Salitrero v. Maryland Casualty Co.

109 S.W.2d 260, 1937 Tex. App. LEXIS 1111
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedSeptember 23, 1937
DocketNo. 3626.
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 109 S.W.2d 260 (Salitrero v. Maryland Casualty Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Salitrero v. Maryland Casualty Co., 109 S.W.2d 260, 1937 Tex. App. LEXIS 1111 (Tex. Ct. App. 1937).

Opinion

NEALON, Chief Justice.

This action was brought by appellant to recover -from appellee the sum of $2,-600, which was the amount of a judgment recovered by appellant against Ward Pass-more on account of personal injuries resulting from a collision between a “pickup” truck driven by the said Passmore and an automobile driven by Ralph Gonzales, Jr., in which Antonio Salitrero, a minor, was riding. The pick-up truck belonged to L. F. Wolcott. The judgment was obtained November 6, 1935. Execution was issued, and no property of said Passmore was found subject to execution. The execution was returned unsatisfied. It was agreed that the judgment was unsatisfied, that it was valid, and at the time of trial was in full force and effect. July 1, 1934, appellee issued its policy of insurance to the said L. F. Wolcott covering liability for personal injury as defined in clause A of the insuring agreements of said policy. The limit of liability for one person 'was $5,000. Appellee had the required notice of the collision. It declined to defend the suit against Passmore, claiming that he was not covered by the policy. Passmore at the time was over the age of 16 years. Demand was made upon ap-pellee for payment of the judgment, and was refused.

The policy sued on, and which was introduced in evidence, stipulated in item IV that “assured’s occupation or business is farmer * * * the automobile described is and will be used for the following purposes Commercial * * * The term ‘commercial,’ when used, is defined as the transportation or - delivery and the loading and unloading of goods or merchandise in direct connection with the assured’s occupation as expressed above.”

The policy further provided, in reference to coverage for bodily injuries or death, that: “The insurance granted is as follows: Clause A, against loss from liability imposed by law upon the assured for damage (direct or consequential) on account of bodily injuries, including death resulting therefrom,, accidentally suffered or alleged to have been suffered by any person or persons, caused by or through the ownership, maintenance or operation of any automobile described in the schedule, and used for the purposes named therein, or by the loading or unloading of merchandise carried on any .such automobile provided for the transportation of such merchandise. and so specified in the schedule.”

Yet another provision was: “The insurance provided by this policy is hereby made available, in the same manner and undeir the same conditions as it is available to the named assured, to any person operating, and/or to any other person while riding in, 'and/or to any person, firm or corporation legally responsible for the operation of, any of the automobiles described in the schedule, provided the use and operation thereof are lawful and with the permission of the named assured, or, if the named assured be an individual, with the permission of an adult member of the named assured’s household other than a chauffeur or a domestic servant,” etc. The policy contained a further provision to the effect that: “This policy does not cover: * * * (4) while the said automobile or automobiles are (a) being used for purposes other than those specified in the schedule.”

By a rider attached to the policy it was provided: “33. — Farmer’s or Private Estate Truck. TJhe named insured declares, as evidenced by the acceptance of this endorsement, that the automobile described in the policy as a farm truck or as a private estate truck, is or will be used principally on or about the premises at the location stated in the policy, and in connection with the operation of the named insured’s farm or private estate.”

At the time Salitrero was injured Pass-more was returning from a visit to Zara-gosa, Mex., where he had been on a pleasure trip, and was at least partially under the influence of liquor. In fact, one witness, a deputy sheriff, testified that he was “just dead drunk.” He was prosecuted for driving an automobile while intoxicated, and pleaded guilty.

Passmore had been working for Wolcott on Wolcott’s ranch. The collision took place one Sunday morning. On the preceding night Passmore had agreed to return to do a little work on the tractor. *262 Wolcott let Passmore have the truck for the purpose of returning to Passmore’s home and coming back to work the next morning. In going to Zaragosa, Pass-more was not engaged upon any mission for Wolcott. Wolcott’s home was about a mile and a half from Passmore’s. Zara-gosa, is approximately 8 miles from Pass-more’s home. The collision took place on the road that connects Zaragosa with the town of Ysleta, a road that does not connect Passmore’s home with Wolcott’s farm. Wolcott did not give Passmore permission to take the truck to Zaragosa; his permission was limited to the use of the truck for .transportation from Wol-cott’s farm to Passmore’s home and back.

But one issue was submitted to the jury, and that was answered affirmatively. It read: “Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that Ward Passmore had permission from L. F. Wolcott to take the truck described by the plaintiff for the purpose of going home and returning in it to the Wolcott farm next morning?”

Upon motion by appellee, judgment non obstante veredicto 'was entered in its favor, It is from this judgment that appellant appeals.

Opinion.

It is the contention of appellant that as Passmore, in the first instance, secured •permission from Wolcott to use the truck, that permission was broad enough to cover its use on the trip to Zaragosa. Counsel upon both sides agree that there are no reported cases from the Appellate Courts of Texas applying the so-called “Omnibus Clause” of liability insurance policies to a similar state of facts. Each litigant has called the court’s attention to persuasive authority in the way of cases from the federal courts and the courts of other states.

We think the contention of appellant that liability attached is unsound for two reasons: First, the truck was not being used for commercial purposes; second, Passmore did not have the permission of Wolcott to use the truck for the trip to Zaragosa, or for-any other trip than the one from Wolcott’s farm to Pass-more’s home and back. .Acting within its rights, the insurance company limited its liability by contract to occasions when the truck should be used for commercial purposes. It is not the province of the court to enlarge the obligations of that contract. Neither is it the court’s function to attach to Wolcott’s bailment of the truck to Passmore greater scope than was attached to it by the parties.

Our holding we think is in harmony with the decisions in this state which require one attempting to recover under the provisions of an insurance policy to bring himself within the terms of the policy. We think upon the other questions it is likewise in harmony with the trend of judicial opinion expressed in other jurisdictions, and that the cases relied upon by appellant are readily distinguishable in their facts from the instant case.

In Williams v. American Automobile Insurance Company, 44 F.(2d) 704, a case which arose in the Northern District of Texas, the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit held that where the insurance was against loss resulting from claims for damages -caused by reason of the insured’s ownership or use of an automobile truck subject to the limitation that the

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

Related

Coronado v. Employers' National Insurance Co.
596 S.W.2d 502 (Texas Supreme Court, 1979)
Allstate Insurance Company v. Smith
471 S.W.2d 620 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1971)
Employers Mutual Casualty Company v. Poe
191 So. 2d 541 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1966)
Aetna Insurance Company v. Weatherford
370 S.W.2d 100 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1963)
Wheeler v. Pavlic
290 S.W.2d 754 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1956)
U. S. Trust & Guaranty Co. v. West Texas State Bank
272 S.W.2d 627 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1954)
Olgin v. Employers Mut. Casualty Co.
228 S.W.2d 552 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1950)
Snyder v. St. Paul Mercury Indemnity Co.
191 S.W.2d 107 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1945)
Waldrip v. Lawyers Lloyds of Texas
174 S.W.2d 107 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1943)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
109 S.W.2d 260, 1937 Tex. App. LEXIS 1111, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/salitrero-v-maryland-casualty-co-texapp-1937.