Pirkle v. American Liberty Insurance

247 F. Supp. 1018, 1965 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7619
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Georgia
DecidedDecember 14, 1965
DocketCiv. A. No. 9148
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 247 F. Supp. 1018 (Pirkle v. American Liberty Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pirkle v. American Liberty Insurance, 247 F. Supp. 1018, 1965 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7619 (N.D. Ga. 1965).

Opinion

SLOAN, Senior District Judge.

This is a diversity action and the jurisdictional facts alleged are not controverted.

Plaintiff in his complaint alleges that on September 1,1961, while plaintiff was operating Paul Tyler’s automobile, with Tyler’s consent, the automobile injured James A. Bates.

Hereafter Henry T. Pirkle will be referred to as “plaintiff”; the American Liberty Insurance Company will be referred to as “American”; Hartford Accident & Indemnity Company will be referred to as “Hartford”; Paul Tyler will be referred to as “Tyler”; and James A. Bates will be referred to as “Bates”.

The complaint alleges that plaintiff had on September 1, 1961, an automobile liability policy with American and on that date Tyler had an automobile liability policy with Hartford. That Hartford’s policy provided coverage to plaintiff while operating the automobile with Tyler’s permission.

The complaint alleges that Bates sued plaintiff in Fulton Superior Court, Suit No. A-94405, claiming $85,000 damages for injuries to Bates on September 1, 1961. The suit was served on plaintiff on July 9, 1962. The plaintiff requested American to defend the action, delivering to American a copy of petition and process and on July 13, 1962, American returned the same to plaintiff and refused to defend the suit.

The plaintiff on July 19, 1962, delivered the petition and process to Hartford and that Hartford on July 25, 1962, returned same to plaintiff and refused to defend the suit.

Complaint alleges that on July 25, 1962, plaintiff was served with a petition and process, Suit No. A-94S36, in Fulton [1020]*1020Superior Court wherein Mrs. James Bates sought to recover of plaintiff $25,000 for loss of services and consortium because of the injuries to Bates on September 1, 1961.

Complaint alleges that because of the refusal of the defendants American and Hartford to defend the action, plaintiff employed the law firm of Powell, Gold-stein, Frazer and Murphy to defend same.

Complaint alleges that Bates’ case was tried on March 30, 1964 through April 1, 1964, and that the jury rendered a verdict against plaintiff in the sum of $8,500 and that Mrs. Bates’ suit is still pending. Complaint alleges that on June 8, 1964, plaintiff demanded of American and then of Hartford that it pay the judgment and the court costs and attorney’s fees and expenses incurred by plaintiff in behalf of his own defense and that on June 12, 1964, American refused plaintiff’s demand and on June 19, 1964, Hartford denied plaintiff’s demand. The complaint alleges that the defendants’ refusal to defend Mr. Bates’ suit has damaged plaintiff as follows: (a) Expenses $213.17, (b) attorney’s fees $3,-535, (c) judgment $8,500 and (d) court costs $50.10.

The plaintiff contends that the defendants are jointly indebted to him in said sums plus 7 percent interest from April 1, 1964 through the date of judgment in this Court. The plaintiff further asks that this Court declare that the defendants are obligated to defend plaintiff in Mrs. Bates’ suit and within the limits of their liability to satisfy any judgment which may be rendered against plaintiff.

American makes answer and admits that plaintiff held a policy of automobile liability insurance issued by American but denies that said policy provided coverage with respect to the occurrence which is the subject matter of plaintiff’s complaint.

American contends that its policy held by the plaintiff expressly excluded coverage to a non-owned automobile while used in the automobile business by the insured and that the occurrence which is the subject matter of plaintiff's complaint arose from the use of a non-owned automobile while used in the automobile business by the insured within the meaning of the policy with the result that no coverage is or was afforded by said policy with respect to this occurrence.

For the above reason American contends that the Court should declare no coverage as to the plaintiff in Mrs. Bates’ case.

Hartford makes answer and says its policy to Tyler expressly excluded any coverage to plaintiff at the time and place and under the circumstances of plaintiff’s operation of said automobile on September 1, 1961, for plaintiff, as an employee of Boomershine Pontiac, Inc., was using the automobile of Tyler in the automobile business for the purpose of appraising the value preliminary to the trading of same by Tyler with Boomershine Pontiac, Inc.

Hartford further contends that Bates was a fellow employee of plaintiff with Boomershine Pontiac, Inc. and in the course of his employment at the time of the injury.

Hartford quoting the policy provisions contends that Tyler was the named insured in Item one of the declaration in said policy and the plaintiff an insured, but by reason of the quoted provision no coverage was afforded to the plaintiff under the policy issued by defendant to Tyler and insists that Hartford is therefore not liable to the plaintiff in said matter.

The parties pursued their discovery procedures. The depositions of plaintiff were taken on June 16, 1965, request for admissions were served on plaintiff by Hartford and the same were answered. Request for admissions on behalf of American were served upon plaintiff and answered and after the conclusions of the discovery procedures, the defendant American filed its motion for summary judgment and prays that judgment be entered on behalf of American.

The defendant Hartford filed its motion for summary judgment and prays that summary judgment be granted and that judgment be entered in its favor and [1021]*1021that it be discharged hence with costs upon the plaintiff.

The plaintiff files a cross-motion for summary judgment and prays that the Court enter a summary judgment declaring the defendants to be indebted to plaintiff in the amount of the judgment rendered against plaintiff as well as attorney’s fees, court costs and expenses incurred by plaintiff in behalf of his own defense.

Each of the parties have filed their briefs in support of their respective motions and the motions are now, under the Local Rules of this Court, properly before the Court for determination.

Considering the pleadings, the eviden-tiary matter in the case, the request for admissions and the answers thereto, the depositions of the plaintiff and the copies of the insurance policies appearing in the record the Court makes the following

FINDINGS OF FACT

The plaintiff was an automobile salesman, employed by Boomershine Pontiac, Inc., being an employee of Boomershine in that capacity since 1959. It was his duty to promote and sell new automobiles for his employer. On September 1, 1961, Tyler came in to the Boomershine Pontiac, Inc. and came to plaintiff and Tyler and plaintiff were talking of trading automobiles. Tyler had a 1960 Studebaker that he wanted to trade in and after plaintiff and Tyler had gone through the procedure of writing up and trying to trade, the value that Tyler wanted for his car was high so plaintiff went out to get Tyler’s car to carry it up to Mr. Charlie Mabry to get it appraised. Mr. Charlie Mabry was the used car manager and appraiser for Boomershine Pontiac, Inc.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
247 F. Supp. 1018, 1965 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7619, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pirkle-v-american-liberty-insurance-gand-1965.