Lutterbein v. Gonzales, Unpublished Decision (11-24-2003)
Lutterbein v. Gonzales, Unpublished Decision (11-24-2003)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 2} On September 12, 200, plaintiff-appellant, Randy J. Lutterbein ("appellant"), was injured as a result of an accident which occurred when the defendant-appellee, Bradley Gonzales, drove his motor vehicle into the path of appellant's Harley Davidson motorcycle. On the date of the accident, appellant was employed by Wrightway Food Service, Inc. ("Wrightway"). Motorist Assurance Companies ("Motorist") provided automobile liability insurance to Wrightway. Appellant brought suit against Motorist seeking uninsured/underinsured motorist ("UM/UIM") coverage under the policies issued to Wrightway. Appellant maintains that the amount of insurance proceeds available to him from other sources, namely the tortfeasor, Gonzales, is inadequate to compensate him for the damages sustained as a result of the accident.
{¶ 3} Appellant concedes that he was not acting within the scope of his employment with Wrightway at the time of the accident and that the motorcycle he was operating was his own personal vehicle. Appellant, however, asserts that he is afforded UM/UIM coverage under the business auto and commercial umbrella liability portions of the insurance policy issued to Wrightway by Motorist (Policy No. 33 180615-60E).
{¶ 4} Motorist moved for summary judgment on the grounds that appellant was not an insured under the policy and was not occupying a covered vehicle under the terms of the policy issued to Wrightway. The trial court found, as a matter of law, that appellant was an insured under the Motorist Assurance automobile liability policy issued to Wrightway. But it also found that appellant's motorcycle was not a covered vehicle under said policy, and therefore, appellant was not entitled to UM/UIM coverage under either the employer's automobile liability policy or its commercial umbrella policy. It is this decision which appellant appeals.
{¶ 5} For the reasons set forth herein, the trial court's judgment to grant summary judgment to Motorist is affirmed. The basis of our decision, however, differs from that of the trial court. We conform our analysis to the reasoning set forth in Westfield Ins. Co. v. Galatis,
Plaintiff-appellant raises the following assignment of error for our review:
The trial court erred in granting the motion for summary judgment filedby the defendant Motorist Assurance Companies finding thatuninsured/underinsured coverage is not available to plaintiff under theterms of Motorist Assurance Companies Policy No. 33 180615-60E.
{¶ 6} Defendant/cross-appellant, Motorist, has also appealed the judgment of the trial court and raises the following assignment of error:
The trial court erred in determining that Randy J. Lutterbein was aninsured under the subject policy when there is no ambiguity associatedwith the definition of the word" you" as the subject policy insuresindividuals.
{¶ 8} It is well-established under Ohio law that a court may not grant a motion for summary judgment unless the record demonstrates: (1) that no genuine issue of material fact remains to be litigated; (2) that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law; and (3) that, after construing the evidence most strongly in the nonmovant's favor, reasonable minds can come to but one conclusion, and that conclusion is adverse to the party against whom the motion for summary judgment is made. Civ.R. 56(C); Horton v. Harwick Chem. Corp. (1995),
{¶ 11} Pursuant to the Supreme Court of Ohio's recent decision inWestfield Ins. Co. v. Galatis,
{¶ 12} In Galatis, the Court stated:
[t]he general intent of a motor vehicle insurance policy issued to acorporation is to insure the corporation as a legal entity againstliability arising from the use of motor vehicles.1 It is settled lawin Ohio that a motor vehicle operated by an employee of a corporation inthe course and scope of employment is operated by and for the corporationand that an employee, under such circumstances, might reasonably beentitled to uninsured motorist coverage under a motor vehicle insurancepolicy issued to his employer.2 However, an employee's activitiesoutside the scope of employment are not of any direct consequence to theemployer as a legal entity. An employer does not risk legal or financialliability from an employee's operation of a non-business-owned motorvehicle outside the scope of employment. Consequently, uninsured motoristcoverage for an employee outside the scope of employment is extraneous tothe general intent of a commercial auto policy.
Id at ¶ 20.
{¶ 13} Accordingly, the Court held that "[a]bsent specific language to the contrary, a policy of insurance that names a corporation as an insured for [UM/UIM] coverage covers a loss sustained by an employee of the corporation only if the loss occurs within the course and scope of employment." Id. at ¶ 62.
{¶ 14} Like Scott-Pontzer, where the only named insured was a corporation, the Motorist business auto policy lists "Wrightway Food Services, Inc." as the "named insured."3 The Motorist business auto policy contains an Ohio UM/UIM Coverage Form, as mandated by R.C.
Who Is An Insured 1. You. 2. If you are an individual, any "family member." 3. Your employees while occupying a covered "auto" or a temporarysubstitute for a covered "auto." The covered "auto" must be out ofservice because of its breakdown, repair, servicing, loss ordestruction.
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{¶ 15} It is undisputed that the motorcycle appellant was occupying at the time of the accident was not owned by Wrightway. It is further undisputed that appellant was not acting within the scope of his duties nor acting in any way related to his employment with Wrightway Food Services, Inc. when the accident occurred. Furthermore, the business auto policy at hand does not otherwise provide for UM/UIM coverage for employees while acting outside the course and scope of employment. We, therefore, hold that, pursuant to Galatis, appellant is not an insured for purposes of UM/UIM coverage under the business auto policy issued to Wrightway by Motorist.
{¶ 17} However, despite appellant's assertion, R.C.
{¶ 18} The Declarations Page of the commercial umbrella form again lists "Wrightway Food Service Inc." as the named insured. Section III of the umbrella policy provides the definitions of who is an insured under the policy. The first two definitions of an insured in Section III are inapplicable to the case at bar and pertain only to individuals and/or partnerships or joint ventures who are listed as the named insureds. Because the named insured in this case is a corporation, the definition contained in Section III(A)(3) and (B)(1) of the policy is the definition applicable to the case at bar. It provides:
Section III: Who is an Insured Each of the following is an insured under this policy to the extent setforth below: A. If you are designated in the Declarations as:
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3. Other than an individual, partnership or joint venture, you, yourexecutive officers, directors or stockholders while acting in the scopeof their duties as such. B. "Except as with respect to any "auto" owned, hired or used by you oron your behalf: 1. Any executive officer, employee, director or stockholder whileacting within the scope of his or her duties as such.
{¶ 19} Although Wrightway is the only named insured listed in the umbrella policy declarations page, the definition of an "insured" in Section III of the policy specifically provides coverage for officers, directors, stockholders and employees of the corporation, not just for the corporation itself. However, the very definition of an "insured" requires not only that such individual be an officer, director, stockholder or employee but that the individual must also be acting within the scope of their duties as such.
{¶ 20} As previously noted, the motorcycle appellant was occupying at the time of the accident was not owned by Wrightway and appellant was not acting within the course or scope of his employment with Wrightway Food Services, Inc. when the accident occurred. Thus, in accordance with the terms of the umbrella policy, appellant was not an "insured." Because R.C.
{¶ 21} Although we arrive at our decision by way of different analysis from that of the trial court, the trial court did not err in granting summary judgment to Motorist. Accordingly, plaintiff-appellant's assignment of error is overruled. The judgment of the trial court granting summary judgment to Motorist is affirmed.
{¶ 23} Having found no error prejudicial to the appellant herein, in the particulars assigned and argued, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.
Judgment affirmed.
BRYANT, P.J., and SHAW, J., concur.
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