Marks v. Washington Ins. Guar. Ass'n

94 P.3d 352
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedJuly 13, 2004
Docket29662-4-II
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 94 P.3d 352 (Marks v. Washington Ins. Guar. Ass'n) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Marks v. Washington Ins. Guar. Ass'n, 94 P.3d 352 (Wash. Ct. App. 2004).

Opinion

94 P.3d 352 (2004)

Larry MARKS, Respondent,
v.
WASHINGTON INSURANCE GUARANTY ASSOCIATION, Appellant.

No. 29662-4-II.

Court of Appeals of Washington, Division 2.

July 13, 2004.

*353 Craig Frazier Schauermann, Vancouver, for Respondent.

Mary R. DeYoung, Reed McClure, Seattle, for Appellant.

QUINN-BRINTNALL, C.J.

Washington Insurance Guaranty Association (WIGA) appeals a trial court summary judgment in favor of Larry Marks, declaring the underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage available to Marks to be $299,900, the statutory maximum, and awarding Marks his attorney fees. Marks was injured in an automobile accident on December 14, 1997, while driving a charter van for his employer, Blue Star Services, Inc. (dba Vancouver Airporter). WIGA does not dispute Marks's right to UIM coverage. But it argues that it can be required to indemnify such awards only up to Blue Star's UIM policy limit, which it claims is $50,000. We agree. Accordingly, we reverse the trial court's summary judgment, remand for entry of summary judgment in favor of WIGA, and direct that the UIM coverage available to Marks be set at $50,000.[1]

FACTS

Marks worked as a charter van driver for Blue Star, a Washington corporation. Blue Star purchased an automobile insurance policy from Reliance Insurance Company with liability coverage of $750,000. But Blue Star's representative[2] signed a form selecting UIM coverage of $50,000.

On December 14, 1997, Marks was involved in an accident in a Blue Star company van. Marks asserted a liability claim against the other driver, settled the claim, and collected $25,000, the limit of the other driver's liability policy. Marks sought UIM benefits from Reliance.

A Pennsylvania court ordered Reliance into liquidation in 2001. The liquidation made Reliance an "insolvent insurer" under the Washington Insurance Guaranty Association Act, chapter 48.32 RCW. See RCW 48.32.030(5).[3] WIGA, a State nonprofit unincorporated entity, is obligated to pay defined "covered claims" arising from insurance policies of insolvent insurers. RCW 48.32.060. WIGA thus assumed Reliance's duties and obligations. But by statute, WIGA's liability is limited to the lesser of the coverage provided by the insurer or $299,900. RCW 48.32.060(1)(a).[4]

*354 WIGA took the position that Blue Star's UIM policy limit was $50,000 based on the rejection form signed by Blue Star's representative, but Marks disputed the effectiveness of Blue Star's rejection and asserted that Blue Star's UIM limit should be $750,000, the amount of its liability coverage.[5]

Marks sought a declaratory judgment setting the amount of available coverage[6] and moved for partial summary judgment. WIGA WIGA filed a cross-motion for partial summary judgment seeking a declaration that limits of the UIM policy were $50,000. The trial court ruled that the form Reliance used was not an effective rejection of UIM coverage and set coverage at $299,900. The court also awarded Marks attorney fees. WIGA appeals.

ANALYSIS

AMOUNT OF UIM COVERAGE

On review of summary judgment, we engage in the same inquiry as the trial court. Wilson v. Steinbach, 98 Wash.2d 434, 437, 656 P.2d 1030 (1982). Summary judgment is appropriate "if the pleadings, depositions ... [and] affidavits, if any, 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." CR 56(c). A material fact is one upon which the outcome of the litigation depends. Clements v. Travelers Indem. Co., 121 Wash.2d 243, 249, 850 P.2d 1298 (1993); Cochran v. Great West Cas. Co., 116 Wash.App. 636, 641, 67 P.3d 1123 (2003). Like the trial court, we consider facts submitted and all reasonable inferences from those facts in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. Clements, 121 Wash.2d at 249, 850 P.2d 1298. Summary judgment is appropriate only if, from all the evidence, reasonable persons could reach but one conclusion. Wilson, 98 Wash.2d at 437, 656 P.2d 1030.

In Washington motor vehicle insurance policies, UIM limits equal liability coverage limits unless the insured specifically rejects the (usually higher) liability coverage amount. RCW 48.22.030 provides:

(2) No new policy or renewal of an existing policy insuring against loss resulting from liability imposed by law for bodily injury, death, or property damage, suffered by any person arising out of the ownership, maintenance, or use of a motor vehicle shall be issued with respect to any motor vehicle registered or principally garaged in this state unless coverage is provided ... for the protection of persons insured thereunder who are legally entitled to recover damages from owners or operators of underinsured motor vehicles, hit-and-run motor vehicles, and phantom vehicles because of bodily injury, death, or property damage....
(3) Except as to property damage, coverage required under subsection (2) of this section shall be in the same amount as the insured's third party liability coverage unless the insured rejects all or part of the coverage as provided in subsection (4) of this section.

(Emphasis added.) See Cochran, 116 Wash.App. at 641, 67 P.3d 1123.

But insureds may entirely reject UIM coverage under RCW 48.22.030(4): "A named insured or spouse may reject, in writing, underinsured coverage for bodily injury or death, or property damage, and the requirements of subsections (2) and (3) of this section shall not apply."

Here, Blue Star's representative signed the following document:

Insured: Blue Star Services dba Vancouver Airporter
Policy Number: SH2534683

I acknowledge that:

(1) RELIANCE INSURANCE COMPANY is required by statute to offer me Uninsured Motorists Coverage and/or Underinsured Motorists Coverage equal to the bodily injury limits of liability of my policy with the option to reject these coverages or to select a lower limit of *355 Uninsured and/or Underinsured Motorist Coverage.
(2) I hereby select the following option:
( ) I hereby reject the: UNINSURED MOTORISTS COVERAGE
UNDERINSURED MOTORISTS COVERAGE
(X) I desire that the limits of liability for the:
UNINSURED MOTORISTS COVERAGE
UNDERINSURED MOTORISTS COVERAGE

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Bluebook (online)
94 P.3d 352, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/marks-v-washington-ins-guar-assn-washctapp-2004.