United States Fire Insurance v. Barker Car Rental

944 F. Supp. 739, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16511, 1996 WL 650927
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Indiana
DecidedOctober 4, 1996
DocketIP-94 1336-C B/S
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 944 F. Supp. 739 (United States Fire Insurance v. Barker Car Rental) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Indiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States Fire Insurance v. Barker Car Rental, 944 F. Supp. 739, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16511, 1996 WL 650927 (S.D. Ind. 1996).

Opinion

ENTRY GRANTING PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT IN PART AND DEFENDANTS’ CROSS-MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT IN PART

BARKER, Chief Judge.

Plaintiff, United States Fire Insurance Company, filed a complaint for interpleader and declaratory judgment on its liability under three insurance policies issued to Barker Car Rental d/b/a National Car Rental. It then filed this motion for summary judgment. Defendants Transamerica Insurance Group, Verna Lawrence and the Estate of Barry Lawrence filed cross-motions for summary judgment. For the reasons discussed below, Plaintiffs motion for summary judgment is granted on the question of its liability under the Business Auto Policy and the Second Excess Insurance Policy. Defendants’ motions are granted to the extent discussed on the question of liability under the First Excess Insurance Policy. In addition, Plaintiffs motion that those actions that implicate the interpled Business Auto Policy monies deposited in this court' and that are presently stayed, remain stayed until the issues raised in this action are resolved, is granted.

I. STATEMENT OF FACTS

The facts in this case are largely undisputed. Plaintiff, United States Fire Insurance Company (“U.S. Fire”), is an insurance corporation, organized under the laws of New York, with its principal place of business in New Jersey. Stipulations ¶ 1. It is authorized to issue policies in Illinois and West Virginia, as well as to do business in Indiana. Id. Barker Car Rental, d/b/a National Car *742 Rental (“Barker”), is a corporation organized under the laws of Delaware, with its principal place of business in Illinois. Id. at ¶ 2. Bad-er Alkhuaini (“Alkhuaini”) was a Kuwaiti subject and citizen residing in West Virginia. Id. at ¶ 3. His driver’s license was issued by Kentucky. Id. at ¶ 15.

On November 24,1993, Alkhuaini rented a car from Barker in West Virginia. Id. at ¶ 13. The car rented to Alkhuaini was licensed in Illinois. Id.

On November 26,1993, Alkhuaini was driving in Brown County, Indiana, when he was in a ear accident with Barry and Verna Lawrence, Kimberly Creech (“Creech”), and David Davies (“Davies”). Id. at ¶ 17. Alk-huaini and Barry Lawrence died as a result of the accident. Id. at ¶ 18.

An estate was established on behalf of Alkhuaini in Brown County, Indiana for purposes solely related to this litigation. Stipulations ¶ 3. Defendant Verna Lawrence (“Lawrence”) is an Indiana citizen, and the Estate of Barry Lawrence was established in Delaware County, Indiana, also solely for purposes of this litigation. Id. at ¶¶ 4-5. The Lawrences’ insurance company, Trans-america Insurance Group (“Transamerica”), is another defendant in this action. Id. at ¶ 6. Defendants Creech and Davies were dismissed from this lawsuit. Id. at ¶ 8-9. However, Creech’s insurance company, Old Dominion Insurance Group, remains in this action, with a subrogated interest for seven thousand seven hundred seven dollars ($7,707.00) already paid to Creech as a result of damage to her car from the Alkhuaini accident. Stipulations ¶22. Old Dominion has agreed to stay prosecution of its cross-claims until final resolution of this action. Id.

U.S. Fire issued three insurance policies implicated in this litigation: a Business Auto Policy, a First Excess Policy and a Second Excess Policy. Stipulations ¶¶ 10-12. Barker is the named insured on all three policies. Id. at ¶ 25. All three policies were issued on November 1, 1993 for a period extending through November 1, 1994. Id. at ¶¶ 10-12.

U.S. Fire filed this interpleader and declaratory judgment action to determine its obligations under these three insurance policies. All of the parties stipulated that, under the Business Auto Policy, the liability limits are twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) per person, fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) per occurrence, and ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) for property damage. Stipulations ¶ 19. The parties also agreed that U.S. Fire, prior to initiating this action, had already paid a total of four thousand six hundred five dollars and thirty-one cents ($4,605.31) under the property damage limits of the Business Auto Policy. Id. at ¶ 20. The parties acknowledge that U.S. Fire deposited into this court the sum of fifty-five thousand three hundred twenty-four dollars and sixty-nine cents ($55,324.69), which is the remaining liability and property damage limit available under the Business Auto Policy. Id. at ¶21. Plaintiff and Defendants Lawrence, Estate of Lawrence and Transamerica have filed motions and cross-motions for summary judgment on the declaratory judgment action.

None of the parties disputes that this court has jurisdiction over, and is an appropriate venue for, the claims at issue in this case. 28 U.S.C. § 2201; 28 U.S.C. § 1335(a); 28 U.S.C. 1367(a); Nationwide Ins. v. Zavalis, 52 F.3d 689, 691-92 (7th Cir.1995); General Railway Signal Co. v. Corcoran, 921 F.2d 700, 703 (7th Cir.1991). Because these claims are indeed properly before this court, we turn to the issues raised by the parties.

II. ANALYSIS

A. Choice of Law

All of the parties agree that because Indiana is the forum state for this dispute, Indiana’s choice of law rules govern. Klaxon v. Stentor Elec. Mfg. Co., 313 U.S. 487, 61 S.Ct. 1020, 85 L.Ed. 1477 (1941); S.A. Healy Co. v. Milwaukee Metro. Sewerage Dist., 50 F.3d 476, 478 (7th Cir.1995). The parties also agree that, for choice of law purposes, Indiana treats insurance contract questions as those of contract, regardless of whether the cause of the underlying dispute rests in tort. American Family Mut. Ins. Co. v. Williams, 839 F.Supp. 579, 583 (S.D.Ind.1993); Travelers Ins. Cos. v. Rogers, 579 N.E.2d 1328, 1330 (Ind.Ct.App.1991). *743 Accordingly, all parties acknowledge that the “most significant contacts” test controls the choice of law question presently before this court. American Family, 839 F.Supp. at 582; Travelers, 579 N.E.2d at 1330-31.

Not surprisingly, the parties agree on little else. Plaintiff maintains that, applying the most significant contacts test, Illinois law applies generally in this action.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
944 F. Supp. 739, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16511, 1996 WL 650927, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-fire-insurance-v-barker-car-rental-insd-1996.