Wilson v. Transport Ins. Co.

889 A.2d 563, 2005 Pa. Super. 401, 2005 Pa. Super. LEXIS 4172
CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedDecember 6, 2005
StatusPublished
Cited by139 cases

This text of 889 A.2d 563 (Wilson v. Transport Ins. Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wilson v. Transport Ins. Co., 889 A.2d 563, 2005 Pa. Super. 401, 2005 Pa. Super. LEXIS 4172 (Pa. Ct. App. 2005).

Opinions

OPINION BY

GANTMAN, J.:

¶ 1 Appellant, Mildred Wilson, asks us to vacate the judgment entered in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas, following the non-jury trial verdict rendered in favor of Appellee, Transport Ins. Co., t/a TICO, Ins. Co. (“TICO”), in Appellant’s action against TICO for additional first-party medical benefits under the New Jersey “deemer” statute. We hold New Jersey’s two (2) year statute of limitations applies to Appellant’s claim. We further hold Appellant’s estoppel claim does not constitute a basis for relief from the applicable statute of limitations. Finally, we hold Appellant is not entitled to recover under the New Jersey “deemer” statute in any event. Accordingly, we affirm.

¶ 2 The trial court’s findings of fact set forth the relevant facts of this case as follows:

1. On July 6, 1996, [Appellant] was an adult female residing at 6245 Castor Av[567]*567enue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with her son, Steven Wilson.
2. On July 6, 1996, [Appellant] was a rear-seat passenger in a vehicle owned and operated by Harry S. Gross.
3. At approximately 11:10 a.m., Harry S. Gross was operating his vehicle (“Gross vehicle”) southbound in the center lane of Interstate 76 near mile post number 22 in Camden County, New Jersey.
4. The Gross vehicle struck the rear of a vehicle operated by Edward S. Pine (“Pine vehicle”). Pine’s vehicle then struck the rear of another vehicle operated by Denise N. Brathwaite.
5. As a result of the collision, [Appellant] sustained numerous physical injuries.
6. As a result of the aforesaid accident and resultant injuries, [Appellant] has expended and become liable for sums [in] excess of $100,000.00 for prescriptions and medical treatment.
7. At the time of the accident, Steven Wilson [Appellant’s son] was the named insured under a personal auto insurance policy issued by [TICO], Policy Number PA 0011698501 (the “Wilson Policy”), in accordance with the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law, 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 1701 et seq.
8. At the time of the accident [TICO] was authorized to conduct business in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
9. At the time of the accident [TICO] was able to write commercial automobile liability insurance in New Jersey.
10. The Wilson Policy with TICO contained first party medical benefits coverage with a limit of $5,000.00 for medical payments for a resident relative within the policy holder’s household.
11. Following the motor vehicle accident of July 6, 1996, [Appellant] filed a claim for first party medical benefits with TICO, Claim Number 1018046.
12. Subsequently, TICO paid [Appellant] the maximum PIP benefits under Pennsylvania law, $5,000.00.
13. On December 2, 1997, TICO informed [Appellant] that her $5,000.00 first party medical benefits had been exhausted due to a payment made to Cooper Hospital.
16. At the time of the accident, Harry S. Gross, an adult, resided at 100 West Avenue, Apartment 5517, Jenkintown, Pennsylvania.
17. Harry S. Gross was a named insured under a personal auto insurance policy issued by [Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company], Policy Number 345544 (the “Gross Policy”), in accordance with the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law, 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 1701 et seq.
18. [Nationwide] also issued a separate umbrella policy to Harry Gross under Policy Number 5837 PV 308010 which was in effect at the time of the accident.
21. [Appellant] never submitted a claim or otherwise requested first party benefits (for medical bills or expenses) from [Nationwide] under either the Gross Policy or the separate personal umbrella policy issued to Gross.
22. [Nationwide] never made payment of any first party medical benefits to, or on behalf of, [Appellant].
23. [Appellant] has incurred (and may in the future) reasonable and necessary medical expenses in an amount in excess of $50,000.00.
24. On November 29, 2001, [Appellant] filed this action in the Court of Common [568]*568Pleas, Philadelphia County naming TICO and Nationwide, among others as defendants.

(Trial Court’s Findings of Fact, issued April 29, 2004, at 1-3). On May 10, 2004, Appellant timely filed post-trial motions for JNOV or alternatively a new trial. The court heard oral argument on May 27, 2004. On June 7, 2004, the court denied Appellant’s post-trial motions and entered judgment on the non-jury verdict in favor of TICO and Nationwide. Appellant timely filed her notice of appeal on June 29, 2004 and court-ordered concise statement of matters complained of on appeal on July 21, 2004.

¶ 3 Appellant raises the following issues for our review:

DID [THE TRIAL COURT] ERR IN NOT GRANTING APPELLANT’S POST TRIAL MOTION FOR JUDGMENT N.O.V. OR IN THE ALTERNATIVE FOR A NEW TRIAL BECAUSE THE [COURT’S] DECISION WAS AGAINST THE WEIGHT OF THE EVIDENCE AND THAT SUCH DECISION WAS AGAINST APPLICABLE LAW ON THE FOLLOWING GROUNDS:
1. DID THE COURT ERR IN APPLYING THE NEW JERSEY STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS OF TWO (2) YEARS INSTEAD OF THE PENNSYLVANIA STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS OF FOUR (4) YEARS TO APPELLANT’S CAUSE OF ACTION THEREBY DISMISSING APPELLANT’S ACTION AGAINST [TICO] AS TIME BARRED;
2. DID THE COURT ERR IN NOT FINDING THAT [TICO] CONCEALED FROM APPELLANT THE FACT THAT SHE WAS ENTITLED TO ADDITIONAL MEDICAL PAYMENTS, OTHER THAN WHAT WAS PAID, WHICH WOULD TOLL THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS AND ESTOP [TICO] FROM INVOKING THE BAR OF THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS?

(Appellant’s Brief at 4).

¶ 4 Appellate review in this case implicates the following general principles:

Our appellate role in cases arising from non-jury trial verdicts is to determine whether the findings of the trial court are supported by competent evidence and whether the trial court committed error in any application of the law. The findings of fact of the trial judge must be given the same weight and effect on appeal as the verdict of a jury. We consider the evidence in a light most favorable to the verdict winner. We will reverse the trial court only if its findings of fact are not supported by competent evidence in the record or if its findings are premised on an error of law. However, [where] the issue... concerns a question of law, our scope of review is plenary.

Amerikohl Mining Co., Inc. v. Peoples Natural Gas Co., 860 A.2d 547, 549-50 (Pa.Super.2004), appeal denied, 583 Pa. 667, 876 A.2d 392 (2005) (internal citations omitted). The trial court’s conclusions of law on appeal originating from a non-jury trial “are not binding on an appellate court because it is the appellate court’s duty to determine if the trial court correctly applied the law to the facts” of the case. Triffin v. Dillabough, 552 Pa.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
889 A.2d 563, 2005 Pa. Super. 401, 2005 Pa. Super. LEXIS 4172, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wilson-v-transport-ins-co-pasuperct-2005.