Tuggle v. Government Employees Insurance Co.

207 So. 2d 674, 24 A.L.R. 3d 1343
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedJanuary 31, 1968
Docket35435
StatusPublished
Cited by40 cases

This text of 207 So. 2d 674 (Tuggle v. Government Employees Insurance Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Tuggle v. Government Employees Insurance Co., 207 So. 2d 674, 24 A.L.R. 3d 1343 (Fla. 1968).

Opinion

207 So.2d 674 (1968)

Eldred L. TUGGLE and Catherine Tuggle, His Wife, Petitioners,
v.
GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES INSURANCE COMPANY, a Foreign Corporation, Respondent.

No. 35435.

Supreme Court of Florida.

January 31, 1968.
Rehearing Denied March 27, 1968.

Alfred D. Bieley and Thomas A. Horkan, Jr., Miami, for petitioners.

Dixon, DeJarnette, Bradford, Williams, McKay & Kimbrell and Paul A. Carlson, Miami, for respondent.

DREW, Justice.

Petitioner in this case controverts a decision of the District Court of Appeal, Third District, 185 So.2d 487. The appellate court held that an automobile insurance policy issued by respondent, providing for uninsured motorist coverage to be subject to set-off for "separately contracted for medical payments coverage" also provided by respondent, did not violate the minimum coverage prescription of F.S. Sec. 627.0851, F.S.A.[1]

*675 Certiorari has been granted on the basis of conflict with the decision of this Court in Sellers v. United States F. & G. Co.,[2] that the statute "does not permit `other insurance' clauses in the policy which are contrary to the statutorily limited amounts of coverage."[3] While the opinion in Sellers expressly excludes any intent that a claimant might pyramid coverages to obtain double recovery, or more than actual damages, that decision and others recently rendered clearly hold the statute to be designed to make each policy providing uninsured motorist coverage enforceable to the full statutory minimum to exactly the same extent that a policyholder would be legally entitled to recover damages from the third party tortfeasor.[4]

The decision in this case (Tuggle) has been previously considered briefly by this Court, in connection with an order dismissing a petition for certiorari here on conflict, Standard Accident Insurance Co. v. Gavin.[5] The writ in that case was properly discharged for lack of direct conflict between the cases, because of factual variance. Determination of the merits of the decision now presented, however, was not essential to the jurisdictional disposition, and we find that the opinion erroneously included the Tuggle decision in its pronouncement that "the legal conclusions in each decision * * * are consonant with statutory requirements."

In view of the fact that the two classes of coverage involved in the policy under consideration were contracted separately, with independent premiums, we are unable to distinguish this situation from that in Sellers, relating to multiple carriers. Nor does there appear to be any basis for treating the set-off provision as amounting only to a contractual reduction of medical benefits, contrary to the actual language of the policy stating in the provision for uninsured motorist coverage that the company shall not be obligated to pay any part of such liability which represents expense "payable" by the insurer under its medical benefits coverage. The clause on its face is one to decrease uninsured motorist coverage beneath the statutory minimum,[6] and one which means that under certain conditions (medical benefits in excess of $10,000) there will be no uninsured motorist coverage whatever.

*676 We conclude again that the requirement, in a policy of this nature, of "a showing of unreimbursed loss rather than legal damages within the minimum amount, is * * * in conflict with both express and implied requirements of the law."[7] Nor does respondent's right of subrogation under the statute, F.S. Sec. 627.0851(4), F.S.A., as construed in Sellers, supra, support the claim of set-off in the circumstances of this case.

The decision of the appellate court herein is therefore quashed and the cause remanded for disposition in accordance with this opinion, with directions that attorney's fees be awarded in accordance with petitioners' contentions on this point.

ROBERTS, THORNAL and ERVIN, JJ., concur.

BARNS, J. (Retired), dissents with opinion.

CALDWELL, C.J., dissents and agrees with BARNS, J. (Retired).

BARNS, PAUL D., Justice (Retired), (dissenting).

The question presented for review on certiorari of Tuggle v. Government Employees Insurance Company (Fla.App. 3rd District) 185 So.2d 487, is:

DOES THE LAW REQUIRE AN INSURER TO INDEMNIFY THE INSURED TWICE FOR THE SAME MEDICAL EXPENSES, WHEN THE INSURER AND THE INSURED HAVE CONTRACTED TO PAY BUT ONCE?

The trial judge and the district court held that the insurer was not required to discharge the same indemnity twice.

(We are not here involved with the "collateral source doctrine" which denied mitigation of damages because of recovery for the same medical expenses from a source wholly independent of the subject contract as in the cases of Standard Accident Ins. Co. v. Gavin, Fla.App., 184 So.2d 229; Fla., 196 So.2d 440; Southeast Title & Ins. Co. v. Austin, Fla., 202 So.2d 179.)

The plaintiffs' claim is based on a contract of indemnity for medical expenses because of bodily injury (1) caused by "accident" while occupying a specified Chrysler automobile; and (2) medical expenses by reason of bodily injury when "recoverable as damages from owners or operators of uninsured motor vehicles". The final decree of the trial judge provided that the insurer is "entitled to set-off medical payments" against any award against the insurer based on its liability under a claim to indemnity for same medical expenses incurred for bodily injury by the uninsured motorist. Double indemnity was disallowed.

INDEMNITY AGAINST MEDICAL EXPENSES CAUSED BY AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT

The appellee-insurer promised to indemnify to the extent of $1,000.00 not only the named insured, but each relative and any other person who sustains bodily injury caused by "accident" while occupying the "owned automobile" while being used by the named insured, by any resident of the same household or by any other person with the permission of the named insured. This coverage likewise extends to bodily injury expenses resulting from the operation or occupancy by the named insured or operation on his behalf of a "non-owned automobile", as follows:

"PART II — EXPENSES FOR MEDICAL SERVICES
"Coverage C-Medical Payments: To pay all reasonable expenses incurred within one year from the date of accident for necessary medical, surgical, X-ray and *677 dental services, including prosthetic devices, and necessary ambulance, hospital, professional nursing and funeral services.
Division 1. To or for the named insured and each relative who sustains bodily injury, sickness or disease, including death resulting therefrom, hereinafter called `bodily injury', caused by accident, (a) while occupying the owned automobile, (b) while occupying a non-owned automobile, but only if such person has, or reasonably believes he has, the permission of the owner to use the automobile and the use is within the scope of such permission, or (c) through being struck by an automobile or by a trailer of any type;
Division 2. To or for any other person who sustains bodily injury, caused by accident, while occupying
(a) the owned automobile, while being used by the named insured, by any resident of the same household or by any other person with the permission of the named insured; or

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Bluebook (online)
207 So. 2d 674, 24 A.L.R. 3d 1343, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tuggle-v-government-employees-insurance-co-fla-1968.