State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance v. Kersey

106 N.W.2d 31, 171 Neb. 212, 1960 Neb. LEXIS 24
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 18, 1960
Docket34791
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 106 N.W.2d 31 (State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance v. Kersey) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance v. Kersey, 106 N.W.2d 31, 171 Neb. 212, 1960 Neb. LEXIS 24 (Neb. 1960).

Opinion

Messmore, J.

This is an action brought in the district court for Buffalo County by the State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, a corporation, as plaintiff, against Ralph E. Kersey, Merreta Kersey, Dale O. Beavers, administrator of the estate of Gregory Beavers, deceased, Mrs. Ralph E. Kersey, first and real name unknown (the record shows that Mrs. Ralph E. Kersey is also known as Jessie Kersey), Joyce Kersey, and James Kersey, minors, defendants. Merreta Kersey, James Kersey, and Joyce Kersey, minors, were represented by a guardian ad litem. The purpose of the action was to obtain a declaratory judgment determining the liability of plaintiff, if any, under the provisions of an insurance policy issued by it to Ralph E. Kersey covering his 1952 Oldsmobile sedan, because of an automobile accident which occurred while Merreta Kersey, a minor daughter1 of insured Ralph E. Kersey, was driving his automobile, resulting in injuries to Merreta, James, and Joyce Kersey who were riding in the automobile, and causing the death of Gregory Beavers, a minor, who was also riding in said automobile.

This case was tried to the court without a jury. The trial court rendered judgment in favor of the plaintiff and against all of the defendants; that each of the defendants be declared to have no rights, titles, or inter *214 est in and to the policy of insurance issued by the plaintiff to the defendant Ralph E. Kersey; that the plaintiff be relieved of the burden and expense of defending Merreta Kersey in an action brought in the district court for Buffalo County wherein Dale O. Beavers, as administrator of the estate of Gregory Beavers, deceased, was plaintiff and Merreta Kersey was defendant; that Dale O. Beavers, as such administrator, be declared to have no rights, titles, or interest in and to the said policy of insurance or its medical coverage provisions as a result of the accident occurring on August 31, 1956; that Ralph E. Kersey or any of the minor defendants be declared to have no rights, titles, or interest under the medical provisions of said policy; and that the plaintiff be relieved therefrom.

The defendants filed an application for special findings of fact. The trial court found that the application should be granted and that the same constituted a part of the journal entry filed in this cause. The trial court found that the defendant Merreta Kersey drove the automobile owned by the defendant Ralph E. Kersey alone on July 4, 1956, in Overton, Nebraska, with the permission of defendant Ralph E. Kersey; that the defendant Merreta Kersey drove the automobile of the defendant Ralph E. Kersey alone, with the permission of Ralph E. Kersey, in Smithfield, Missouri, during the summer of 1955; that the defendant Ralph E. Kersey permitted the defendant Merreta Kersey to drive the automobile on country roads and in the village of Elm Creek, Nebraska, a number of times during the year preceding the accident of August 31, 1956, when the defendant Ralph E. Kersey was with her and gave her driving lessons at said times; that the defendant Merreta Kersey drove the automobile owned by the defendant Ralph E. Kersey back and forth on the family driveway both with and without the express permission of the defendant Ralph E. Kersey, approximately 12 to 15 times prior to the accident; that the defendant Ralph E. Kersey had knowl *215 edge that Merreta Kersey was driving the car on the driveway and never objected; that the defendant Ralph E. Kersey did not notify his daughter Merreta Kersey that she was not to drive the car on a country road at the time the accident took place or at any other time; and that the defendant Ralph E. Kersey used his automobile in his business and almost always drove the automobile when he left home.

The trial court further found that neither parent of Merreta Kersey gave permission, directly or by implication, to Merreta Kersey to drive the automobile on August 31,1956; and that the evidence in the case neither expressly or impliedly gave or granted Merreta Kersey permission to drive said automobile other than in the company of her father.

The defendant Dale O. Beavers, administrator of the estate of Gregory Beavers, deceased, filed a motion for new trial. The defendants F. M. Parker, guardian ad litem for Merreta Kersey, Joyce Kersey, and James Kersey, minors, Ralph E. Kersey, and Jessie Kersey, filed a motion for new trial. The trial court overruled all of the defendants’ motions for new trial, and defendants perfected appeal to this court.

It was stipulated by the parties that the plaintiff is a corporation authorized to do business in this state; that Ralph E. Kersey is a resident of Elm Creek, Nebraska, and the father and natural guardian of Merreta, Joyce, and James Kersey, minor children, and that Mrs. Ralph E. Kersey, also known as Jessie Kersey, is the wife of Ralph E. Kersey; that Dale O. Beavers is the administrator of the estate of Gregory Beavers, deceased, pending in the county court of Buffalo County; that the plaintiff, in Nebraska, entered into a policy of insurance with Ralph E. Kersey covering a 1952 Oldsmobile sedan automobile owned by him; that on August 31, 1956, while said automobile was being driven by Merreta Kersey it overturned on a country road north of Elm Creek; that at the time of the accident Joyce *216 Kersey, James Kersey, and Gregory Beavers were riding in said automobile; that it is the contention of Ralph E. Kersey and Merreta Kersey that at the time of the accident ■ Merreta Kersey was driving the automobile with the permission of Ralph E. Kersey and her mother; that as a result of the automobile accident Merreta Kersey, Joyce Kersey, and James Kersey incurred injuries resulting in medical expense in a stated sum; and that the defendant Ralph E. Kersey claims an interest in the policy of insurance under its medical payment coverage for the amount of medical expenses.

It was also stipulated that Gregory Beavers sustained injuries by virtue of the accident which resulted in his instantaneous death and the funeral expense of $500 was paid by Dale O. Beavers personally; and that Merreta Kersey contends that the plaintiff' is obligated to defend actions arising out of said accident brought against her.

The plaintiff’s amended petition denied that Ralph E. Kersey and Dale O. Beavers had an interest in the insurance policy under its medical payment coverage, or that Dale O. Beavers had an interest in the insurance policy by reason of any obligation of the insurance company to indemnify Merreta Kersey in the event a judgment was rendered against her for damages resulting from the death of Gregory Beavers; further denied that it had an obligation to defend actions arising from the death of Gregory Beavers out of the accident; and further denied that Merreta Kersey was driving the automobile with the permission of Ralph E. Kersey and his wife at the time of the accident.

The answer of the defendants Ralph E. Kersey and his wife, insofar as need be considered, alleged that the Oldsmobile was operated by Merreta Kersey at the time of the accident as a family car of Ralph E. Kersey and kept and maintained for the use of the family, including Merreta Kersey; that Merreta Kersey was driving said automobile with the implied consent and permission of Ralph E. Kersey; that the plaintiff accepted *217 the defense of the claim of Dale O.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
106 N.W.2d 31, 171 Neb. 212, 1960 Neb. LEXIS 24, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-farm-mutual-automobile-insurance-v-kersey-neb-1960.