Vaughn v. Standard Surety & Casualty Co.

184 S.W.2d 556, 27 Tenn. App. 671, 1944 Tenn. App. LEXIS 106
CourtCourt of Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedApril 29, 1944
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 184 S.W.2d 556 (Vaughn v. Standard Surety & Casualty Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Vaughn v. Standard Surety & Casualty Co., 184 S.W.2d 556, 27 Tenn. App. 671, 1944 Tenn. App. LEXIS 106 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1944).

Opinion

HICKERSON, J.

Standard Surety & Casualty Com-.f pany issued a policy of insurahcé which covered-a flet§t, *673 of trucks owned and operated by W. A. Smith. The policy provided:

“Standard Surety & Casualty Company of New York, does hereby agree with the Insured, named in the Declarations made a part hereof, in consideration of the payment of the premium and of the statements contained in the Declarations and subject to the limits of liability, exclusions, conditions and other terms of this policy:
“Insuring’ Agreements
“I. Coverage A — Bodily-Injury Liability: To pay. on behalf of the insured all sums which the insured shall become obligated to pay by reason of the liability imposed upon him by law for damages, including damages for care and loss of services, because of bodily injury, including death at any time resulting therefrom, sustained by any person or persons, caused -by accident and arising out of the ownership, maintenance or use of the automobile.
“Ill, Definition of ‘Insured’ Except where specifically stated to the contrary, the unqualified word ‘insured’ wherever used in coverages A and B and in other parts of this policy, when applicable to such coverages, includes not only the named insured but also any person while using the automobile and any person or organization.Iegally responsible for the use thereof, provided the declared and actual use of the automobile is ‘pleasure and business’, or ‘commercial’, each as defined herein, and provided further the actual use is with the permission of the named insured. The provisions of this paragraph do not apply:
“ (d) to any employee of an insured with respect to any action brought against said employee because of *674 bodily injury to or death of another employee of the same insured injured in the course of such employment in an accident arising out of the maintenance or use of the automobile in the business of such insured.
‘ ‘ Exclusions
“This policy does not apply:
“(e) under coverage A, to bodily injury to or death of any employee of the insured while engaged in. the business, other than domestic employment, of the insured, or while engaged in the operation, maintenance or repair of the automobile; or to any obligation fob which the insured may be held liable under any workmen’s compensation law. ”

Beecher Vaughn, a minor, was injured while riding in one of the trucks which was covered by this insurance policy. In suits at law he recovered a judgment of $25Q0' and costs of $43.72 for damages resulting from his injuries; and Elijah Vaughn, father of Beecher Vaughn, recovered a judgment of $500 and costs of $96.70 for loss of services, doctors’ bills, medical expenses, etc. It was stipulated:

“That both of these judgments were for injuries and damages growing out of an. automobile accident in which Beecher Vaughn was injured while riding on a truck owned and operated by W. A. Smith in the course of his business, which truck was being driven bjr Hilton Browning, an employee of W. A. Smith, in the regular course of his duties and scope of employment at time of the accident. ’ ’

The judgments were against Hilton Browning and not against W. A. Smith.

*675 After complainants failed to collect their judgments upon execution the present suits were filed by them seeking to recover of Standard Surety & Casualty Company the full amount of the judgments and costs upon the theory that the policy of insurance which defendant issued to W. A. Smith, which covered the truck involved in the accident, obligated, the defendant Insurance Company to pay these judgments.

The Insurance Company defended these chancery suits on the grounds: (1) That this was a suit by one employee of the insured against another employee of the insured for injuries sustained in the course of their employment in an accident arising out of the use of the truck covered by the'insurance policy in the business of the insured, and that the policy of insurance does not cover Hilton Browning, the driver of insured’s truck at the time, of'the accident, as an additional insured under such facts; (2) that Beecher Vaughn received his injuries “by accident arising out of and in the course of employment”, and that his injuries sustained in this manner were com-pensable under the Workmen’s. Compensation Law of Tennessee, and that the policy of insurance expressly excluded coverage to injuries which were compensable under the Workmen’s Compensation Law; and'(3) that these exclusion clauses applied to the suits of Beecher Vaughn and Elijah Vaughn.

The Chancellor held that: Beecher Vaughn was not an employee of W. A.. Smith at the time of the accident;.his injuries were not received in the course of his employment; the contract of employment • did not provide fox-transportation and Beecher Vaughn was riding in this truck of his employer as an invitee for his own convenience, and not as a matter of right or contract; the transportation of Beecher Vaughn was not an incident *676 to his employment and it could not be implied from the contract that transportation was to be furnished by W. A. Smith to Beecher Vaughn to and from his work. Complainants’ suits were sustained and a decree was entered accordingly in the causes which were consolidated and tried together in the Chancery Court by agreement.

There is one determinative question presented by the assignments of error: Did the injuries which Beecher Vaughn received arise out of and in the course of his employment? If so, the Insurance Company would not be liable under its policy for the payment of the judgments against Hilton Browning, the driver of the truck, because injuries received in such manner were excluded from coverage under the express terms of the policy.

The proof shows, the Chancellor held, and it is conceded by defendant, that transportation of Beecher Vaughn to and from his work was not an express term or condition of the contract of employment. The Insurance Company contends, however, that such transportation was incidental to his contract of employment, an essential part thereof, and necessarily implied from all the facts and circumstances surrounding the contract of employment and the performance of the duties thereunder. In Norwood v. Tellico River Lumber Company, 140 Tenn. 682, 688, 244 S. W. 490, 491, 24 A. L. R. 1227, our Supreme Court said:

“It is generally held that, where transportation is furnished by an employer as an incident of the employment, an injury suffered by. the employee while going to or returning from his work in the vehicle so furnished by the employer, and under his control, arises out of and is within the course of the employment, within the meaning of Workmen’s Compensation Acts. Dominguez v. Pendoia, 1920, [46] Cal. App. [220], 188 P. 1025; Swanson v. *677 Latham, 1917, 92 Conn. 87, 101 A. 492; Sualia v. American Sumatra Tobacco Co., 1918, 93 Conn. 82, 105 A. 346; Harrison v. Central Const. Corp., 1919, 135 Md.

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Bluebook (online)
184 S.W.2d 556, 27 Tenn. App. 671, 1944 Tenn. App. LEXIS 106, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/vaughn-v-standard-surety-casualty-co-tennctapp-1944.