Winkler v. Royal Insurance Company

337 N.E.2d 499, 167 Ind. App. 16, 1975 Ind. App. LEXIS 1404
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 25, 1975
Docket1-575A88
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 337 N.E.2d 499 (Winkler v. Royal Insurance Company) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Winkler v. Royal Insurance Company, 337 N.E.2d 499, 167 Ind. App. 16, 1975 Ind. App. LEXIS 1404 (Ind. Ct. App. 1975).

Opinion

.Lowdermilk, J.

— Plaintiff-appellant Edith Winkler, Ad-ministratrix of. the estate of Fritz E. Winkler (Winkler) brought an action against Dennis Wolfe for the wrongful death of Mr. Winkler in an automobile collision. Dennis Wolfe suffered default and a judgment was entered against him for $125,000, which judgment remains due and unsatisfied.

Winkler then brought the action before us, seeking proceeds of an automobile insurance policy issued by defendants-appellees herein (Royal) to the Hertz Corporation which was *17 applicable to a vehicle subsequently received from Hertz by Alice Wolfe and operated by Dennis Wolfe at the time of the fatal collision. Royal refused to concede any liability under its policy of insurance for the incident made the basis of Winkler’s litigation. Thereafter Royal filed its motion for summary judgment together with a. copy of the insurance policy issued by Royal to Hertz which policy afforded protection to the renter of the Hertz automobile, Alice "Wolfe, and others, as provided by the omnibus coverage of the policy.

Winkler filed her memorandum in opposition to motion for summary judgment and attached thereto a copy of the insurance policy issued by Royal to Hertz.

The court in its special findings of fact, including pertinent parts of the insurance policy, held, inter alia:

1. The sole dispute is over the legal import of the terms of the insurance policy and rental agreement, neither of which is ambiguous or in need of construction.

2. The issue on summary judgment is whether. Dennis Wolfe was an additional insured under the policy.

3. It is undisputed that Dennis Wolfe is not a “named” insured under the policy and that he did not rent the automobile he was driving from Hertz (the named insured). Dennis Wolfe came into possession of the automobile from Alice Wolfe, who was the renter and signed the rental agreement with Hertz.

4. Alice Wolfe was the wife of William Wolfe and resided with her husband and children in Indianapolis, Indiana. •

5. Dennis Wolfe was a half brother of William Wolfe, was 18 years of age, was in the United States Army, and made his permanent home with his mother, Mary Wolfe, at Indianapolis, Indiana. Dennis Wolfe had never resided in the household or home of William and Alice Wolfe at the time of the collision.

6. On the day of the collision Dennis visited at William’s home and William asked Alice to rent a car for Dennis’ use *18 that night. She rented a car from Hertz in her name, drove it home, and Dennis then took possession and used the car solely for his own benefit and use.

7. The pertinent part of the insurance policy defining the insured reads as follows, to-wit:

“The unqualified word ‘insured’ includes the named insured and also includes (1) Any person, firm, association, partnership or corporation to whom an automobile has been rented without a chauffeur by the named insured (herein referred to as the ‘renter’) ; (2) Any employee of said renter (herein referred- to as the ‘driver’) ; (3) Any employer of said renter; (4) ... (5) If the named insured is an individual, resident of the household of the named insured, ... (6) Any partner or executive officer of the renter; (7) If qualified licensed operators, members of the immediate family of the renter or of any partner or executive officer of the renter; (8) Any employee of the named insured while acting within the scope of his employment. . . .”

The policy exclusions also provide in pertinent part:

“It does not apply to: . . . any liability of the renter or members of his immediate family, . . . with respect to bodily injuries to, sickness, disease or death of any persons or damage to property caused in whole or in part by an automobile insured hereunder while being used to . . . (1) . : . (2) . . . (3) . . . (4) By any person other than (a) the renter who signs the rental agreement, (b) The employer of the renter, (c) A person regularly employed by such renter in the usual course of his business, (d) Any partner or executive officer of the renter, (e) Members of the immediate family of the renter or of any partner or executive officer of the renter, (5) . . .”

The Rental Agreement between Alice Wolfe and the Hertz Corporation, which was Exhibit “A” to Alice Wolfe’s deposition taken November 30, 1970 provides in pertinent part:

“Under no circumstances shall vehicle be used, operated or driven: (A) . . . (B) . . . (C) . . . (D) . . . (E) By any person except (1) Customer; or (2) If a qualified licensed driver, and provided customer’s permission be first obtained, (a) A member of customer’s immediate ..family, (b) Customer’s employer, or (c) An employee of customer in'the course of such employee’s regular and usual ■ employment by customer. . . .”

*19 -'8. The court-further found Hertz did not rent'the: car to Dennis Wolfe; that Dennis Wolfe was not an employer t>r employee of the renter (Alice Wolfe) nor was he a person from whom an auto had been rented by Royal. That Dennis Wolfe was not a resident of the household of Alice Wolfe nor a partner of the renter nor a member of the immediate family of -the renter nor was he an employee of Hertz.

The trial court duly entered its conclusions of law on the above findings which it concluded by decreeing that the plaintiff (Winkler) take nothing by her complaint and entered judgment on behalf of the defendants (Royal) and against Winkler.

-Winkler timely filed her motion to correct. errors which, after argument thereon, was by the court overruled. Said motion charges (1) the court’s finding was erroneous and inadequate in that said finding did not show an absence of material fact;. (2) the motion is based on assumptions regarding material issues of fact relating to the question of the interpretation and application of the. language contained in Royal’s insurance policy made the basis of the within litigation; (3) there is a material issue of fact which relates to -the scope and application of the omnibus clause as it affects the rights and duties of the parties litigant; and (4) the court’s judgment is contrary to law.

Said .motion further charges abuse of discretion in granting the summary judgment thereby denying- Winkler the right to' -present evidence upon the issues.

Winkler initially contends that the trial court relied upon the deposition of Alice Wolfe when it entered its ruling on Royal’s motion for summary judgment “and that references to said additional evidence by the Court are improper and %oithout legal foundation inasmuch as at no time during the conduct of the hearing on Defendant-Appellees Motion For Summary Judgment was a Motion For Production And In *20 troduction Into The Record Of The Deposition of Alice Wolfe made by counsel for Appellees.”

No affidavits were filed against the motion for summary judgment by Winkler.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Ash v. Rush County Board of Zoning Appeals
464 N.E.2d 347 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1984)
In Re Marriage of Salas
447 N.E.2d 1176 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1983)
Glass v. Continental Assurance Co.
415 N.E.2d 126 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1981)
Stanton v. Godfrey
415 N.E.2d 103 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1981)
Hieb v. Metropolitan Development Commission of Marion County
412 N.E.2d 321 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1980)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
337 N.E.2d 499, 167 Ind. App. 16, 1975 Ind. App. LEXIS 1404, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/winkler-v-royal-insurance-company-indctapp-1975.