Myska v. New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance

114 A.3d 761, 440 N.J. Super. 458
CourtNew Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division
DecidedMay 8, 2015
StatusPublished
Cited by54 cases

This text of 114 A.3d 761 (Myska v. New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Myska v. New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance, 114 A.3d 761, 440 N.J. Super. 458 (N.J. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

LIHOTZ, P.J.A.D.

On remand from the Supreme Court, we consider these appeals, calendared back-to-back and consolidated for purposes of our opinion. In their putative class action complaint, plaintiffs challenged defendant-insurers’ alleged denial of diminution in value damages, as a covered component of the underinsured and uninsured motorist provisions in their respective automobile insurance policies. The interlocutory orders under review were entered upon defendants’ motions to dismiss plaintiffs’ complaint. Specifically, plaintiffs Patricia C. Myska, Katherine K. Wagner, and John B. Todisco appeal from two March 21, 2014 orders striking their class allegations and dismissing their claims against defendant insurers for violation of the Consumer Fraud Act (CFA), N.J.S.A. 56:8-1 to -195. Prior to discovery, the Law Division judge concluded class certification was improper and the CFA inapplicable. He severed the surviving breach of contract and the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing claims alleged by Myska and Wagner against defendant New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Company (NJM); all claims asserted by Todisco against defendant Palisades Insurance Company (Palisades) were dismissed and the matter was ordered to proceed to arbitration.2

Plaintiffs challenge as premature the denial of their class allegations. Further, they argue the judge erred in ordering the dismissal of their CFA claims and for Todisco to proceed to arbitration.

[466]*466Following our review, we affirm the denial of class certification, agreeing the controversy does not lend itself to a class action because the facts underpinning each plaintiffs claims were dependent upon the individual insurance policy provisions, the distinct vehicle damaged and the specific calculation of damages alleged, which require separate litigation of every action. We also determine the amounts in controversy are not nominal and would not prevent any party’s singular pursuit of relief were their claims individually tried. Finally, specific to the Palisades policy, we determine the arbitration provision is unenforceable as it fails to meet the requirements outlined in Atalese v. U.S. Legal Servs. Grp., L.P., 219 N.J. 430, 99 A.3d 306 (2014), petition for certiorari filed Jan. 21, 2015, and reverse that provision of the Law Division order. Nevertheless, because Todisco failed to file a claim for diminution of value damages, his complaint was properly dismissed. Consequently, the Law Division order is affirmed as modified.

I.

In this section we recite the undisputed facts surrounding each plaintiffs claims taken from the motion record. Because there are two parties insured by NJM, we group together the facts surrounding the claims presented by Myska and Wagner (NJM plaintiffs). We then examine Todiseo’s allegations against Palisades. Finally, we discuss the motions and the trial judge’s findings and conclusions undergirding the challenged orders.

A.

On July 31, 2011, Myska’s 2011 Chevy Equinox suffered physical damage when struck by an uninsured or underinsured tortfea-sor. On November 14, 2012, Wagner’s 2011 Mercedes Benz E350 was struck by a motorist who ran a red light, causing significant damage requiring structural repair. The tortfeasor was either an uninsured or underinsured motorist (UM/UIM). Myska and Wagner were insured under separate automobile policies issued by [467]*467NJM. It is agreed their accidents occurred within their respective policy periods and both submitted claims invoking the respective NJM policy provisions.

NJM satisfied claims for repair of physical damage to the NJM plaintiffs’ vehicles, in accordance with the terms of their respective policies. Despite repair, Myska and Wagner each maintained their vehicles’ values had decreased as a direct result of the accidents. In April 2013, Myska and Wagner separately submitted a second claim for payment, seeking payment for diminution of value.

With respect to the issues raised on appeal, the NJM policies contain identical terms governing payment for diminution of value following conduct by an UM/UIM. Part B of the NJM policies addresses the scope of uninsured motorists coverage, and provides, generally: “[NJM] will pay compensatory damages which an insured is legally entitled to recover from the owner or operator of an uninsured motor vehicle or underinsured motor vehicle” arising from “Lplroperty damage caused by an accident----” “Property damage as used in this endorsement means injury to or destruction of: 1. Your covered auto.”

To support their diminution of value claims, Myska and Wagner separately supplied a report from Collision Consulting (CC), quantifying the amount sought. As to Myska, CC inspected her vehicle to “assess the quality and thoroughness of the repairs performed as well as to determine what effect, if any, the loss ... would have on the value of this vehicle.” CC defined “Inherent Diminishment of Value” as “the loss of value stemming from [an automobile’s] accident history[,] as opposed to the diminishment [of value] that could arise from improper or defective/deficient repair.” CC suggested:

[w]hen a reasonable and prudent consumer is given the choice between two vehicles, one that has sustained previous damage and one that had not ... they will buy the one that has not been involved in an accident if priced the same. For the consumer demand to be equal on the two vehicles, the damaged vehicle, even when properly repaired, must be less in price.
[468]*468It is generally accepted that the proper measure of loss is the difference between the fair market value (FMV) of the property (vehicle) immediately prior to the negligent act and the fair market value after the loss.

Averaging the vehicle’s calculated residual value in a third-party-sale and after a trade-in, CC determined the average residual diminished value for Myska’s vehicle was $14,399. In the report prepared following inspection of Wagner’s vehicle, CC set forth the same definitions and utilized the same methodology to calculate the average residual diminished value of Wagner’s vehicle as $17,524.

Following its receipt, NJM responded to Myska and Wagner in separate, but identical letters, stating “NJM denies payment of [the] diminished value claim[s] at this time.” The letters explained:

[T]o the extent that New Jersey law recognizes claims for diminished value, you have failed to offer sufficient proof of diminished value for [the] vehicle____
In support of your claim, you provided a report by [CC]. The report is insufficient to support a claim for monetary loss. Specifically, the report fails to describe the evidence that supports the author’s conclusion that [the] vehicle sustained a diminished value for a certain amount. No data is provided for the sales price of comparable vehicles that were sold after being involved in an accident. Also the raw data used by the author to come to his conclusion regarding the diminution in value has not been provided.

The letter recited the absence of available authority to guide calculation of the diminished value loss, noting:

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Bluebook (online)
114 A.3d 761, 440 N.J. Super. 458, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/myska-v-new-jersey-manufacturers-insurance-njsuperctappdiv-2015.