Luster v. Columbia Mutual Insurance Co.

624 S.W.2d 890, 1981 Mo. App. LEXIS 3218
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 16, 1981
DocketNo. 12111
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 624 S.W.2d 890 (Luster v. Columbia Mutual Insurance Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Luster v. Columbia Mutual Insurance Co., 624 S.W.2d 890, 1981 Mo. App. LEXIS 3218 (Mo. Ct. App. 1981).

Opinion

BILLINGS, Presiding Judge.

This appeal arises out of an unsuccessful effort by plaintiffs to prosecute a claim against the individual defendant’s liability insurance carrier and its adjuster in their suit for the wrongful death of their daughter. The trial court dismissed the count against respondents in which plaintiffs were seeking damages for severe emotional distress, intentionally and recklessly caused by extreme and outrageous conduct. We affirm.

[891]*891In Count I of their petition, plaintiffs sought damages from Smith and James for alleged negligent acts which resulted in their daughter’s death. In Count II, they sought actual and punitive damages against respondents because of the activities of Stevens, agent of respondent General Adjustment Bureau, in his unsuccessful efforts to effect a settlement of plaintiffs’ claim for the death of their daughter. Upon motion the counts were severed, and respondents’ motions to dismiss for failure of Count II to state a claim upon which relief could be granted were sustained. The order of dismissal was deemed to be a final judgment for purpose of appeal under Rule 81.06, V.A.M.R., and this appeal followed.

In reviewing the action of the trial court, we accept as true the facts properly pleaded in Count II, giving the averments a liberal construction, and making those reasonable inferences fairly deducible from the facts pleaded. Concerned Parents v. Caruthersville School District, 548 S.W.2d 554 (Mo. banc 1977). However, the conclusions of the pleader cannot be taken as true and must be disregarded. Cady v. Hartford Accident and Indemnity Company, 439 S.W.2d 483 (Mo.1969).

In Pretsky v. Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, 396 S.W.2d 566 (Mo.1965), our supreme court recognized and accepted the Restatement’s view that a right of action does exist for damages for severe emotional distress, intentionally and recklessly caused, by “extreme and outrageous conduct.” Warrem v. Parrish, 436 S.W.2d 670 (Mo.1969). The Restatement (Second) of Torts, § 46, at 71 (1965) states:

“Outrageous Conduct Causing Severe Emotional Distress. (1) One who by extreme and outrageous conduct intentionally or recklessly causes severe emotional distress to another is subject to liability for such emotional distress and if bodily harm to the other results from it, for such bodily harm.”

Comment d. of § 46, states: “Extreme and outrageous conduct. The cases thus far decided have found liability only where the defendant’s conduct has been extreme and outrageous. It has not been enough that the defendant has acted with an intent which is tortious or even criminal, or that he has intended to inflict emotional distress, or even that his conduct has been characterized by ‘malice,’ or a degree of aggravation which would entitle the plaintiff to punitive damages for another tort. Liability has been found only where the conduct has been so outrageous in character, and so extreme in degree, as to go beyond all possible bounds of decency, and to be regarded as atrocious, and utterly intolerable in a civilized community. Generally, the case is one in which the recitation of the facts to an average member of the community would arouse his resentment against the actor, and lead him to exclaim, ‘Outrageous!’ ”

The commentary continues: “The liability clearly does not extend to mere insults, indignities, threats, annoyances, petty oppressions, or other trivialities. The rough edges of our society are still in need of a good deal of filing down, and in the meantime plaintiffs must necessarily be expected and required to be hardened to a certain amount of rough language, and to occasional acts that are definitely inconsiderate and unkind. * * *”

In Comment h., we are told that it is for the court to determine, in the first instance, whether the defendant’s conduct may reasonably be regarded as so extreme and outrageous as to permit recovery or whether it is necessarily so. See Pretsky v. Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, supra.

Plaintiffs’ Count II alleged:
4. Little Laren Luster was severely injured on Saturday, August 25, 1979. Her death occured [sic] early Sunday morning, August 26th. The child was buried on Saturday, September 1st.
5. On Monday, August 27, 1979, Douglas Stevens, agent for General Adjustment [892]*892Bureau who was in turn agent for Columbia Mutual Insurance Company, went to the residence of the Plaintiffs at 2715 Chrysler, Cape Girardeau, Missouri and finding the bereaved parents not at home left his card advising the Plaintiffs to contact him.
6. As a result of the initiation made by Douglas Stevens, the Plaintiffs called Douglas Stevens [sic] number, was [sic] advised he was not there and that Stevens would call back.
7. Stevens thereafter contacted the Lus-ters, Plaintiffs herein, and advised them to get all of their bills together, be prepared to sign a release so that the bills could be paid for them. At that time and place, prior to the burial of little Laren Luster, Douglas Stevens possessed superi- or knowledge and did not fully explain his position to the Lusters all in an attempt to quickly adjust the wrongful death claim and secure releases thereon for the benefit of Columbia Mutual Insurance Company, the liability insurer.
8. Thereafter, the said Douglas Stevens continued to contact the Lusters in an effort to adjust the claim and repeatedly advised them he was working for the insurance company and in order to pay the hospital bills, funeral bills and so on that certain forms would have to be signed.
9. The later contacts made by Douglas Stevens continued on a continuing and persistant [sic] basis and went so far as to contact the Plaintiffs at their place of employment in hopes of settling the wrongful death claim before the Lusters had an opportunity to seek legal counsel.
10. The Lusters advised Stevens that they were seeking legal counseling in the matter concerning the death of their daughter but in spite of this the said Douglas Stevens continued to attempt to adjust the case on a favorable basis by contacting the Plaintiffs and claiming that certain forms needed to be signed right away, that the company was ready to make a settlement all of which were necessary in order to see that the bills were paid.
11. All of these actions enumerated in Count II of this Petition took place very shortly after the death of Laren J. Luster.
12.

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Bluebook (online)
624 S.W.2d 890, 1981 Mo. App. LEXIS 3218, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/luster-v-columbia-mutual-insurance-co-moctapp-1981.