Nationwide Mutual Insurance v. Simms

231 F. Supp. 787, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6655
CourtDistrict Court, D. Maryland
DecidedJuly 16, 1964
DocketCiv. A. No. 14610
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 231 F. Supp. 787 (Nationwide Mutual Insurance v. Simms) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Maryland primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Nationwide Mutual Insurance v. Simms, 231 F. Supp. 787, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6655 (D. Md. 1964).

Opinion

R. DORSEY WATKINS, District Judge.

This is a suit brought by the plaintiff insurance company, a corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of Ohio and having its principal place of business in the State of Ohio, for a declaratory judgment against John T. Simms, the owner of a bus involved in a collision; Eugene Vaughn, the operator of said bus; and the remaining defendants, parties injured in or through the collision. All of the defendants are citizens of the State of Maryland. As the amount in controversy exceeds, exclusive of interest and costs, the sum of $10,000, the jurisdiction of this court is allegedly based upon diversity of citizenship.

The complaint alleges that all of the injured parties have made claims arising out of personal injuries or property damage suffered as a result of the collision. Certainly all of the injured parties are potential parties plaintiff in litigation against both Simms and Vaughn. Indeed prior to this complaint for declaratory relief having been filed, Bert Robinson and Eliza Robinson, as surviving parents of Shirley Robinson, a minor, deceased, and Bert Robinson, as administrator of the estate of Shirley Robinson, a minor, deceased, and Bert Robinson in his own right, instituted suit in the Superior Court of Baltimore City against the defendants, Simms and Vaughn. Since the institution of the instant declaratory judgment suit Joshua Jones, James Jones, and Howard Steward have each instituted a separate suit in the Superior Court of Baltimore City against Simms and Vaughn.

On the date of the accident there was in full force and effect an automobile liability policy which had been issued to the defendant Simms by the plaintiff insurance carrier. The terms of the policy provided coverage for a Chevrolet bus owned by Simms up to the limits of $10,-000 for each injury to one person and $300,000 for each accident, for all sums which those entitled to protection should become legally obligated to pay as damages arising out of the ownership, maintenance or use of the Chevrolet bus because of personal injuries or property damages. The protection afforded by the policy extended to the named insured and under the usual “omnibus clause” to any other person responsible for the use of the bus provided the actual use was with the permission of the named insured. In addition, the policy contained “conditions” among which were the giving of written notice by or on behalf of the insured to the company of any accident or occurrence as soon as practicable; in the event of a claim having been made or suit having been brought against the insured, the immediate forwarding to the company of every demand, notice, summons or other process received by insured; and [789]*789the assistance and cooperation of the insured in connection with any claim or suit.

The purpose of and the relief prayed for in this suit is a declaration (1) that the plaintiff insured is under no duty or obligation to appear and defend any presently pending, or future, claims or suits of any of the injured defendants against defendant Vaughn or to assume any liability for the acts of the said Vaughn because at the time and place of the accident he was not operating the Chevrolet bus with the permission of the named insured; and (2) that the plaintiff insurer is under no duty or obligation to appear and defend any presently pending, or future, claims or suits of the injured defendants against defendant Simms or to afford him any protection under his policy because Simms failed and refused to deliver to the plaintiff all papers in connection with the claims or suits arising out of the collision herein involved and failed and refused to cooperate and assist the plaintiff in connection with claims or suits pending against him as required by the terms of his liability insurance policy. In addition, a temporary restraining order or a temporary injunction or both are sought against the injured defendants to enjoin the prosecution of presently pending and future suits against Simms and Vaughn for damages for personal injuries or property damage arising out of the accident.

The first question before the court is whether or not the court has jurisdiction over this suit, and if so, whether or not the court should exercise its discretion in favor of entertaining jurisdiction.

Diversity of citizenship and the requisite amount in controversy exist between plaintiff and defendant Simms. A typical case for declaratory relief is presented, the plaintiff insurer contending that its duty to defend and its duty to indemnify are both absolved by its insured’s breach of various cooperation clauses in the policy. As was said in Aetna Casualty & Surety Company v. Yeatts, 4 Cir. 1938, 99 F.2d 665, 669:

“ * * * The immediate question which the surety must decide is whether it is obliged to defend the suit against the insured in the state court. Obviously its decision cannot await the determination of that suit, nor need the determination of its duty in this respect interfere with the trial of the state suit. An actual controversy as to its contractual duty has arisen between it and the holder of its policy, and hence such a situation exists as is contemplated by the terms of the statute [authorizing declaratory relief]. Moreover, a question of coverage is involved, for the duty to defend and the duty to indemnify are both absolved by criminal conduct on the part of the insured, and this question may not be conclusively decided in the state suit to which the company is not a party, even though it undertakes the defense. * * * In similar situations it has been held in a number of recent cases that the insurer is entitled to be advised by the court whether or not it is obligated to defend and indemnify the insured against claims upon which suits are threatened or have already been brought.”

None of the defendants contends that as between plaintiff insurer and Simms, its named insured, an appropriate case for retaining jurisdiction for the granting or refusal of declaratory relief does not exist.

However, the injured defendants urge that the controversy between the plaintiff insurer on one side and the defendant Vaughn and themselves on the other side, raising the issue of whether or not at the time and place of the accident Vaughn was operating the bus with the permission of the named insured so as to come within the coverage of the policy issued to Simms, under the “omnibus clause” definition of an insured, that is the issue of “permissive use”, raises [790]*790the same issue, which has already been presented for consideration in the pending state court proceedings and thus, following the rationale of such cases as Aetna Casualty & Surety Company v. Quarles, 4 Cir. 1938, 92 F.2d 321; Maryland Casualty Insurance v. Boyle Construction Company, 4 Cir. 1941, 123 F.2d 558; American Fidelity & Casualty Company v. Service Oil Company, 4 Cir. 1947, 164 F.2d 478, this court should decline to take jurisdiction over the controversy between the plaintiff insurer and the injured defendants and defendant Vaughn.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
231 F. Supp. 787, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6655, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nationwide-mutual-insurance-v-simms-mdd-1964.