Stafford v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance

1 P.3d 924, 27 Kan. App. 2d 224, 2000 Kan. App. LEXIS 118
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kansas
DecidedMarch 17, 2000
Docket83,191
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 1 P.3d 924 (Stafford v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stafford v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance, 1 P.3d 924, 27 Kan. App. 2d 224, 2000 Kan. App. LEXIS 118 (kanctapp 2000).

Opinions

Gernon, J.:

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm) appeals the summary judgment decision awarding the Staffords $50,000 in underinsured motorist benefits.

Donnie Stafford was a passenger in an automobile driven by Colton Morris, which collided with a vehicle driven by Jeffrey Hight. Tragically, Stafford was killed. Both drivers were driving under the influence of alcohol.

The Staffords brought a wrongful death action and settled with Morris’ insurance carrier for $25,000, Morris’ liability limit. The Staffords also settled with Hight’s insurance carrier for $25,000, Hight’s liability limit.

Claiming damages over $400,000, tire Staffords sought recovery from State Farm against the underinsured motorist provision in their automobile insurance policy. The Staffords’ policy provided [225]*225$50,000 per person limit for uninsured/underinsured liability coverage.

The parties agreed to submit the matter to the court on stipulated facts, seeking only a legal determination as to how much of the $50,000 the Staffords were entitled to recover. Both parties submitted motions for summary judgment. Following a hearing, the trial court granted the Staffords’ motion and ordered State Farm to pay $50,000 to the Staffords. State Farm appeals.

The Staffords’ automobile insurance policy from State Farm contains the following clause:

“2. If the uninsured motor vehicle is an ‘underinsured’ land motor vehicle under the definition of uninsured motor vehicle:
“b. The maximum total amount payable to all insureds is the difference between the ‘each accident’ limit of liability of this coverage and the amount paid to all insureds by or for any person or organization who is or may be held legally liable for the bodily injuries.
“Subject to the above, the most we pay any one insured is the lesser of:
(1) the difference between the ‘each person’ limit of liability of this coverage and the amount paid to the insured by or for any person or organization who is or may be held legally liable for the bodily injury; or
(2) the difference between tire amount of tire insured’s damages for bodily injury and tire amount paid to tire insured by or for any person or organization who is or may be held legally liable for tire bodily injury.”

State Farm argues that this clause limits the Staffords’ recovery to $25,000. According to State Farm’s calculation, the Staffords should receive the difference between their $50,000 underinsured motorist coverage limit and the $25,000 policy limits of the tortfeasors’ insurance.

The Staffords, on the other hand, argue that this clause violates K.S.A. 40-284 by limiting or diluting the unqualified underinsured motorist coverage that is required. The Staffords claim that the underinsured motorist payments should be calculated separately for each tortfeasor.

Using the Staffords’ calculation method, the court must compare the amount of damages each tortfeasor owed to the Staffords, the per person limit of the Staffords’ underinsured motorist coverage, and the value of liability insurance available from the tortfeasor. If [226]*226the tortfeasor’s liability exceeded his insurance coverage, then State Farm must pay the difference between the Staffords’ underinsured motorist coverage limit and the amount received on behalf of the tortfeasor. Based on the parties’ agreement that the Staffords would recover damages in excess of $100,000, the calculation for Morris provides a payment of $25,000 — $50,000 of underinsured motorist coverage minus the $25,000 received from Morris’ insurance. The same calculation applies to Hight, whose insurance also paid $25,000. These calculations provide a net payment of $50,000.

State Farm frames the issue as whether the district court properly interpreted the language of the Staffords’ insurance policy. The district court did not provide any interpretation of the policy language. It merely granted the Staffords’ motion for summary judgment and ordered State Farm to pay them without providing any reasoning for its decision. Thus, the question is whether the district court properly granted summary judgment in favor of the Staffords.

Summary judgment is proper when only questions of law are presented. American Home Life Ins. Co. v. Board of Shawnee County Comm’rs, 22 Kan. App. 2d 18, 22, 913 P.2d 1211, rev. denied 258 Kan. 857 (1995). In this case, the only question involves the interpretation of K.S.A. 40-284. The interpretation of a statute is a question of law over which this court has plenary review. 22 Kan. App. 2d at 22.

In Allied Mut. Ins. Co. v. Gordon, 248 Kan. 715, 733, 811 P.2d 1112 (1991), the Kansas Supreme Court interpreted K.S.A. 40-284 and held that State Farm’s underinsured motorist limitation clause violates that statute because it attempts to limit the mandated underinsured motorist coverage and is not listed within the exclusions or limitations of coverage permitted at K.S.A. 40-284(e). The underinsured motorist clause invalidated by Allied is the same clause in question in this case. See 248 Kan. at 725.

In addition, the Allied court determined that the “individual policies should be compared separately with the underinsured motorist coverage.” 248 Kan. at 732. This determination was based on the singular language of the statute, which refers to the “owner or operator” when referring to the driver of the other vehicle. It is [227]*227also supported by the comparative fault statute which abolished joint and several liability in Kansas. 248 Kan. at 732.

State Fann attempts to distinguish Allied by claiming that the language supporting the Staffords’ calculation method is only dicta and by highlighting the fact that one of the tortfeasors was not underinsured. Allied cannot be distinguished in this way.

The facts in Allied are very similar to the facts in this case. In Allied, the insured seeking recovery from his underinsured motorist coverage had been severely injured in a three-car accident. The accident occurred when one vehicle ran a stop sign and hit another vehicle, forcing it to collide with the insured’s car. The insured’s damages were adjudged to be $200,000, with 90% being attributed to the driver who ran the stop sign and 10% being attributed to the driver who hit the insured’s car. The 10% tortfeasor and his insurance company settled with the insured for $20,000. The 90% tortfeasor and his insurance company paid the insured $60,000, the liabiliiy Emit of the tortfeasor’s insurance coverage.

In Allied, the insured’s poEcy with State Farm provided a $100,000 per person Emit for underinsured motorist coverage.

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Stafford v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance
1 P.3d 924 (Court of Appeals of Kansas, 2000)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1 P.3d 924, 27 Kan. App. 2d 224, 2000 Kan. App. LEXIS 118, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stafford-v-state-farm-mutual-automobile-insurance-kanctapp-2000.