Manchester Insurance & Indemnity v. Universal Underwriters Insurance

285 N.E.2d 185, 5 Ill. App. 3d 847, 1972 Ill. App. LEXIS 2910
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedJune 27, 1972
Docket70-80
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 285 N.E.2d 185 (Manchester Insurance & Indemnity v. Universal Underwriters Insurance) 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
Manchester Insurance & Indemnity v. Universal Underwriters Insurance, 285 N.E.2d 185, 5 Ill. App. 3d 847, 1972 Ill. App. LEXIS 2910 (Ill. Ct. App. 1972).

Opinions

Mr. JUSTICE EBERSPACHER

delivered the opinion of the court:

Plaintiff, Manchester Insurance and Indemnity Company (hereinafter called Manchester), an Ohio corporation sued defendants, Universal Underwriters Insurance Company (hereinafter called Universal), a Missouri corporation, Regency Motors, Incorporated (hereinafter called Regency), Freda Curtis, Administratrix of the estate of Clayton Curtis, deceased, and Marion and Gloria Sparks (hereinafter caHed Sparks) in an action for declaratory judgment claiming that, concerning an action instituted by Sparks for personal injuries arising out of an accident between an automobile owned by Regency and rented or borrowed and driven by Curtis, the suit should be defended and any judgment should be satisfied primarily by Universal (Regency’s insurer) and only secondarily by Manchester (Curtis’ insurer).

On January 28, 1968, Regency did, “for good and valuable consideration received from Clayton R. Curtis, deceased, rent to, and grant permission” to use, drive or operate an automobile owned by Regency while the Curtis owned automobile was being repaired. Later on that same day, Curtis, driving the car furnished him by Regency, was involved in an accident with an automobile driven by Marion Sparks and in which his wife Gloria was a passenger. Curtis died as a result of that collision and the Sparks filed a complaint against Curtis’ estate. These are the facts alleged in Manchester’s pleading which stands uncontroverted. The suit was decided adversely to Manchester on the pleading, and Manchester appeals.

Manchester contends that the lower court erred in dismissing its complaint without deciding on the merits. Supreme Court Rule 273 (ch. 110A, sec. 273, Ill. Rev. Stat. 1989) provides that an involuntary dismissal, other than for lack of jurisdiction, improper venue or failure to join parties, operates as an adjudication upon the merits. Here, there being no dispute as to the facts, the court determined the issues as posed by Manchester’s complaint for declaratory judgment.

It is clear that if Curtis was, in fact, covered under the provisions of the insurance policy issued to Regency by Universal than Universal’s coverage is primary and Manchester’s secondary. This particular issue is not disputed by Universal, nor well cotild it be. The Manchester policy provides that “the insurance with respect to temporary substitute automobiles * * * shall be excess insurance over any other valid and collectible automobile medical payments insurance”, while the Universal policy provides that “the insurance afforded by this policy is primary insurance except when stated to apply in excess of or contingent upon the absence of other insurance”. There is, of course, no statement so limiting Universal’s liability with regard to the provisions at issue here.

The significant question, then, is whether Curtis was covered by the policy issued by Universal to Regency. The Universal policy describes certain events winch are covered, and certain persons whom Universal will protect against the consequences of these events. Universal admits that the accident, (the event) was within the scope of the ‘hazards” clause. Appellees ruge that in analyzing the policy reference should be made to an article “How to Read a Liability Insurance Policy” by G. F. Hartwick, 13 Hast. L. J. 175. We have no quarrel with Professor PI art-wick’s approach, but would point out that the record does not disclose that Universal advised oí the availability or made available, to its customer Regency, that article when they sold and collected the premiums for either the policy or subsequent endorsements. One subdivision of that clause provides that the policy covers any hazard that arises out of “the ownership, maintenance or use of any automobile owned by the named insured while furnished for the use of any person.”

However, we hold that Curtis was not a “person insured” by the policy as originally written. The pertinent parts of the “Persons Insured” provision are reproduced here:

“U. Persons Insured
Each of the following is an insured under this insurance to the extent set forth below: Under the garage bodily injury and property damage liability coverages:
(1) * * *
(2) * * *
(3) With respect to the automobile hazard:
(a) Any partner, or paid employee or director or stockholder or a member of the household of the named insured or such partner or paid employee or director or stockholder while using an automobile covered by this policy or when legally responsible for the use thereof, provided the actual use of the automobile is by the named insured or with her permission and
(b) Any other person or organization legally responsible for the use thereof only while such automobile is physically operated by the named insured or any such partner or paid employee or director or stockholder or member of the household of the named insured or partner or paid employee or director or stockholder, provided the actual use of the automobile is by the named insured or with his permission.”
(Then follows a list of exclusions which are not applicable to Curtis.)

Appellant first contends that since Curtis’ use of the automobile was for the monetary benefit of Regency, he occupied a position equivalent to that of an employee of Regency, citing Lowry v. Kneeland (1962), 263 Minn. 537, 117 N.W.2d 207. In Lowry, one Boyer, the owner of a garage, asked a friend of his, Kneeland, to take him to the airport in the company car. On the way back, Kneeland was involved in an accident. On these facts, the Minnesota held that Kneeland was an employee of Boyer’s corporation, and, hence, a person insured under the policy. That is not the case which confronts us. Even if it could be reasonably proved that Curtis was an employee of Regency, still he is not a “paid employee” as required by the policy, (paragraph U3a).

Appellant also argues that an ambiguity is created, in that subsection (b) extends coverage to “any person * * * legally responsible for the use” of the vehicle with the permission of the named insured but limits this class by providing that the automobile must be physically operated by a limited class of which Curtis is not a member. We find no ambiguity here. Two conditions must be met in order to be an insured under this subsection: (1) use of the automobile with the permission of the named insured; and (2) physical operation by the named insured, or any “partner or paid employee or director or stockholder”. Curtis meets the first requirement, but does not meet the second.

Appellant also suggests that since Curtis is not specifically excluded by the exclusions at the end of the “Persons Insured" provisions, he must therefore be included. Yet, as he is not specifically included, there was no need for him to be specifically excluded.

Finally, appellant contends that since Curtis was included under the hazards provisions of the policy and was excluded under the persons insured provisions this creates an ambiguity in the policy which should be resolved against the insurer. (Moshy v. Mutual Life Ins. Co.

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Manchester Insurance & Indemnity v. Universal Underwriters Insurance
285 N.E.2d 185 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1972)

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Bluebook (online)
285 N.E.2d 185, 5 Ill. App. 3d 847, 1972 Ill. App. LEXIS 2910, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/manchester-insurance-indemnity-v-universal-underwriters-insurance-illappct-1972.