Wright v. Beacon Mutual Indemnity Co.

179 N.E.2d 547, 87 Ohio Law. Abs. 178, 1961 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 291
CourtPickaway County Court of Common Pleas
DecidedMarch 8, 1961
DocketNo. 22701
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 179 N.E.2d 547 (Wright v. Beacon Mutual Indemnity Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pickaway County Court of Common Pleas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wright v. Beacon Mutual Indemnity Co., 179 N.E.2d 547, 87 Ohio Law. Abs. 178, 1961 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 291 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1961).

Opinion

Ammer, J.

This is an action filed by the plaintiff against the defendant insurance company seeking to recover under the provisions of the medical, surgical and hospital service section of the policies for expenses incurred as a result of an accident and praying for judgment in the amount of $2,000. To this petition the defendant has filed an answer the essential parts of which set up three defenses. To the answer has been filed a reply by the plaintiff.

The facts in the case have been stipulated by the parties and the matter of a jury trial being waived an agreement was reached that the matter be submitted to the Court upon the stipulation of facts and briefs.

The plaintiff, Lawrence E. Wright, on July 20, 1959, owned two automobiles upon which he had coverage by the two policies from the defendant company. On said date the plaintiff also owned a farm tractor type vehicle with the brand name of Farm All upon which the plaintiff had not purchased a separate policy of insurance.

Among other provisions of the two policies are the following:

“Coverage C-Medical Payments. To pay all reasonable expenses incurred within one year from the date of accident for necessary medical, surgical, x-ray and dental services, including prosethetic devises, and necessary ambulance, hospital, professional nursing and funeral services:

[180]*180“Division 1. To or for the named insured and each relative who sustains bodily injury, sickness or disease, including death resulting therefrom, hereinafter called ‘bodily injury’ caused by accident, while occupying or through being struck by an automobile;

“Exclusions. This policy does not apply under part 2 to bodily injury:

“(b) sustained by the named insured or a relative

“(1) while occupying an automobile owned by or furnished for the regular use of either the named insured or any relative, other than an automobile defined herein as an ‘owned automobile.’ ”

It appears that the plaintiff has complied with all the conditions and provisions of the contract of insurance precedent to the filing of the action herein.

On July 20, 1959, while operating a farm tractor pulling a farm wagon in a southerly direction on U. S. Route 23 in the right lane of southbound traffic about five-tenths of a mile south of South Bloomfield, Ohio, in Pickaway County, the plaintiff received numerous injuries when an automobile operated by one Jean McCabe also travelling in a southerly direction on U. S. 23 in said right lane of traffic collided with the rear of the farm wagon which was being towed by the farm tractor. As a result of the collision the plaintiff was thrown against the tractor and onto the highway causing injury to his pelvic area. It is stipulated that the plaintiff was confined to University Hospital and has incurred expenses within one year from the date of the collision for necessary medical, surgical, hospital and other services as a direct result of said collision in excess of the maximum amount of the policies of $2,000.

Therefore the sole question herein is whether or not the plaintiff was covered under the policies in view of the exclusion clause of said policies. If it is determined that the plaintiff is entitled to recover there is no disagreement as to the amount as this would be the maximum amount of the policies of $2,000.

ISSUES.

1. Did the plaintiff sustain bodily injury while “struck by an automobile” as provided for in the policies?

2. Whether the farm tractor owned by the plaintiff and [181]*181occupied by him at the time of the accident was “an automobile owned by * * * the named insured” within the meaning of the exclusion set forth in paragraph 3 of the policies.

3. Are the facts of the collision such as to exclude coverage under the policies which provides:

“This policy does not apply under Part 13 to bodily injury sustained by the. name insured or a relative while occupying-or through being struck by a farm type tractor or other equipment designed for use principally off public roads, while not upon public roads * *

LAW.

1.. Were the injuries of the plaintiff such that he was ‘struck by an automobile’ under the provisions of the policies?

This issue was raised by the defendant in the answer, however it has not been seriously challenged by the defendant in their brief. A recent case interpreting such language is a decision by the Common Pleas Court of Clark County, decided, July 19, 1960, in the case of Carson v. Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co., 84 Ohio Law Abs., 378. The syllabi of that case reads as follows:

“A person may be struck by a motor vehicle within the meaning of a provision in an insurance policy providing coverage for injuries received ‘by being struck by a land motor vehicle or trailer’ even though there is no actual physical contact with the person himself.

“When a person, while seated in an automobile into which another vehicle crashes or with which it collides, suffers injuries from the collision, such person has been struck by such other vehicle and qualifies for the benefits of a policy of insurance providing for compensation when injuries are received ‘by being struck by a land motor vehicle or trailer’ there is no need for actual physical contact to be made with the person to qualify under such a provision.”

It is not clear in the instant case whether there was any physical touching between the plaintiff and the vehicle which collided with him although for purpose of disposition it will be assumed there was no physical touching between the automobile of Jean McCabe as it would appear that he was thrown from the tractor onto the ground as a result of which he received [182]*182the injuries. At page 382 of the above case the Court in citing a Court of Appeals’ decision stated the following:

“In Barnes v. Great Am. Indemnity Co., 60 Ohio App., 114, our own Court of Appeals considered and interpreted the following language appearing in a policy of insurance, to-wit:

“Being struck, run down or run over by an automobile.”

“In that case the injured person suffered injuries in attempting to avoid being struck or run down. In fact she was not touched by the passing car, but jumped and fell in successfully avoiding being crushed. The Court was urged to deny recovery because of the latter fact, but refused to follow that suggestion and allowed recovery, holding in effect that it is not necessary under such a policy that the person who seeks recovery on account of the peril of ‘being run down’ should show that she was thrown to the street by a physical impact of the moving machine. While the particular phrase interpreted was ‘being run down’ rather than ‘being struck’ it reflects the liberal approach the courts have taken in construing language somewhat similar in import and meaning and in this court’s opinion lends support to the views and holdings expressed and arrived at in this opinion.”

The Court further on page 383 of that decision stated the following:

“Thus, the inescapable conclusion is reached that the reasonable and ordinary meaning of the words ‘struck by’ not elsewhere or otherwise in the policy restricted or limited, must be given and applied and that such meaning embraces and correctly describes the factual pattern in the instant case.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
179 N.E.2d 547, 87 Ohio Law. Abs. 178, 1961 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 291, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wright-v-beacon-mutual-indemnity-co-ohctcomplpickaw-1961.