Millers Mutual Fire Insurance Co. of Texas v. Mitchell

392 S.W.2d 703
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJuly 8, 1965
Docket148
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 392 S.W.2d 703 (Millers Mutual Fire Insurance Co. of Texas v. Mitchell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Millers Mutual Fire Insurance Co. of Texas v. Mitchell, 392 S.W.2d 703 (Tex. Ct. App. 1965).

Opinion

DUNAGAN, Chief Justice.

This cause of action was instituted in the 115th District Court of Upshur County on November 21, 1962, by the appellee, Cornelius J. Mitchell, Jr., against the appellant, The Millers Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Texas, under the collision section of the Texas Standard Family Automobile Policy issued by appellant to appellee covering loss by damages to his automobile, which policy provided for $100.00 deductible from the actual cash value. This suit resulted from an automobile driven by John E. Whitehead, into the side of an automobile driven by Cornelius J. Mitchell, Jr., the appellee in this case, on October 11, 1960, which resulted in . extensive damage to Mitchell’s automobile and personal injuries to himself. The appellant filed its answer to appellee’s petition resisting payment of appellee’s claim on the ground that a sworn proof of loss had not been filed within 91 days as required by the policy, estoppel, laches and stale demand.

The appellee affirmatively pleaded waiver of proof of loss by appellant and substantial compliance with the terms of the policy by appellee.

The trial court, submitted all of the above theories by Special Issues to the jury and the jury answered all the issues against appellant.

The trial court entered judgment in favor of appellee in the sum of $691.00 based on the jury verdict.

At the conclusion of the evidence, appellant filed a motion for instructed verdict, which was denied, and thereafter a motion for judgment non obstante veredicto and amended motion for a new trial, both of which were denied.

David Swann, an insurance adjuster, was requested by Stropp-Davis Insurance Agency, the writer of the policy, to investigate this accident. Swann interviewed Mitchell one or two days after the accident and took a sworn written statement from him at that time as to how the accident happened. It is not shown that this statement contained any proof of the loss sustained by appel-lee as a result of the damages to his automobile. He also viewed the wrecked automobile which he said was a total loss. On this occasion Swann told Mitchell that since his car was a total loss, that they could go ahead and effect settlement at this time and since he (Mitchell) was then going into the hospital, that they could wait a few days and come back and take a proof of loss from him at a later date. In reply, Mitchell stated he did not wish to collect under his insurance policy at that time, but wanted to see if the liability carrier for Whitehead *705 would pay for his injuries and damages to his car. Swann next saw Mitchell about a week or week and a half later at which time Mitchell told him he was waiting for Charles Wyatt, who was the claim adjuster for Traders & General Insurance Company, which had the liability insurance coverage on Whitehead’s car, to arrive to discuss settlement with him. Swann saw Mitchell again about two weeks later and Mitchell stated at that time that he did not wish to settle against his own policy, that he was in the process of effecting a settlement with Charles Wyatt, and that he was negotiating for settlement for his personal injuries and property damage to his car. Swann testified that after the above mentioned contacts, he never attempted to contact Mitchell any more in regard to settling with him, because Mitchell had told him he did not want to settle with them. He further testified that he reported to the appellant the statements of Mitchell that he did not desire to turn in a claim against his policy for damages to his car.

Mitchell testified that in his first meeting with Swann that Swann told him he would pay him any time he wanted his money. That some time way later, he did make demand on Swann for his money. He did not know when he made this demand and did not know whether it was before or after his settlement with Whitehead.

We should state here that Mitchell instituted suit against Whitehead in Gregg County seeking to recover only for his personal injuries as a result of this collision. This suit was disposed of by settlement in which Mitchell received $3,150.00. The record does not show what date the suit was instituted against Whitehead or the date of the settlement and disposition thereof. It was prior to the filing of the suit by Mitchell against The Millers Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Texas now before us.

Mitchell testified that the accident was entirely the fault of Whitehead and he wanted Whitehead to pay for his damages.

We think the record clearly reveals that whether Mitchell asserted a claim against the appellant for damages to his automobile depended on the disposition of his claim against Whitehead.

The parties entered into the following written stipulation:

“IT IS STIPULATED in this cause by the Plaintiff, Cornelius J. Mitchell, Jr. that he did not file a sworn proof of loss within 91 days after incurring his alleged loss with the Defendant, Millers Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Texas, under the provisions of Policy No. 1265714, issued to Cornelius J. Mitchell, Jr. by the said Millers Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Texas.”

In its first point, appellant says: “The judgment of the Court can not stand at law because the undisputed evidence shows that Appellee did not file a sworn Proof of Loss with the Appellant within 91 days after such loss occurred, which sworn Proof of Loss was a condition precedent to any action upon the insurance policy against the Appellant.” We sustain this point.

The parties having stipulated that Mitchell did not file a sworn proof of loss within 91 days as required by the policy, then the controlling question for this court to determine is whether the evidence adduced on the trial of this case is sufficient to show a waiver by appellant of the provision in the policy requiring appellee to file within 91 days of loss his sworn proof of loss.

The filing of a proof of loss, unless waived, is made a prerequisite to recover upon the policy. McKay v. American Central Ins. Co., 245 S.W.2d 529, (Tex.Civ.App.) 1952, no writ history.

Part III of the policy sued upon is styled “Physical Damage” and reads as follows:

“ACTION AGAINST COMPANY No action shall lie against the company unless, as a condition precedent there *706 to, there shall have been full compliance with all the terms of this policy nor, until 30 days after proof of loss is filed and the amount of loss is determined as provided in this policy.
INSURED’S DUTIES IN EVENT OF LOSS In the event of loss the insured shall: (a) Protect the automobile, whether or not loss is covered by this policy, and any further loss due to the insured’s failure to protect shall not be recoverable under this policy; reasonable expenses incurred in affording such protection shall be deemed incurred at the company’s request; (b) file with the company, within 91 days after loss, his sworn proof of loss in such form and including such information as the company may reasonably require and shall, upon the company’s request, exhibit the damaged property and submit to examination under oath.”
And the policy further provides that:

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Bluebook (online)
392 S.W.2d 703, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/millers-mutual-fire-insurance-co-of-texas-v-mitchell-texapp-1965.