he left her home to the address at 434 Sullivan Street is marked on the map with a green crayon. The route taken by Mr. J ef son after he left 434 Sullivan Street and to the point of the accident was the same route reversed to the point of the accident.

“10. Elaine Alber is the duly appointed, qualified and acting administratrix of the estate of Walter Alber, deceased, by appointment of the Probate Court of Cook County, Illinois.

“11. As such administratrix she brought suit against Louisa B. Jackson and Marvin Jefson in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, case No. 35C 3454 and recovered a judgment in the sum of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000) and costs against Marvin Jefson. Upon the trial of that case there was a finding in favor of Louisa B. Jackson, and the case was dismissed as to her.”

The facts have been presented by stipulation so apparently no controversy exists as to them. As we view this case the only question to be determined is one of law, namely, “What is the -legal meaning of the additional assured clause as contained in the automobile insurance policy? ” The insurance policy in this case contains the following clause: “Sec. 9. Additional Assured. The term ‘Named Assured’ shall mean only the Assured specified in Statement 1, but the term ‘Assured’ shall include the named Assured and any other person while riding- in or legally operating such automobile, and any other person ... legally responsible for its operation, provided: (a) it is being used with the permission of the named assured . . .; (b) such other person or organization is not covered by any valid and collectible insurance against a loss covered thereby; ...”

From the facts as stipulated, Mrs. Jackson gave permission to her chauffeur and houseman Jefson to drive her automobile on the evening* of August 11, 1934; that this permission was given to him about 6 o ’clock in the evening as he said he wished to take the Chrysler coupe and go to Lake Forest to get a haircut; that Jefson told Mrs. Jackson that it would only take him, a half hour; that Mrs.

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Bluebook (online)
11 N.E.2d 993, 293 Ill. App. 97, 1937 Ill. App. LEXIS 366, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jefson-ex-rel-alber-v-london-guarantee-accident-co-illappct-1937.