Sourbeer v. Nationwide Insurance

37 Pa. D. & C.3d 21, 1985 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 256
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Cumberland County
DecidedAugust 23, 1985
Docketno. 504-1985
StatusPublished

This text of 37 Pa. D. & C.3d 21 (Sourbeer v. Nationwide Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Cumberland County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sourbeer v. Nationwide Insurance, 37 Pa. D. & C.3d 21, 1985 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 256 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1985).

Opinion

BAYLEY, J.,

On October 4, 1984, plaintiff Kurt J. Sourbeer was injured in a single vehicle automobile accident. At that time, he was a passenger in an automobile being driven by Kathleen Novi. Novi had a Pennsylvania No-fault Automobile Insurance Policy providing basic personal injury protection with defendant, Pennsylvania National Mutual Casualty Insurance Company.

On the date of this accident, plaintiff was married to Laird Leask. Defendant, Nationwide Insurance insured Leask as the named insured and provided basic personal injury protection under a standard Pennsylvania No-fault Insurance Policy. Also, on the date of the accident,, plain tiff was insured by defendant, Nationwide Insurance on a “Business Auto Policy” which included within its terms a basic personal injury protection endorsement. This policy lists the policy holder as “Kurt J. Sourbeer Ski Repair.” Immediately thereafter, the policy lists the form of the named insured’s business as being “an individual.” Plaintiffs ski repair business was a solely owned, unincorporated business. The policy con[23]*23tains language providing for medical expenses and work-loss benefits as follows:

“In accordance with the Pennsylvania No-fault Motor Vehicle Insurance Act, the Company will pay any or all personal injury protection benefits for:
(a) medical expenses;
(b) work loss;
(c) replacement services;
(d) funeral expenses; and
(e) survivor’s loss
for bodily injury to an eligible person due to an accident resulting from the maintenance or use of a motor vehicle as a vehicle.”

The same endorsement defines an eligible person as:

“(a) The named insured or any relative who sustains injury while occupying or as a pedestrian struck by, any motor vehilce,
(b) Any other person who sustained injury while occupying, or as a pedestrian struck by, the insured motor vehicle.” (Emphasis added.)

The record shows that when plaintiff started his ski repair business his insurance agent suggested that he go to a different policy. When this new “business auto policy” was issued the cover letter accompanying the policy noted:

“Dear policy holdér:
Enclosed is your new Business Auto Policy. It replaces your present Basic Auto Liability policy.
You’ll find your new policy to be written in easy-to-read and understand language. Please take a few minutes to read-and-compare-with your old policy. Your new policy provides protection equal to or broader than your present policy . . .
One other specific change should be noted. The former physical damage coverages of Fire, Theft and Combined Additional — When included togeth[24]*24er on the policy — will now be known as Specified Perils. It’s the same coverage, but under a new name ...
/s/ Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company”

The order of priorities between insureds responsible for the payment of benefits under the Pennsylvania No-fault Motor Vehicle Act are:

“§1009.204 Sour of basic restoration benefits
(a) Applicable security. — The security for the payment of basic loss benefits applicable to an injury to:
(1) an employee, or to the spouse or other relative of any employee residing in the same household as the employee, if the accident resulting in injury occurs while the victim or deceased victim is driving or occupying a motor vehicle furnished by such employee’s employer, is the security for the payment of basic loss benefits covering such motor vehicle or, if none, any other security applicable to such victim;
(2) an insured is the security nnder which the victim or deceased victim is insured;
(3) the driver or other' occupant of a motor vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury who is not an insured is' the security covering such vehicle;
(4) an individual who is not an insured or the driver or other occupant of a motor vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury is the security covering any motor vehicle involved in such accident. For purposes of this paragraph, a parked and unoccupied motor vehicle is not a motor vehicle involved in an accident, unless it was parked so as to cause unreasonable risk of injury; and
(5) any other individual is the applicable assigned claims plan.”

[25]*25In this case plaintiff maintains that Nationwide Insurance is responsible to pay his no-fault benefits pursuant to his business policy. In the alternative, he maintains that if he is not covered under this policy the benefits should be paid by defendant, Pennsylvania National Mutual Casualty Insurance Company, because he claims that he was not living in the residence of his wife on October 4, 1984 when the subject accident occurred.

The basic distinction between no-fault insurance coverage and liability insurance coverage is that no-fault coverage follows .the person, whereas liability coverage follows the automobile. Nationwide Insurance maintains that coverage for plaintiff’s work loss and medical bills fall under the policy it issued to the plaintiff’s wife, Laird Leask. Section 103 of the No-fault Act defines “insured” as “an individual identified by name as an insured in the contract of Basic Loss Insurance. . . ” In this case, the business policy states under “Named insured” — Kurt J. Sourbeer Ski Repair, R.D. 3, Box 1105, Newville, Pa. 17241. Immediately below it under “Insured’s, business” it states, “an individual.” Nationwide argues that it is clear that the individual identified by name as the insured in the contract for basic loss insurance is “Kurt J. Sourbeer Ski Repair” and not “Kurt Sourbeer” even though, as defendant states in its brief, the policy coincidentially happens to contain plaintiff’s name, even though the business is the named insured.

Pennsylvania National concurs with plaintiff’s argument that the business policy applies. In the alternative it .maintains that the facts of this case show that plaintiff resided in the same household with his wife at the time of the accident. Section 103 of the No-fault Act, in pertinent part, defines an insured as a spouse not identified by name as an in[26]*26sured in any other contract of basic restoration insurance complying with the act, and in residence in the same household with the named insured. Pennsylvania National correctly maintains that under §204 of the act it can only be required to pay benefits if, in fact, plaintiff is not entitled to recover under the business policy with Nationwide Insurance, and he was not a. resident in the same household of his wife on the date of the accident.

DISCUSSION

The rules relating to the construction of insurance policies in Pennsylvania are well established. The court’s duty is to ascertain the intent of the parties as manifested in the language of the agreement. Mohn v. American Cas. Co. of Reading, 458 Pa.

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Related

Mohn v. American Casualty Co.
326 A.2d 346 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1974)
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Hayes v. Erie Insurance Exchange
425 A.2d 419 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1981)
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Navarro v. Ohio Casualty Insurance
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Urian v. Scranton Life Ins. Co.
165 A. 21 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1932)
Pennsylvania Manufacturers' Ass'n v. Aetna Casualty & Surety Insurance
233 A.2d 548 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1967)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
37 Pa. D. & C.3d 21, 1985 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 256, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sourbeer-v-nationwide-insurance-pactcomplcumber-1985.