Schanowitz v. STATE FARM MUT. AUTO. INS.

702 N.E.2d 629, 299 Ill. App. 3d 843, 234 Ill. Dec. 289, 1998 Ill. App. LEXIS 749
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedNovember 2, 1998
Docket2-97-1015
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 702 N.E.2d 629 (Schanowitz v. STATE FARM MUT. AUTO. INS.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Schanowitz v. STATE FARM MUT. AUTO. INS., 702 N.E.2d 629, 299 Ill. App. 3d 843, 234 Ill. Dec. 289, 1998 Ill. App. LEXIS 749 (Ill. Ct. App. 1998).

Opinion

702 N.E.2d 629 (1998)
299 Ill. App.3d 843
234 Ill.Dec. 289

Mae Sylvia SCHANOWITZ, Independent Adm'r of the Estate of Marlee Anne Kalmin, Deceased, Plaintiff and Counterdefendant-Appellee,
v.
STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY et al., Defendants and Counterplaintiffs-Appellants (Fred Kalmin, Defendant and Counterdefendant-Appellee).

No. 2-97-1015.

Appellate Court of Illinois, Second District.

November 2, 1998.

*630 Frank C. Stevens, John R. Adams, Taylor, Miller, Sprowl, Hoffnagle & Merletti, Chicago, for State Farm Mutual Automobile Ins. Co.

Leo M. Bleiman, Laura Monahan Jarvis, Leo M. Bleiman & Associates, Chicago, for Mae Sylvia Schanowitz.

Charles W. Smith, Rosing, Smith, Ericksen, Zeit & Stanczak, Ltd., Waukegan, for Fred Kalmin.

Justice McLAREN delivered the opinion of the court:

The defendants and counterplaintiffs, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company and State Farm Fire & Casualty Insurance Company (collectively, State Farm), appeal an order of the trial court granting the motion of plaintiff and counterdefendant, Mae Sylvia Schanowitz (Schanowitz), for summary judgment declaring that the household exclusions contained in State Farm's insurance policies were void as against public policy. Therefore, the trial court declared that an umbrella policy issued to Fred Kalmin by State Farm provided coverage for the death of Fred's daughter in the amount of $1 million. We reverse and remand for further proceedings.

On December 23, 1995, Fred struck his daughter, two-year-old Marlee Anne, with his car as he backed out of his garage at their home in Buffalo Grove. Marlee Anne died as a result of injuries caused by the accident.

At the time of the accident, Fred Kalmin was insured under two policies issued by State Farm, a primary automobile liability policy and a public liability umbrella policy (umbrella policy). The primary automobile liability insurance policy provided coverage limits for bodily injury of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence and uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage for the same amounts. The umbrella policy provided coverage limits of $1 million for liability and uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.

After the accident Fred presented a claim to State Farm for the payment of benefits from both policies in the amount of $1 million. State Farm replied that the accident was covered only by the uninsured liability provision of the primary automobile liability policy for the amount of $100,000. State Farm explained that the accident was not *631 covered by the uninsured motorist provision of the umbrella policy because the umbrella policy excluded Fred's vehicle from the definition of "uninsured vehicle."

The household exclusion in the primary automobile liability policy provided:

"THERE IS NO COVERAGE * * *
* * *
2. for any BODILY INJURY TO:
* * *
c. ANY MEMBER OF THE FAMILY OF THE INSURED, RELATED BY BLOOD, MARRIAGE OR ADOPTION, RESIDING IN THE SAME HOUSEHOLD AS THE INSURED. This does not apply when:
(1) a third party has a right of contribution against a member of the injured person's family; or
(2) any person not in the household of the named insured was driving the vehicle of the named insured involved in the accident which is the subject of the claim or lawsuit."

The household exclusion in the umbrella policy provided:

"EXCLUSIONS
We will not provide insurance:
* * *
10. for bodily injury or personal injury to the named insured, spouse, or anyone within the meaning of part a. or b. of the definition of insured."

The referenced parts a. and b. of the umbrella policy define insured as:

"a. the named insureds;
b. the following residents of the named insured's household:
(1) the named insured's relatives; and
(2) anyone under the age of 21 under the care of a person named above[.]"

Further, the umbrella policy's uninsured motorist provision provided:

"An uninsured motor vehicle does not include a land vehicle:
1. insured under the liability coverage of this policy;
2. furnished for your regular use."

Mae Sylvia Schanowitz, who was appointed independent administrator of Marlee Anne's estate, filed a suit against Fred for the wrongful death of Marlee Anne. Schanowitz also filed a declaratory judgment suit against State Farm and Fred, seeking a declaration, in part, that Marlee Anne's death was covered by both policies, Marlee Anne's estate was entitled to benefits in the amount of $1 million, and the exclusion contained in the uninsured motorist provision of the umbrella policy violated public policy.

State Farm tendered the defense of the suit filed against Fred under a reservation of rights. State Farm then filed a counterclaim for declaratory judgment seeking a declaration that there was no liability coverage afforded to Fred arising from the death of Marlee Anne under either policy due to the household exclusions contained in both policies. State Farm also alleged that it had no duty to indemnify or defend Fred in any action brought by Marlee Anne's estate.

State Farm filed a motion for summary judgment based upon its counterclaim and filed a motion for summary judgment based upon Marlee Anne's estate's declaratory judgment claim. This second motion alleged that, because both policies excluded liability coverage for household members, neither policy provided liability coverage to Fred for the death of Marlee Anne. The motion also alleged that Marlee Anne was covered only under the primary automobile policy's uninsured motorist provision in the amount of $100,000. Finally, the motion alleged that the umbrella policy did not provide uninsured motorist coverage to Marlee Anne because the umbrella policy excluded Fred's automobile from the definition of "uninsured motor vehicle."

Subsequently, Schanowitz filed a cross-motion for summary judgment based on her declaratory judgment claim, arguing that the household exclusions were invalid because they were contrary to public policy in light of the abrogation of parent-child immunity expressed in Cotes v. Cates, 156 Ill.2d 76, 189 Ill.Dec. 14, 619 N.E.2d 715 (1993). Thus, according to Schanowitz, Fred was entitled *632 to coverage under both State Farm policies for the accidental death of Marlee Anne.

The trial court entered an order denying State Farm's motion and granting Schanowitz's motion and declared that the household exclusions were void as against public policy, citing Cotes (156 Ill.2d 76,189 Ill.Dec. 14, 619 N.E.2d 715). Thus, the trial court found that both policies provided liability coverage for the injuries and death of Marlee Anne. Because of its ruling, the trial court did not address whether the State Farm policies provided coverage under the uninsured coverage provisions.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
702 N.E.2d 629, 299 Ill. App. 3d 843, 234 Ill. Dec. 289, 1998 Ill. App. LEXIS 749, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/schanowitz-v-state-farm-mut-auto-ins-illappct-1998.