Madsen v. Allstate Insurance

760 F. Supp. 1389, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5041, 1991 WL 58806
CourtDistrict Court, D. Oregon
DecidedApril 12, 1991
DocketCiv. 90-834-FR
StatusPublished

This text of 760 F. Supp. 1389 (Madsen v. Allstate Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Madsen v. Allstate Insurance, 760 F. Supp. 1389, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5041, 1991 WL 58806 (D. Or. 1991).

Opinion

OPINION

FRYE, District Judge:

The matter before the court is defendant’s motion for summary judgment (# 21) dismissing the amended complaint.

Plaintiff, Thod S. Madsen, brings this action for breach of a contract of insurance against the defendant, Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate), and, in the alternative, for reformation of the contract of insurance. Madsen also alleges claims for breach of contract to provide insurance, and for negligence, fraud, breach of express warranty, breach of warranty-fitness for a particular purpose, unfair trade practices, estoppel, and bad faith.

UNDISPUTED FACTS

Madsen is a businessman experienced in retail operations and the distribution of electronic classical organs. In October, 1987, Madsen owned an automobile liability insurance policy and a homeowner’s insurance policy, both issued by Allstate.

On October 16, 1987, Madsen telephoned his Allstate insurance agent, Howard McGraw, and inquired about the cost of an umbrella policy for his automobile and homeowner’s insurance policies. McGraw quoted Madsen a price, and Madsen agreed by telephone to purchase the Allstate umbrella policy.

Neither Madsen nor McGraw have a clear memory of the telephone conversa *1391 tion. McGraw states in his affidavit that he indicated to Madsen “that the umbrella insurance extends the liability coverage of his automobile and homeowner’s insurance.” Affidavit of McGraw, p. 2. Mad-sen recalls that McGraw said nothing to him about the nature of the coverage supplied under an umbrella policy and merely quoted a price. Madsen and McGraw agree, however, that there was no specific discussion of any exclusions in the telephone conversation.

Madsen intended that the umbrella policy provide coverage in excess of his underlying insurance policy without exclusion. McGraw knew that Allstate’s umbrella policy is an excess liability insurance policy and would not extend the coverage of Mad-sen’s underlying uninsured motorist coverage in his automobile policy. Allstate does not sell excess uninsured motorist insurance.

Soon after the telephone conversation, Allstate sent Madsen a binder which he received for a Personal Umbrella Policy in the amount of $1,000,000.00. The binder is entitled “PERSONAL UMBRELLA POLICY APPLICATION” and was accompanied by a separate notice which stated that “[i]f you do not receive your policy within 15 days from the date of this application DIRECTLY NOTIFY THE COMPANY AT ITS HOME OFFICE.” In the comments section of the binder, Madsen’s underlying automobile and homeowner’s policies are referenced by policy number. There are no notations of any exclusions in the binder.

On or about November 11, 1987, Madsen received a document entitled “PERSONAL UMBRELLA POLICY DECLARATION” which describes coverage as “BASIC LIABILITY” and states a yearly premium of $140.00. Madsen received this document, tore the payment coupon from it, and returned the coupon together with payment to Allstate. The declaration references Allstate’s Personal Umbrella Policy, Document Number U9910-1. There is a dispute as to whether Madsen received a copy of the Personal Umbrella Policy.

The Personal Umbrella Policy that Mad-sen purchased states that “Allstate will pay when the insured becomes legally obligated to pay for personal injury or property damage caused by an occurrence.” The policy contains no provision for extending the uninsured motorist coverage to the limits of the umbrella policy.

On December 17, 1988, there was an automobile accident in Lane County, Oregon which resulted in the death of Mad-sen’s wife and injury to his daughter and to other passengers in the car. The driver of the car who was at fault carried minimum insurance, insufficient to compensate fully the victims of the accident. Allstate paid the $300,000 limits of Madsen’s uninsured motorist coverage pursuant to the underlying automobile insurance policy. Madsen called McGraw and requested a copy of the umbrella policy.

Thereafter, Madsen’s counsel demanded that Allstate pay the limits of the umbrella policy. Allstate refused on the grounds that the umbrella policy covered only liability claims made against Madsen and did not extend his uninsured motorist coverage.

Madsen filed this action seeking to recover the limits of the umbrella policy on theories of breach of contract and/or fraud or, in the alternative, to reform the insurance contract to reflect his understanding of the insurance coverage he purchased from Allstate.

CONTENTIONS OF THE PARTIES

Allstate contends that it is entitled to judgment in its favor as a matter of law because the policy it issued to Madsen bound Allstate to provide coverage only when Madsen became legally obligated to pay for personal injury or for property damage. Allstate points out that the policy by its express terms does not extend the limits of Madsen’s uninsured motorist coverage. Allstate contends that there is strong evidence that Madsen knew at the time he purchased his umbrella policy that it was a liability policy, and that even if Madsen mistakenly believed that the policy provided excess uninsured motorist coverage, there is no legal basis for extending Madsen’s coverage beyond that specifically requested by him.

*1392 Allstate contends that in insurance terminology, an “umbrella” policy is an excess personal liability policy and does not contain excess uninsured motorist coverage. Allstate relies upon the fact that McGraw made no representation concerning excess uninsured motorist coverage and that Allstate does not sell excess uninsured motorist insurance. Allstate concedes that there is a dispute of fact between the parties as to whether Madsen received a copy of the policy that he purchased in October of 1987, but contends that this dispute is not material in that there is sufficient evidence that Madsen knew or should have known that the policy he purchased was a liability insurance policy.

Madsen contends that an umbrella policy is not by definition only a liability insurance policy. Madsen contends that the policy Allstate claims to have sold to him is not the umbrella policy that Allstate agreed to sell to him or the umbrella policy that he ordered. Madsen explains that an umbrella policy is intended to provide protection beyond primary coverage, and that Allstate’s policy limited to liability only provides partial umbrella coverage.

Because there is a dispute over whether he received a copy of the policy, Madsen contends that for the purposes of this motion for summary judgment, the court must determine the limits of coverage from the four corners of the binder which Allstate issued to Madsen. Madsen asserts that the binder refers to his automobile and to his homeowner’s policies and contains no exclusion of uninsured motorist coverage from the excess coverage.

APPLICABLE STANDARD

Summary judgment should be granted only if “the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits ... show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R. Civ.P. 56(c).

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Bluebook (online)
760 F. Supp. 1389, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5041, 1991 WL 58806, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/madsen-v-allstate-insurance-ord-1991.