Zurich Insurance v. Britt Trucking Co.

250 F. Supp. 324, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9728
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Texas
DecidedJanuary 31, 1966
DocketCiv. A. No. 5-63-55
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 250 F. Supp. 324 (Zurich Insurance v. Britt Trucking Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Zurich Insurance v. Britt Trucking Co., 250 F. Supp. 324, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9728 (N.D. Tex. 1966).

Opinion

DOOLEY, District Judge.

I

The plaintiff corporation, Zurich, brought this suit against the two corporate defendants, Britt, to recover the sum of $12,448.52, premiums and interest alleged to be due in connection with the issuance of certain insurance policies by the plaintiff to the defendants as next listed.

II

On or about May 1, 1961, plaintiff issued to defendants its workman’s compensation policy No. 23-29-735, covering the period, as stated in the declaration of the policy, from May 1, 1961, to May 1, 1962. Attached to this policy was an endorsement entitled “Retrospective Premium Endorsement — Plan D — Three Years,” being Form Nos. 4174-A and 4175. (Exhibit No. 1)

III

At the same time, a general liability and automobile insurance policy, No. 81-19-321, was issued by the plaintiff to the defendants, covering a period from May 1, 1961, to May 1, 1962, as stated in the declaration of the policy. Attached thereto was an endorsement worded: “Retrospective Rating Endorsement. Short Form,” which in effect stated that the premium would be calculated based upon Form Nos. 4174-A and 4175, which were attached to plaintiff’s Exhibit No. 1, as stated above.

IV

On or about May 1, 1962, a workman’s compensation policy, No. 23-56-269, was issued by the plaintiff to the defendants and, as stated in the declaration, covered the period from May 1, 1962, to May 1, 1963. (Plaintiff’s Exhibit No.. 3) Attached to this policy was a short form endorsement, stating in effect that the premiums would be calculated in accordance with Form Nos. 4174-A and 4175, attached to plaintiff’s aforesaid Exhibit No. 1.

V

On or about May 1, 1962, a general liability and automobile policy, No. 82-58-760, was issued by the plaintiff to the defendants and attached thereto was an endorsement to the effect that the premiums would be calculated based upon Form Nos. 4174-A and 4175, attached to plaintiff’s Exhibit No. 1.

VI

The plaintiff elected to cancel all of the aforesaid policies at the end of the second policy year.

VII

The central issue before the Court in this case deals with the correct computation of insurance premiums under the “Retrospective Rating Plan D — Texas”, or, more specifically, the wording may be: How is the premium to be calculated under the subject policies here questioned when the insurance carrier cancels the group of policies at the end of the second year of a prospective three year policy group for a reason other than the nonpayment of premiums by the insured?1

VIII

The point presented is not without difficulty and decision requires a thorough understanding of this policy and, also, the regulations promulgated by the Texas Insurance Board upon which the policy is based.

IX

Under the “Retrospective Rating Plan D — Texas” regulations of The Plan, Introduction, § 1, thereof, Retrospective Rating is defined as:

“a plan or method which permits adjustment of the final premium for a Risk on the basis of its own loss experience subject to Maximum and Minimum limits.”

And, under “Plan D” an employer is able to obtain, in one policy, workman’s [326]*326compensation insurance, general liability insurance, automobile liability insurance and other third-party'liability insurance.

X

To obtain this type of insurance it is first necessary for the carrier to audit the operations of the employer. After determining the risks involved in the employer's operations, it is then possible for the carrier to estimate a premium that the employer could earn over a one year period under Plan D. This premium would be called an “estimated standard premium”.

The significance of the “estimated standard premium” is-limited in that it is no more than an estimate. The estimated premium does, however, provide the base for determination of all subsequently computed final premiums.

XI

The estimated premium is a 100% figure. That is to say, the estimated premium represents an amount that would be a projected, complete, premium in the event all factors entering into such estimate held constant over the projected rating period.2 These estimates as such, however, are not quantified and the many factors entering into such estimate will rarely hold constant.

XII

To enable the insured to earn his final premium based upon his own loss experience (bearing in mind that it would be the exceptional case where the estimated premium would hold constant), the Plan provides for minimum and maximum limits bearing a relationship to the estimated standard premium. The minimum limit set is a figure representing one-half of the estimated standard premium. The maximum limit set is a figure representing the sum of the estimated standard premium and one-half of the standard premium. Numerically expressed, these three figures bear the progressive relationship of 50%, (the minimum limit), 100%, (the estimated standard premium), and 150%, (the maximum limit).

XIII

At the end of the first year the insurance carrier will audit the books of the insured and, by using the same method used to determine the estimated standard premium, will determine the insured’s actual earned standard premium. Under the policy here in question, this figure is referred to as the Standard Subject Premium.

XIV

The Standard Subject Premium is, however, but one of several factors used in determining the insured’s final premium under a retrospective plan.

XV

It is necessary, at this point, to determine the Basic Premium; which represents a percentage of the Standard Subject Premium determined by multiplying a “basic premium percentage” by the Standard Subject Premium. The “basic premium percentage” is determined by linear interpolation through minimum and maximum limits based upon the estimated standard premium and its relation to the actual earned standard premium.

XVI

Next to be calculated is the item of Conversion Losses. This item is determined by multiplying the insured’s actual incurred losses by a set ‘loss conversion factor’.3

XVII

The items of Converted Losses and Basic Premium are then added together and multiplied by a set figure denominated as the “State Tax Multiplier”. This figure is then made subject to the Minimum Retrospective Premium and Maximum Retrospective Premium limits.

[327]*327XVIII

The items of Converted Losses and. Basic Premium are then added together and multiplied by a set figure denominated as the “State Tax Multiplier”. This figure is then made subject to the Minimum Retrospective Premium and Maximum Retrospective Premium limits.

XIX

The minimum and maximum limits represent figures that would be the lowest or highest amount the insured would have to pay under the policy. And further, if the earned retrospective premium represented a sum less than the standard subject premium he would be entitled to a refund since, presumptively, the insured has already paid this amount.

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Related

Travelers Ins. Co. v. Jeffries-Eaves, Inc., of Colo.
442 P.2d 822 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 1968)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
250 F. Supp. 324, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9728, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/zurich-insurance-v-britt-trucking-co-txnd-1966.