Universal Underwriters Insurance v. Dairyland Mutual Insurance

424 P.2d 465, 5 Ariz. App. 174
Court of Appeals of Arizona·Decided May 9, 1967·No. 1 CA-CIV 330·Published·Cited by 7 cases

Opinion

CAMERON, Chief Judge.

This is an appeal from a summary judgment in favor of the defendant in the Superior Court of Maricopa County. The matter was submitted to the trial court upon a stipulated statement of facts and both parties moved for summary judgment.

*175 We are asked to answer the following questions:

1. Is a garage keeper’s exclusion in an insurance policy effective under the case of Jenkins v. Mayflower, 93 Ariz. 287, 380 Pac.2d 145 (1963), to prevent liability when an employee of the garage has permission from the owner to drive the car and does so negligently ?
2. If the exclusion is not effective under Jenkins v. Mayflower, supra, which insurance carrier, the owner’s insurance company or the garage keeper’s insurance company is primarily liable for the negligent operation of the automobile by the garage keeper’s agent ?

The following facts are necessary for a proper consideration of this case. Justine Meyers was insured by the defendant, Dairyland Mutual Insurance Company, hereinafter referred to as Dairyland. Her policy of insurance contained the following provision:

“III. DEFINITION OF INSURED
“(a) * * * The insurance with respect to any person or organization other than the named INSURED or such spouse does not apply to any person or organization, or to any agent or employee thereof, operating an automobile sales agency, repair shop, service station, storage garage of public parking place, with respect to any accident arising out of the operation thereof * * *.” (emphasis ours)

Justine Meyers delivered the automobile to one Eugene Jones, an employee of Fletcher-Jones automobile company, in order that he might drive the car to the company’s garage for repairs. An accident occurred en route due to the alleged negligent driving of Eugene Jones and suit was brought against him and Fletcher-Jones. Plaintiff, Universal Underwriters, hereinafter referred to as Universal, defended said action after requesting that Dairyland appear and defend, which request Dairyland refused. Universal, after satisfying judgment in the amount of some $30,000, received an assignment from Fletcher-Jones and Eugene Jones of all their rights against Dairyland Mutual, and brought suit against Dairy-land for the amount of the judgment. Universal sought indemnification for the whole amount of the prior judgment or in the alternative for $10,000, the maximum limit of Dairyland’s liability under the policy with Justine Meyers. From the court’s order granting defendant Dairyland’s motion for summary judgment and denying Universal’s similar motion, Universal appeals.

DOES JENKINS v. MAYFLOWER APPLY?

We cannot consider this matter without first considering the case of Jenkins v. Mayflower, 93 Ariz. 287, 380 P.2d 145 (1963). In Jenkins v. Mayflower, supra, the defendants, insured of the Mayflower Insurance Exchange, held a policy of insurance covering their. automobile which had the following restrictive endorsement :

“It is hereby understood and agreed that the described vehicle will not be operated by any member of any of the military or naval forces of the United States or. of any other country, except the Named Insured herein and it is further agreed that no coverage shall be afforded while.the described vehicle is being operated by any such operator.”

Defendant-insured’s automobile was being operated by a member of the military services of the United States at the time of an accident, and therefore defendant,. Mayflower Insurance Exchange, denied coverage. The Arizona Supreme Court in that case pointed to the so-called. “omnibus clause” of the Financial Responsibility Law which reads in part as follows:

“B. The owner’s policy of liability insurance must comply with the following requirements: * * *
“2. It shall insure the person named therein and any other person, as insured, using the motor vehicle or motor vehicles with the express or implied permission of the named insured, against loss *176 from the liability imposed by law for damages arising out of the ownership, maintenance or use of the motor vehicle or motor vehicles within the United States or the Dominion of Canada, subject to limits exclusive of interest and costs, with respect to each motor vehicle as follows: * * *” 28-1170 A.R.S.

The Supreme Court in discussing this provision went on to say:

“We hold, therefore, that the omnibus clause is a part of every motor vehicle liability policy, by whatever name it may be called.” Jenkins v. Mayflower, supra, 93 Ariz. at 291, 380 P.2d at 148.

In the instant case the trial court rej ected the contention of Dairyland that the exclusionary provision of Dairyland’s policy which excluded coverage under the policy to “any agent or employee thereof operating an automobile * * * repair shop” was void under the omnibus clause as set forth in Jenkins v. Mayflower, supra. The court below stated:

“The fault of this argument lies in the assumption by Universal that the Jenkins case invalidated all exclusionary clauses. It is the opinion of this court that the exclusionary clause involved herein is a valid provision of the insurance policy contracted for by the Dairyland with its insured. The Jenkins vs Mayflower decision, 93 Ariz. 287, 380 Pac.2d 145, did not declare all such exclusionary clauses null and void. It merely rendered these clauses as inoperative when raised as a defense by an insurance company against an injured plaintiff.”

While we do agree with the trial court that Jenkins v. Mayflower, supra, did not invalidate all exclusionary clauses, we do not agree that Jenkins v. Mayflower, supra, “merely rendered such exclusionary clauses inoperative when raised as a defense by an insurance company against an injured plaintiff.” Our Supreme Court held that the omnibus clause (28-1170 A.R.S.) was a part of every motor vehicle liability policy and did not restrict this to situations wherein the company was asserting a defense against a suit by an injured plaintiff. In the instant case the garage keeper’s exclusion was in conflict with the statute and therefore the said exclusion was invalidated by the statute (28-1170 A.R.S.) and Jenkins v. Mayflower, supra.

It is the contention of the appellee that Jenkins v. Mayflower, supra, is based on the court’s concern for the protection of the public from uninsured motorists and where the public is adequately protected, as in the instant case, Jenkins v. Mayflower, supra, does not apply. With this we do not agree. Admittedly, part of the rationale of the court in both Jenkins v. Mayflower, supra, and Schecter v. Killingsworth, 93 Ariz. 273, 380 P.2d 136 (1963), decided the same day, indicated the concern of our Supreme Court that the public should be protected from the uninsured motorist. But the holding in Jenkins v.

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Universal Underwriters Insurance v. Dairyland Mutual Insurance, 424 P.2d 465, 5 Ariz. App. 174 (Ark. Ct. App. 1967).

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