Liberty Mutual Insurance v. Home Insurance

432 F. Supp. 117, 1977 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15795
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedMay 20, 1977
DocketCiv. No. 76-1028
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 432 F. Supp. 117 (Liberty Mutual Insurance v. Home Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Liberty Mutual Insurance v. Home Insurance, 432 F. Supp. 117, 1977 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15795 (M.D. Pa. 1977).

Opinion

OPINION

MUIR, District Judge.

On May 9, 1977, the parties in the above-captioned case filed a statement of undisputed facts. On the same date, Defendant Home Insurance Company filed its trial brief. On May 10, 1977, Plaintiff Liberty Mutual Insurance Company submitted its trial brief. On May 11, 1977, the matter [118]*118came on for trial and both parties rested without the presentation of evidence, agreeing that the matter be presented to the Court as a case stated. Except for paragraphs 16 through 18 which are matters of record, the following undisputed facts are presented in the precise wording of the joint submission by Liberty and Home.

I. Findings of Fact.

1. The Plaintiff is, and at all times herein mentioned was, engaged in the insurance business and registered to do business in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, with a place of business in the South Main Towers, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

2. The Defendant is, and at all times herein mentioned was, engaged in the insurance business and registered to do business in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, with a place of business at 400 Orchard Street, Scranton, Pennsylvania, and at the Public Ledger Building, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

3. On December 16, 1969, and at all times herein mentioned, Frank Novitch of Nicholson, Pennsylvania, was engaged in the business of hauling bulk milk from points of origin in Pennsylvania and New York State to points of distribution in New Jersey.

4. On December 16, 1969, and at all times herein mentioned, Farmland Fair-lawn Dairies (hereinafter called Farmland), was a New Jersey corporation engaged in the business of buying raw milk, processing and selling it wholesale and retail. Its principal place of business was in Fairlawn, New Jersey.

5. On December 16, 1969, one Lawrence Warner, who was employed by said Frank Novitch, was operating a tractor which was hauling a tank-trailer on U.S. Routes 6 and 11, Factoryville, Pennsylvania, when the tractor-trailer unit collided with a pick-up truck owned and being operated by one Joseph Surowiec, R.D. # 2, Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, causing personal injuries to Joseph Surowiec.

6. The tractor was owned by Frank Novitch. The tank-trailer, which contained a cargo of milk, was owned by Farmland. Farmland had entered into a contract with Novitch under which the latter with his tractor was to transport the cargo of milk. At the time of the accident the cargo of milk was being hauled by the tractor.

7. On March 1, 1969, the Plaintiff issued to Farmland an insurance policy, which policy was in full force and effect on December 16, 1969, the time of the accident.

8. On January 10, 1967, the Defendant issued to Farmland an insurance policy, Number 9-55-62-29, which policy was in full force and effect on December 16, 1969, at the time of the accident.

9. At the time of the accident, there was in full force and effect a certain policy of automobile liability insurance issued by the Exchange Mutual Insurance Company to Frank Novitch, with limits of $100,000.00.

10. On November 10, 1970, Surowiec instituted suit in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania (Civil Action No. 70-552) against Farmland, claiming damages of personal injuries resulting from the accident described above. On the same date, Surowiec instituted a companion action in the Court of Common Pleas of Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, No. 209 September Term 1971, against said Frank Novitch and said Lawrence Warner and Farmland, claiming the same damages claimed in said Federal action. Attorney Hugh J. McMenamin was retained by the Plaintiff to defend Farmland and Attorney James P. Harris, Jr., was retained by said Exchange Mutual Insurance Company to defend said Frank Novitch and said Lawrence Warner.

11. On the 23rd day of February, 1972, said Federal action came on for trial before Judge Malcolm Muir and a jury with the issues of liability and damages befurcated (sic). On the 29th day of February, 1972, the jury returned a verdict on the liability phase in the form of answers to eleven interrogatories. Inter alia, the jury found Lawrence Warner, the operator of the tractor, to have been the joint servant of Frank Novitch and Farmland and that the acci[119]*119dent was caused by negligence in the operation of the tractor-trailer unit.

12. " Thereafter and before the issue of damages was decided by the jury, the parties to the action agreed upon a settlement whereby the sum of $225,000.00 was to be paid to the Plaintiff.

13. It was agreed by and among the Plaintiff, the Defendant and Exchange Mutual Insurance Company that the first $100,000.00 of the $225,000.00 settlement should be paid by Exchange Mutual Insurance Company. There was a dispute between the Plaintiff and the Defendant as to how or which company should pay the balance of the settlement, or $125,000.00. The Plaintiff contended $100,000.00 of the $125,-000.00 should be paid by the Defendant. The Defendant contended $100,000.00 of the $125,000.00 should be paid by the Plaintiff and only $25,000.00 paid by the Defendant. Thereupon, it was agreed between the Plaintiff and the Defendant that $100,-000.00 of the balance would be paid by the Plaintiff and $25,000.00 of the balance would be paid by the Defendant without prejudice to either the rights of the Plaintiff or the Defendant and that the questions of coverage involved and the exact amount or amounts the Plaintiff and the Defendant should have contributed toward the settlement would be adjudicated in a subsequent declaratory judgment proceeding.

14. Thereupon settlement was consummated in accordance with the agreement and Exchange Mutual Insurance Company paid $100,000.00; the Plaintiff paid $100,-000.00 and the Defendant paid $25,000.00 and the action was dismissed with prejudice March 6, 1972.

15. Said settlement included settlement of all claims set forth in said Wyoming County action and on March 6, 1972, said Wyoming County action was discontinued with prejudice.

16. The policies referred to in agreed facts 7 and 8 above, a release executed by Joseph Surowiec, the jury’s answers to the special verdict questions in Civil No. 70-552, and a transcript of certain settlement discussions conducted in the presence of the Court in No. 70-552 are a part of the record as joint exhibits of the parties.

17. Liberty is a Massachusetts corporation with its principal place of business in Boston,

18. Home is a New York corporation with its principal place of business in New York City.

II. Discussion..

On December 16, 1969, a pick-up truck driven by Joseph Surowiec collided with a tank-trailer operated by Lawrence Warner on U.S. Routes 6 and 11 in Factoryville, Pennsylvania. Litigation ensued in which Surowiec, after a jury verdict on liability favorable to him, on February 29,1972, but prior to a verdict on damages, entered into a $225,000 settlement. Surowiec vs. Farmland Fairlawn Dairies, M.D.Pa., Civil No. 70-552. Although Surowiec’s claim was satisfied, the hybrid composition of the tortfeasor, see agreed facts 5 and 6 above, engendered a dispute between Liberty and Home, two of the three contributing insurance companies.

Farmland owned the tank-trailer and its cargo. The tractor to which the trailer was attached belonged to Frank Novitch, who had hired Warner to operate the rig.

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Bluebook (online)
432 F. Supp. 117, 1977 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15795, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/liberty-mutual-insurance-v-home-insurance-pamd-1977.