Mank v. West American Insurance

620 N.E.2d 6, 249 Ill. App. 3d 827, 189 Ill. Dec. 347, 1993 Ill. App. LEXIS 1402
Appellate Court of Illinois·Decided September 7, 1993·No. 5-92-0607·Published·Cited by 14 cases

Opinion

PRESIDING JUSTICE CHAPMAN

delivered the opinion of the court:

Plaintiff, Robert T. Mank, instituted a declaratory judgment action seeking a determination that the defendant, West American Insurance Company, had a duty to defend and indemnify Devin Sims based upon a business automobile liability insurance policy issued to Sims’ father’s business, Jack Waters Plumbing, Inc. The parties filed cross-motions for summary judgment. On June 17, 1992, the court granted the plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment and found that the Toyota Tercel driven by Devin Sims at the time of the collision with the plaintiff was covered by the West American insurance policy issued to Jack Waters Plumbing, Inc.

At issue is whether an endorsement in the policy which limits coverage to vehicles listed in a “schedule of covered autos” is ambiguous if the only schedule attached to the policy is one entitled “schedule of equipment.” The trial court found that the policy was ambiguous and therefore construed the insurance contract against the insurer and in favor of coverage. The defendant, West American Insurance Company, appeals from the circuit court’s judgment. We reverse.

The facts are undisputed. On October 31, 1989, the plaintiff, Robert T. Hank, was involved in a collision with defendant, Devin L. Sims. Sims was driving a 1989 Toyota Tercel, and its title was issued in the names of both Devin Sims and his father, Benjamin Clark Sims.

Prior to the accident, defendant West American Insurance Company had issued a business automobile liability insurance policy to Jack Waters Plumbing, Inc., which was co-owned by Devin Sims’ father, Benjamin, and Jack Waters.

The policy contained an endorsement on a form labelled “Form 5912,” which provided:

“THIS ENDORSEMENT CHANGES THE POLICY. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY.
AUTOS NOT COVERED
In consideration of the premium paid, it is understood and agreed coverage will not apply to an auto owned, leased, acquired, or held under a contract of sale prior to the effective date of the policy unless the auto is described in the schedule of covered autos.” (Emphasis added.)

The policy contained only one listing of automobiles, which was on a document entitled “schedule of equipment.” Thirteen automobiles were listed on this schedule, but the 1989 Toyota Tercel owned by Devin Sims and Benjamin Clark Sims was not listed.

On appeal, West American Insurance Company contends (1) that the court erred in finding that the use of the term “schedule of covered autos” in the exclusion endorsement rendered the policy ambiguous, (2) that the language of an exclusion controls language found in the remainder of the insurance policy, and (3) that if the policy was properly found, to be ambiguous, the trial court erred in deciding, contrary to evidence, that the insured did not intend to cover personal vehicles of its co-owners omitted from the schedule.

The interpretation of an insurance policy is a question of law (Murphy v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. (1992), 234 Ill. App. 3d 222, 599 N.E.2d 446; Burnett v. Safeco Insurance Co. (1992), 227 Ill. App. 3d 167, 590 N.E.2d 1032), and this court may examine the issue of interpretation independently of the trial court’s finding. Landmark Trust Co. v. Aitken (1992), 224 Ill. App. 3d 843, 587 N.E.2d 1076.

The rules governing the interpretation of insurance policies require unambiguous policies to be enforced as written. (Murphy v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. (1992), 234 Ill. App. 3d 222, 599 N.E.2d 446.) No extrinsic evidence of the parties’ intent need be considered where the contract is determined to be unambiguous. (P.A. Bergner & Co. v. Lloyds Jewelers, Inc. (1986), 112 Ill. 2d 196, 492 N.E.2d 1288.) However, if a provision of the policy is ambiguous, it should be construed against the insurer and in favor of coverage. State Security Insurance Co. v. Burgos (1991), 145 Ill. 2d 423, 583 N.E.2d 547; Murphy v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. (1992), 234 Ill. App. 3d 222, 599 N.E.2d 446.

An ambiguity is present where a provision in the insurance contract is susceptible of more than one reasonable interpretation. State Security Insurance Co. v. Burgos (1991), 145 Ill. 2d 423, 583 N.E.2d 547; Murphy v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. (1992), 234 Ill. App. 3d 222, 599 N.E.2d 446; Flora Bank & Trust v. Czyzewski (1991), 222 Ill. App. 3d 382, 583 N.E.2d 720.

Applying these principles to this policy, we conclude that the trial court’s finding of ambiguity was erroneous. The endorsement’s reference to a “schedule of covered autos” was not ambiguous; it is only susceptible of one reasonable interpretation since there exists only one schedule of vehicles in the insurance contract. Had the policy contained more than one schedule of vehicles, none of which was entitled “schedule of covered autos,” the endorsement’s reference to a “schedule of covered autos” would be susceptible of more than one interpretation. Here, however, the insurance policy contained only one schedule. Thus, there was no room for confusion.

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Mank v. West American Insurance, 620 N.E.2d 6, 249 Ill. App. 3d 827, 189 Ill. Dec. 347, 1993 Ill. App. LEXIS 1402 (Ill. Ct. App. 1993).

620 N.E.2d 6 (Mank v. West American Insurance) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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