Perkins v. Perkins

284 S.W.2d 603, 1955 Mo. App. LEXIS 234
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 3, 1955
Docket22279
StatusPublished
Cited by32 cases

This text of 284 S.W.2d 603 (Perkins v. Perkins) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Perkins v. Perkins, 284 S.W.2d 603, 1955 Mo. App. LEXIS 234 (Mo. Ct. App. 1955).

Opinions

V. C. ROSE, Special Judge.

In October 19S4, while the automobile of defendant-respondent Bessie Perkins was insured by the defendant-respondent State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company under a policy of liability insurance in which she was the named insured, John Perkins, plaintiff-appellant, whose relationship, if any, to Bessie Perkins is not shown and under the situation here presented is. immaterial, was driving the automobile with her permission she being a passenger therein. The car upset, Bessie Perkins claiming certain alleged injuries thereby received to. be the fault of John Perkins, sued him for damages and he called upon the-State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company to defend him.

This the latter refused to do on the ground that by the terms of its policy the named insured was excluded from making a claim against an additional insured and likewise the additional insured was unprotected in such event.

Upon the refusal of the company to afford him protection John Perkins brought a suit against the defendants for a declaratory judgment defining the rights and liabilities of the parties hereto under the insurance contract above mentioned. In his. petition plaintiff after alleging the differences between the parties regarding coverage also alleged that under the policy the Company was liable because of the provisions of the Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Law. V.A.M.S. § 303.010 et seq.

The defendant Company filed a separate motion to dismiss and in the alternative if that were denied to strike the portion regarding the Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Law. The defendant Bessie Perkins filed a separate motion to dismiss because of no claim stated and that no jus-ticiable controversy was pleaded. The trial court made and entered a judgment overruling that part of defendant Company’s motion to strike the allegations pertaining [605]*605to the Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Law, and further finding that plaintiff’s petition failed to state a claim entitling him to the relief sought in his petition and that the Insurance Company was and is not obligated to defend plaintiff or to pay any judgment which might be rendered against him in the suit of Bessie Perkins, sustained both motions to dismiss and dismissed the petition.

The provisions of the policy material to a determination of this case are as follows:

“A
“Insuring Agreements
“I. Coverage A — Bodily Injury Liability.
“To pay on behalf of the insured all sums which the insured shall become legally obligated to pay as damages because of bodily injury, sickness or disease, including death at any time resulting therefrom, sustained by any person, caused by accident and arising out of the ownership, maintenance or use of the automobile.”
“Coverage B — Property Damage Liability.
“To pay on behalf of the insured all sums which the insured shall become legally obligated to pay as damages because of injury to or destruction of property, including the loss of use thereof, caused by accident and arising out of the ownership, maintenance or use of the automobile.”
“B
“II. Defense, Settlement Supplementary Payments.
“As respects the insurance afforded by the other terms of this policy under Coverages A and B the Company shall:
“(a) defend any suit against the insured alleging such injury, sickness, disease, or destruction, and seeking damages on account thereof, even if such suit is groundless, false or fraudulent; but the Company may make such investigation, negotiation and settlement of any claim or suit as it deems expedient.”
“C
“III. Definition of Insured.
“With respect to the insurance for bodily injury liability, for property damage liability atid for medical payments the unqualified wor'd ‘insured’ includes the named insured and also includes any person while-using the automobile and any person or organization legally responsible for the use-thereof, provided the actual use of the automobile is by the named insured or with his permission.”
“D
“Exclusions — This Policy Does Not Apply.
“(e) Under Coverage A, to any obligation for which the insured or any Company as his insurer may be held liable under any Workmen’s Compensation law; or to the-insured or any member of the family of the insured residing in the same household as. the insured.”
“E
“Conditions 1 to 12 inclusive apply to the-coverage or coverages noted thereunder.
“6. Final Responsibility Laws— Coverages A and B.
“Such insurance as is afforded by this; policy for bodily injury liability or property damage liability shall comply with the provisions of the Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law of any state or province which shall be applicable with respect to. any such liability arising out of the -ownership, maintenance or use of the automobile during the policy period; to the extent of the Coverage and limits of liability required by such law, but in no event in excess of the limits of liability stated in this policy. The insured agrees to reimburse the Company for any payment made by the Company which it would not have been obligated to make under the terms of this policy except for the agreement contained in this paragraph.”

Other pertinent provisions of the insured agreements of the policy are: “The insurance with respect to any person or organization other than the named insured does not apply:

[606]*606“(a) to any person or organization, or to any agent or employee thereof, operating any automobile repair shop, public garage, sales agency, service station or public parking place, with respect to any accident arising out of the operation thereof;
“(b) to any employee with respect to injury to or sickness, disease or death of another employee of the same employer injured in the course of such employment in an accident arising out of the maintenance or use of the automobile in the business of such employer.”

Plaintiff contends that the general rule is that the additional insured is protected under a liability policy in the suit brought by the named insured. That the Motor Vehicle Responsibility Law of Missouri is a part and parcel of the policy by force of law and that if paragraph (e) of the exclusions means what the Company asserts, it is void because it is in conflict with Section 303.190, V.A.M.S. That if not void as in conflict with the statute, then said sections and the provision of the paragraph designated as Coverage A under Section I and Section 3 of the insuring agreement create an ambiguity which must be construed against the Insurance Company, which would thereby afford protection to the additional insured. ■ -

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

Related

Hearty v. Harris
574 So. 2d 1234 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1991)
American Family Mutual Insurance Co. v. Ward
789 S.W.2d 791 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1990)
Protective Casualty Insurance Co. v. Cook
734 S.W.2d 898 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1987)
Wisdom v. Stonewall Insurance Co.
487 N.E.2d 1289 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1986)
Cameron Mutual Insurance Co. v. Hughes
690 S.W.2d 424 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1985)
Canal Ins. Co. v. Warren
496 F. Supp. 1301 (E.D. Missouri, 1980)
Transport Indemnity Co. v. Teter
575 S.W.2d 780 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1978)
State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. v. Thomas
549 S.W.2d 616 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1977)
Empire Fire and Marine Insurance Co. v. Brake
472 S.W.2d 18 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1971)
Roberts v. Jersey Insurance Company of New York
457 S.W.2d 244 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1970)
National Indemnity Company v. Harper
295 F. Supp. 749 (W.D. Missouri, 1969)
John Tenopir v. State Farm Mutual Co.
403 F.2d 533 (Ninth Circuit, 1968)
Tickner v. Union Insurance Company
425 S.W.2d 483 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1968)
Newark Insurance v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance
436 P.2d 353 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 1968)
Gabel v. Bird
422 S.W.2d 341 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1967)
Union Electric Co. v. Pacific Indemnity Co.
422 S.W.2d 87 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1967)
Hart v. National Indemnity Company
422 P.2d 1015 (Alaska Supreme Court, 1967)
Helmkamp v. American Family Mutual Insurance Co.
407 S.W.2d 559 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1966)
Farmers Insurance Exchange v. Frederick
244 Cal. App. 2d 776 (California Court of Appeal, 1966)
Jenkins v. Mayflower Insurance Exchange
380 P.2d 145 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1963)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
284 S.W.2d 603, 1955 Mo. App. LEXIS 234, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/perkins-v-perkins-moctapp-1955.