Gilcreast-Hill v. Ohio Farmers Ins. Co., Unpublished Decision (9-4-2002)
Gilcreast-Hill v. Ohio Farmers Ins. Co., Unpublished Decision (9-4-2002)
Opinion of the Court
This cause was heard upon the record in the trial court. Each error assigned has been reviewed and the following disposition is made: {¶ 1} Appellant, Felicia Gilcreast-Hill, appeals from the decision of the Summit County Court of Common Pleas, which granted the motion for summary judgment of Appellee, Ohio Farmers Insurance Co. We affirm.
{¶ 3} Appellant brought a declaratory judgment action in the Summit County Court of Common Pleas, seeking underinsured motorist benefits. Appellant specifically sought a declaration that her employer's CGL policy with Ohio Farmers is an automobile liability insurance policy subject to R.C.
{¶ 4} Ohio Farmers filed a motion for summary judgment, asserting that the policy in question does not satisfy the definition of an automobile liability or motor vehicle liability policy of insurance because there are no specifically identified vehicles in the policy. The trial court granted Ohio Farmers' motion for summary judgment, finding that the policy did not "identify a single individual automobile for which UM/UIM is applicable for employees or automobiles outside of the scope of employment." The court further found that the policy "did not serve as proof of financial responsibility for [Appellant] and therefore no requirement to offer UM/UIM arises under the policy." This appeal followed.
{¶ 5} "THE TRIAL COURT ERRED TO THE PREJUDICE OF PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT IN FINDING THAT THE COMMERCIAL GENERAL LIABILITY POLICY IS NOT A MOTOR VEHICLE LIABILITY POLICY OF INSURANCE AS DEFINED BY OHIO R.C.3937.18 (L)(1)."
{¶ 6} In her sole assignment of error, Appellant asserts that the trial court erred when it determined that the Ohio Farmers CGL policy was not a motor vehicle liability policy pursuant to R.C.
{¶ 7} We begin by noting that we review an award of summary judgment de novo. Grafton v. Ohio Edison Co. (1996),
{¶ 8} Pursuant to Civil Rule 56(C), summary judgment is proper if:
{¶ 9} "(1) No genuine issue as to any material fact remains to be litigated; (2) the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law; and (3) it appears from the evidence that reasonable minds can come to but one conclusion, and viewing such evidence most strongly in favor of the party against whom the motion for summary judgment is made, that conclusion is adverse to that party." Temple v. Wean United, Inc. (1977),
50 Ohio St.2d 317 ,327 .
{¶ 10} To prevail on a motion for summary judgment, the party moving for summary judgment must be able to point to evidentiary materials that show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact, and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Dresher v. Burt (1996),
{¶ 11} The facts of this case relevant to the appeal are undisputed. The question before us is purely a question of law, whether Ohio Farmers was required to offer UM/UIM coverage to its insured in conjunction with this policy pursuant to R.C.
{¶ 12} When a statute's language is plain and unambiguous, this Court applies the statute as written and makes no further inquiry either into the legislative intent or the consequences of the trial court's construction. State v. Hurd (2000),
{¶ 13} "For the purposes of determining the scope of coverage of an underinsured motorist claim, the statutory law in effect at the time of entering into a contract for automobile liability insurance controls the rights and duties of the contracting parties." Ross v. Farmers Ins.Group of Cos. (1998),
{¶ 14} R.C.
{¶ 15} "(A) No automobile liability or motor vehicle liability policy of insurance insuring against loss resulting from liability imposed by law for bodily injury or death suffered by any person arising out of the ownership, maintenance, or use of a motor vehicle shall be delivered or issued for delivery in this state with respect to any motor vehicle registered or principally garaged in this state unless [UM/UIM coverages] are offered to persons insured under the policy for loss due to bodily injury or death suffered by such insureds[.]"
{¶ 16} Pursuant to R.C.
{¶ 17} "Any policy of insurance that serves as proof of financial responsibility, as proof of financial responsibility is defined by division (K) of section
4509.01 of the Revised Code, for owners or operators of the motor vehicles specifically identified in the policy of insurance[.]" R.C.3937.18 (L)(1).2
{¶ 18} Proof of financial responsibility, as defined in R.C.
{¶ 19} Thus, to be considered an automobile liability or motor vehicle liability insurance policy, the policy must serve as proof of financial responsibility for owners or operators of the motor vehiclesspecifically identified in the policy. See Uzhca v. Derham (Apr. 5, 2002), 2d Dist. No. 19106; Devore v. Richmond, 6th Dist. No. WD-01-044,
{¶ 20} The CGL policy in question excludes coverage for "`Bodily injury' or `property damage' arising out of the ownership, maintenance, use or entrustment to others of any aircraft, `auto' or watercraft owned or operated by or rented or loaned to any insured." The policy provides that this exclusion does not apply to "[p]arking an `auto' on, or on the ways next to, premises you own or rent, provided the `auto' is not owned by or rented or loaned to you or the insured[.]"
{¶ 21} Appellant argues that the "parking exception" to the policy's exclusion extends liability coverage to the specified categories of autos, namely, autos that are "non-owned, non-rented, or non-loaned." Appellant relies on Selander v. Erie Ins. Group (1999),
{¶ 22} In Selander, the Ohio Supreme Court construed a general business liability policy that excluded coverage for liability arising from the use of automobiles, but provided liability insurance for claims arising from the use of non-owned or hired automobiles that were used in the insured's business. The Ohio Supreme Court held that a policy that provides liability coverage for non-owned and hired motor vehicles is sufficient to satisfy the requirements of R.C.
{¶ 23} Appellant also relies on Davis v. State Farm Fire and Cas.Co. (Dec. 18, 2001), 10th Dist. No. 00AP-1458. In Davis, the Tenth District Court of Appeals construed a homeowner's insurance policy that excluded coverage for bodily injury or property damage arising out of the ownership, maintenance, use, loading or unloading of motor vehicles owned or operated by, or rented or loaned to any insured. However, the exclusion did not apply to bodily injury to a residence employee arising out of and in the course of the residence employee's employment by the insured. The court found that "the policy specifically [identified] motor vehicles owned or operated by or rented or loaned to appellant as being covered under the exception to the exclusion applying to residence employees." Id. The court reasoned, "We do not believe, by using the word `specified,' that the legislature intended to require makes, models and serial numbers." Id. We do not find the reasoning in Davis to be persuasive.
{¶ 24} Although this is an issue of first impression for this Court, other Ohio Courts of Appeal have analyzed policies with "parking exceptions" to policy exclusions similar to the "parking exception" in the Ohio Farmers policy in this case. See Uzhca v. Derham (Apr. 5, 2002), 2d Dist. No. 19106; Devore v. Richmond, 6th Dist. No. WD-01-044,
{¶ 25} In Uzhca, the Second District stated:
{¶ 26} "The very language of the policy makes clear that it is not designed to provide proof of financial responsibility for any automobile. It excludes liability coverage for automobiles, and the exception to that exclusion specifies that it only covers parking of automobiles on the insured's property if those automobiles are not owned by the insured. Furthermore, the policy does not provide liability insurance with respect to any vehicles `specifically identified in the policy of insurance' as required by R.C.
3937.18 (L)(1)." Uzhca, supra.
{¶ 27} The court held that, accordingly, the policy did not serve as proof of financial responsibility for owners or operators of motor vehicles specifically identified in the policy. Id. See, also, Devore, at ¶ 44-47.
{¶ 28} We find Uzhca and Devore to be persuasive. The phrase "not owned by or rented or loaned to you or the insured" does not "specifically identify" autos pursuant to the definition of automobile or motor vehicle liability. The policy cannot serve as proof of financial responsibility for "owners or operators of the motor vehiclesspecifically identified in the policy," if the policy does not specifically identify any motor vehicles. Accordingly, Ohio Farmers' CGL policy is not one which "serves as proof of financial responsibility * * * for owners or operators of the motor vehicles specifically identified in the policy of insurance" and cannot, therefore, be an automobile or motor vehicle liability policy pursuant to R.C.
{¶ 29} As the policy is not an automobile or motor vehicle liability policy, Ohio Farmers was not required to offer UM/UIM coverage. Consequently, the trial court did not err in granting summary judgment to Ohio Farmers. Appellant's assignment of error is overruled.
SLABY, P.J., WHITMORE, J. CONCUR.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.