Valladao v. Fireman's Fund Indemnity Co.

89 P.2d 643, 13 Cal. 2d 322, 1939 Cal. LEXIS 261
CourtCalifornia Supreme Court
DecidedApril 21, 1939
DocketSac. 5248
StatusPublished
Cited by42 cases

This text of 89 P.2d 643 (Valladao v. Fireman's Fund Indemnity Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Valladao v. Fireman's Fund Indemnity Co., 89 P.2d 643, 13 Cal. 2d 322, 1939 Cal. LEXIS 261 (Cal. 1939).

Opinions

WASTE, C. J.

The facts underlying this litigation are not in serious dispute and are practically conceded. It will facilitate matters, therefore, if we adopt, and' we do adopt, the following rather full statement of facts heretofore employed in an opinion of the District Court of Appeal of the Third Appellate District when the cause was there pending:

“These actions were jointly brought by the plaintiffs against the Fireman’s Fund Indemnity Company, a corporation, pursuant to the provisions of the statutes of 1919, chapter 367, being an action after judgments obtained by the plaintiffs against the assureds of the indemnity company had become final and executions returned unsatisfied.
“In November, 1935, plaintiff Julia Valladao and John C. Valladao recovered a judgment in the sum of $7,500 [325]*325against Edwin J. Davis and Dave McClure, Jr., and on the same day plaintiffs Mary J. Katsulakis and John P. Katsulakis recovered a judgment against these same defendants in the sum of $1,000, which judgments were based upon personal injuries received by Julia Valladao and Mary Katsulakis in September, 1934.
“At the time of the accident there was in full force and effect a policy of insurance in the Fireman’s Fund Indemnity Company, insuring Dave McClure, Jr., against liability imposed by law upon him for bodily injuries. It also extended coverage to any person legally operating the automobile covered by the policy.
“The jury returned their verdict in the present action in favor of the plaintiffs, and thereafter, notwithstanding the verdict, the trial court entered judgment in favor of defendant Fireman's Fund Indemnity Company. Thereafter a motion for a new trial on behalf of the plaintiffs was denied. This appeal is from [the] . . . judgment.
‘‘ There is little dispute as to the facts, which substantially are that defendant indemnity company issued its combination automobile liability and property damage policy to Dave McClure, Jr., which was in full force and effect and covered the truck being driven at the time of the accident. An omnibus clause also covered ‘any other person or persons while . . . legally operating any such automobile ... if such . . . operation is with the permission of the named assured . . . ’.
“The accident happened on the highway north of Santa Rosa, about 10 o’clock on the night of September 24, 1934. McClure was driving his truck at the time, accompanied by one Bert Herbert and Edwin J. Davis. As McClure was proceeding along the highway he struck the rear of a car parked on the highway, in which car plaintiffs were seated. When the crash occurred McClure fled the scene of the accident without disclosing his identity to any one connected with the injured parties. [On two prior occasions McClure had pleaded guilty to and had been fined on reckless driving charges.]
“When a traffic officer arrived after the accident, McClure was still absent and Davis told the officer and those at the scene that he, Edwin J. Davis, was the driver. Davis had no operator’s license in his own name with him at the time, [326]*326but had in his possession an operator’s license belonging to his brother, John K. Davis. He concealed the fact that McClure had been on the truck and stated to the officer that his name was John K. Davis, whose operator’s license he had. The officer then issued a citation for reckless driving in the name of John K. Davis and handed it to Edwin J. Davis. Davis accepted the citation, and in response thereto appeared in the justice’s court, and at that time, still posing as John K. Davis, pleaded not guilty to the charge of reckless driving. The first knowledge that the indemnity company had of the accident was received on the forenoon of the day after it occurred, when McClure and Edwin J. Davis reported the accident to defendant’s agent in Petaluma. At that time McClure and Edwin J. Davis appeared at the agent’s office, and in McClure’s presence Edwin J. Davis represented himself as John K. Davis, and told the agent that he was driving McClure’s truck at the time of the accident. In answer to questions by the agent, Davis narrated the accident as though he were the driver and told the agent he had borrowed McClure’s truck, and that McClure was not in the truck at the time, and that he and Herbert were the sole occupants of the truck, and that he had been arrested for reckless driving. Upon this statement of fact the agent prepared a written report and sent it to the indemnity company. A day or two following this report an adjuster for the defendant interviewed McClure and Edwin J. Davis, when they again confirmed the false statements made at the time of the first report. Some days after these reports were made McClure and Davis again went to the justice’s court, at which time Edwin J. Davis, answering to the name of John K. Davis, entered a plea of guilty to the charge of reckless driving under the name of John K. Davis, and paid a fine therefor.
‘‘ On November 17, 1934, plaintiffs herein, suing separately, filed actions against McClure and John K. Davis; McClure was sued as the owner and John K. Davis was sued as the operator of the truck. The summons in the case were sent by the defendants to the indemnity company.
“In December, 1934, the indemnity company turned these cases over to its attorneys in Santa Rosa for the purpose of defending McClure and Davis. Early in January, McClure and Davis discussed the facts of the case with these attorneys, and they there repeated substantially the same story they [327]*327had theretofore told. On the same day, one of these attorneys, with Davis and McClure, visited the scene of the accident and went over the facts in the case, and the same falsifications and concealments were again narrated without correction.
“In due time answers to the complaints were prepared on behalf of McClure and John K. Davis, . . . and by them duly verified and then filed, [tho McClure denies having read same]. These answers affirmatively admitted that McClure’s truck was being driven by John K. Davis, but denied negligence upon the part of the operator, and set up contributory negligence as a defense. Again, a month or two later, McClure and Edwin J. Davis called at the office of the attorneys representing them for the purpose of discussing their depositions, which were to be taken by the plaintiffs. At that time they again discussed the facts in detail and again made the same misstatements.
“On . . . the day . . . the depositions of McClure and Davis were to be taken they, accompanied by their personal attorney, Mr. Carpenter, called upon Mr. Murp'hy, a member of the firm of attorneys who had been retained by the indemnity company to represent them, and then and there informed Mr. Murphy the stories which they had theretofore told were false,—that McClure was driving the truck at the time of the accident, and that Davis was merely a passenger in the truck, and not the driver. At that time McClure also informed Murphy for the first time that he had run away from the scene of the accident and had concealed himself. He said he had done so for the reason that he had been in trouble prior to that time arising out of a charge of driving while intoxicated, and that he was afraid his driver’s license would be revoked.

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Bluebook (online)
89 P.2d 643, 13 Cal. 2d 322, 1939 Cal. LEXIS 261, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/valladao-v-firemans-fund-indemnity-co-cal-1939.