National Union Fire Insurance v. Villanueva

716 F. Supp. 450, 1989 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7465, 1989 WL 73302
CourtDistrict Court, D. Hawaii
DecidedJuly 3, 1989
DocketCiv. 88-00522 DAE
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 716 F. Supp. 450 (National Union Fire Insurance v. Villanueva) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Hawaii primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
National Union Fire Insurance v. Villanueva, 716 F. Supp. 450, 1989 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7465, 1989 WL 73302 (D. Haw. 1989).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART PLAINTIFF AND COUNTERCLAIM DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT; AND DENYING DEFENDANT AND COUNTERCLAIM PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT

DAVID A. EZRA, District Judge.

This is an action for declaratory relief brought by an insurer against its insured arising out of a fatal motor vehicle accident involving a sixteen year-old cyclist and an uninsured automobile. Plaintiff National Union Fire Insurance Company (“NUFIC”) requests the court to hold that it is not obligated to provide uninsured motorist coverage to the estate of David William Villanueva (“David William”) under a policy issued by it to David B. and Allison Villanueva (“David B. and Allison”). The defendants and counterclaimants (referred to collectively as “the Villanuevas”) seek recovery of stacked no-fault, underinsured motorist, and uninsured motorist benefits under the David B. and Allison policy as well as the policy issued by NUFIC to David William’s parents, David and Lucille Villanueva (“David and Lucille”). In addition, the defendant and counterclaimants request this court to find there exists separate limits of liability under the respective policies for each family member for the wrongful death of David William and for emotional distress.

This matter is before the court pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 56 on plaintiff and defendants’ cross-motions for summary judgment with respect to defendants’ counterclaims asserted in this action and on plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment as to its claim for declaratory relief.

I. Background

On January 9, 1988, David William, aged 16, died as a result of injuries sustained when he was struck by an uninsured motor vehicle. On the date of the accident, there was in force a valid and effective automobile insurance policy issued by NUFIC to David and Lucille, David William’s adoptive parents (and natural grandparents), covering three automobiles. The limits of liability of the David and Lucille policy include no-fault, uninsured motorist and underin-sured motorist coverage in the amounts of $15,000, $35,000 and $35,000, respectively.

There was also in force a separate automobile insurance policy issued by NUFIC to David B. and Allison covering one automobile. (David B. is the natural son of David and Lucille.) The limits of liability provided by the David B. and Allison policy were identical to those in the David and Lucille policy.

David William lived with David and Lucille at 86-113 Puhawai Road in Waianae. He received all of his financial support from David and Lucille and they claimed him as a dependent for tax purposes. The property at 86-113 Puhawai Road is a one acre tract owned by David and Lucille on which two houses, connected by a single covered patio, are located. Each house is a self-contained residential unit having its own telephone, kitchen, washing machine, T.V. and electric meter.

Prior to the accident, David and Lucille, with David William, lived in one of the houses, while David B. and Allison and their children lived in the other. David and Lucille paid for the upkeep and maintained property and casualty insurance on both houses. David B., however, did general yard maintenance on the entire property. The families were frequently in each other’s house, often ate meals and entertained together, and used each other’s motor vehicles. However, each family separately paid the utilities charged to its respective residence, washed its own laundry, and purchased its own groceries.

*453 Upon David William’s death, NUFIC paid his estate $15,000 in no-fault benefits and stacked uninsured motorist benefits in the total amount of $105,000 (3 insured motor vehicles X $35,000) pursuant to the David and Lucille policy. NUFIC has paid no underinsured motorist benefits under the David and Lucille policy and has not paid any benefits pursuant to the David B. and Allison policy.

II. Decision of the Court

A. Summary Judgment Standard

Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c) provides for summary judgment when:

... the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the 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.

The movant bears the initial burden of “identifying ... those portions of the material on file that it believes demonstrates the absence of any genuine issue of material fact.” T. W. Electrical Service, Inc. v. Pacific Electrical Contractors Ass’n, 809 F.2d 626, 630 (9th Cir.1987) (citing Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322-23, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2552-53, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986)). If the movant has met its burden, then “the non-moving party must show that there are ‘genuine factual issues that properly can be resolved only by a finder of fact because they may reasonably be in favor of either party.’ ” California Arch. Bldg. Prod. v. Franciscan Ceramics, 818 F.2d 1466, 1468 (9th Cir.1987) (quoting Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242,106 S.Ct. 2505, 2511, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986)), cert. denied, — U.S. -, 108 S.Ct. 698, 699, 98 L.Ed.2d 650 (1988). When the “evidence” produced by each side conflicts, “the judge must assume the truth of the evidence set forth by the opposing party with respect to that fact.” Inferences from the facts, disputed and undisputed alike, must be drawn in the light most favorable to the opposing party. T.W. Electrical, 809 F.2d at 631. These genuine factual issues must be supported by significant probative evidence. Commodity Futures Trading Comm’n v. Savage, 611 F.2d 270, 282 (9th Cir.1979). Hence, the nonmoving party may not stand on its pleadings or merely assert it will controvert the movant’s evidence at trial. See T. W. Electrical, 809 F.2d at 630. Simple disagreement about a material issue of fact, therefore, no longer precludes the use of summary judgment. California Arch. Bldg. Prod., 808 F.2d at 1466.

B. Stacking of No-Fault, Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Benefits

1. Basic No-Fault Insurance Coverage

The Villanuevas claim that stacking of basic no-fault benefits is permissible under Hawaii’s statutory scheme. The Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, however, has squarely addressed this issue and reached the opposite conclusion. Rana v. Bishop Insurance of Hawaii, Inc., 6 Haw. App. 1, 713 P.2d 1363 (1985).

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Bluebook (online)
716 F. Supp. 450, 1989 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7465, 1989 WL 73302, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/national-union-fire-insurance-v-villanueva-hid-1989.