Rarick v. Federated Serv. Ins. Co.
Rarick v. Federated Serv. Ins. Co.
Opinion of the Court
While driving a truck owned and insured by his employer, Keystone Automotive Operations, *593Inc., Plaintiff Bryan Rarick was injured in a car accident in 2011. He sought to recover for his injuries from the truck's insurer, Defendant Federated Mutual Insurance Co., under the Uninsured Motorist/Underinsured Motorist ("UM/UIM") provisions of Keystone's policy. Federated denied his claim because Keystone had rejected UM/UIM coverage for all those insured by its commercial policy, except owners, managers, and their families. Rarick brought this action challenging Federated's denial of benefits as a violation of Pennsylvania insurance law. This opinion addresses cross-motions for Summary Judgment filed by Rarick and Federated. For the reasons set forth below, this Court denies Rarick's Motion for Partial Summary Judgment and grants Federated's Motion for Summary Judgment.
I. FACTS & PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
The following facts are taken from the Joint Stipulation of Facts.
On June 27, 2011, Rarick was driving a truck owned by his employer, Keystone Automotive Operations, Inc. ("Keystone"). Stip. Facts ¶ 1, ECF No. 62. Keystone was the holder of a commercial automotive insurance policy issued by Federated, intended to cover the vehicles owned by Keystone. Id. ¶ 2. It is important to note from the outset that a default insurance policy carries with it Uninsured Motorist and Underinsured Motorist ("UM/UIM") benefits pursuant to the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law ("MVFRL"). See
Rarick filed this action primarily claiming that the coverage scheme created by Federated is unlawful under the MVFRL. See Notice of Removal Ex. A. ¶ 37-38, ECF No. 1 [hereinafter "Complaint"]. He asserts that UM/UIM benefits must be either rejected for all insureds under a policy or accepted for all insured under a policy. See Pl.'s Supp. Mem. 5, 11-15, ECF No. 65-1. Rarick has since filed a Motion for Partial Summary Judgment on the grounds that (1) the coverage scheme is unlawful under the MVFRL, (2) the delayed production of the rejection form means that Federated is estopped from relying on it, and (3) the policy is ambiguous. See
Federated filed a Motion for Summary Judgment on the grounds that (1) Rarick does not have standing to challenge the rejection of UM/UIM benefits, (2) the UM/UIM rejection is compliant in both form and substance, (3) the rejection is unambiguous, and (4) Federated is not estopped *594from asserting the valid rejection as a defense. See Def.'s Supp. Mem. 2-3, ECF No. 66-1.
II. LEGAL STANDARD
Summary judgment "should be rendered if the pleadings, the discovery and disclosure materials on file, and any affidavits show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law." Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c) ; Turner v. Schering-Plough Corp. ,
Once such a showing has been made, the non-moving party must go beyond the pleadings with affidavits, depositions, answers to interrogatories or the like in order to demonstrate specific material facts which give rise to a genuine issue. Fed. R. Civ. P. 56 ; Celotex , 477 U.S. at 324,
III. ANALYSIS
A. A third-party beneficiary has standing to challenge the statutory validity of a waiver of UM/UIM benefits.
Federated alleges that Rarick does not have statutory standing to challenge the rejection of UM/UIM benefits. See Def.'s Supp. Mem. 20, ECF No. 66-1. Federated argues that only those who appear as a "named insured" in the policy have standing to challenge the rejection.
Pennsylvania courts recognize that "a party seeking judicial resolution of a controversy in this Commonwealth must, as a prerequisite, establish that he has standing to maintain the action." Nye v. Erie Ins. Exch. ,
Federated argues that recent Pennsylvania Superior Court cases stand for the proposition that individuals who are not named insureds on a policy, like Rarick, do not have standing to challenge a waiver of UM/UIM benefits by a named insured. See Def.'s Supp. Mem. 20. Federated first cites to Peters v. National Interstate Insurance Co. , a 2015 case that involved an employee who was attempting to make a claim against his employer's insurer for UM/UIM benefits following an accident.
However, Peters did not reach the issue that is central to Rarick's claim because the Pennsylvania MVFRL did not apply to the driver, an Ohio resident, nor the car, an Ohio-registered vehicle that was principally garaged in Ohio. Id. at 45. While Peters stated that a third-party beneficiary has "no legally cognizable claim of UIM coverage" where it had been rejected, the court did not decide whether the rejection of the UIM benefits was legally adequate. Id. ("However, we need not reach the question of the legal adequacy of the rejection form, because, as we have already decided, the Pennsylvania MVFRL does not apply to Appellees."). By challenging Federated's ability to bifurcate the company and provide UM/UIM coverage to only part of its personnel, Rarick is essentially challenging the validity of the UM/UIM waiver. Therefore, the holding of Peters does not apply to Rarick's claim.
Federated then cites Petty v. Federated Mutual Insurance Co. for the proposition that third-party beneficiaries do not have standing to challenge the rejection of UM/UIM benefits. Federated cites specifically to a footnote, which states that the court could have used "an alternate basis" to affirm the judgment.
*596While Petty decided the validity of the waiver prior to addressing the issue of standing in a footnote, this Court has not yet decided the validity of the waiver. Therefore, the alternative basis proposed by the footnote in Petty is not dispositive of the matter of standing as it is predicated on the finding of a valid waiver.
Other courts have found that third-party beneficiary employees have standing to challenge the validity of a waiver made by the named insured, the employer. In 2007, the District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, applying Pennsylvania law, held that a third-party beneficiary "clearly ... has standing in this instance to argue either that [defendant] failed to execute a valid waiver ... or that the statutory limitation of UIM benefits ... is invalid." Yocum v. Federated Mut. Ins. Co. , No. 2:05cv1789,
In 2011, the Middle District of Pennsylvania, again applying Pennsylvania law, found that a third-party beneficiary was eligible for both "those benefits that [defendant], as the insured, wished to provide him," and "those benefits which [defendant] may not have wished to provide him but which [defendant] did not disclaim in conformance with Pennsylvania law." Douglas v. Discover Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co. ,
Pennsylvania courts have allowed similar claims challenging the validity of a waiver by third-party beneficiaries to continue without mention of a standing issue, including National Union Fire Ins. Co. v. Irex Corp , No. 96-3902,
These cases are not inconsistent with those cited by Federated against Rarick's standing. As stated previously, Peters never reached the issue of the validity of the rejection because the MVFRL did not apply to the Ohio driver or the Ohio-garaged car. It follows that a third-party beneficiary would not have a claim to benefits when benefits are validly waived. Therefore, the right of a third-party beneficiary to challenge the validity of the waiver does not conflict with the inability of a third-party beneficiary to make a claim where the *597MVFRL does not apply. Furthermore, Petty had addressed the issue of standing only after concluding that the waiver was valid.
Neither Petty nor Peters repudiate the holdings in Yocum and Douglas that a third-party beneficiary may challenge the validity of a rejection of UM/UIM benefits. See
Federated makes the policy argument that allowing a non-named insured to challenge "UM and UIM rejection forms directly contravenes the cost containment objectives of the MVFRL." Def.'s Supp. Mem. 25. Federated asserts that insurance companies would be required to provide post hoc "gratis coverage" to a third-party beneficiary through reformation of the contract if the beneficiary is afforded standing in a suit such as the one before this Court.
Contrary to Federated's contention, allowing a third-party beneficiary to challenge the validity of a rejection does not mean the named insured is "financially penalized for coverages they consciously decided to reject," id. ; rather, allowing third-party beneficiaries standing to challenge the rejection provides assurance that the mandate of specific compliance with § 1731 of the MVFRL is met. The MVFRL requires rather strict compliance with the statutorily-provided rejection form. See American Int'l Ins. Co. v. Vaxmonsky ,
Therefore, this Court, in undertaking an analysis to predict the outcome of such an issue before the highest court in Pennsylvania, finds that Rarick has the requisite standing to maintain his claims against Federated.
B. Title 75 of Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes section 1731, which requires UM/UIM benefits to be provided unless properly rejected, applies to commercial fleet policies.
Federated argues, in support of its Motion for Summary Judgment, that MVFRL § 1731 does not apply to commercial auto policies. See Def.'s Supp. Mem. 26. This argument rests, in large part, on a 2007 Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision analyzing the applicability of MVFRL § 1738 to a commercial fleet policy.
"[T]he MVFRL is to be liberally construed in order to afford the greatest possible coverage to injured claimants." Allstate Prop. & Cas. Co. v. Squires ,
Federated begins its argument with an analysis of the language of MVFRL § 1731. See Def.'s Supp. Mem. 27. Federated excerpts from the required rejection form text in § 1731(b) which states in relevant part:
By signing this waiver I am rejecting uninsured motorist coverage under this policy, for myself and all relatives residing in my household. Uninsured coverage protects me and relatives living in my household for losses and damages suffered if injury is caused by the negligence of a driver who does not have any insurance to pay for losses and damages. I knowingly and voluntarily reject this coverage.
Federated claims that language such as "individual," "myself and all relatives ," and "my household " evidences the General Assembly's intent to limit the scope of § 1731 to "natural persons. "
Federated's next argument relies on the aforementioned Everhart case. See Def.'s Supp. Mem. 27-28. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania addressed whether § 1738, *599which requires mandatory stacking of UM/UIM benefits, applies to commercial fleet policies. Everhart ,
In Everhart , the court stated that the "primary purpose of the MVFRL ... was to control the cost of insurance such that a higher percentage of drivers would be able to afford insurance."
Federated argues that those same prohibitive costs discussed in Everhart would result here if § 1731 is deemed applicable to commercial fleets. See Def.'s Supp. Mem. 29. This concern has been addressed by both the District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Superior Court, both of which concluded that § 1731 does not pose the same risk of increasing costs as § 1738. The Middle District Court described the mandatory stacking of UM/UIM benefits under § 1738 in a commercial fleet context as "patent absurdity," referencing the astronomical costs that such a requirement would levy on the corporation purchasing the policy. Douglas v. Discover Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co. ,
The Pennsylvania Superior Court agreed with the rationale of Douglas in concluding, "as a matter of law, [§] 1731 mandates that UM/UIM coverage must be offered in the commercial context...." Egan v. USI Mid-Atlantic, Inc. ,
DiBartolo provides strong authority for the conclusion that the personal pronoun language in § 1731 does not preclude commercial application of the section. See DiBartolo ,
Therefore, this Court, in undertaking an analysis to predict the outcome of such an issue before the highest court in Pennsylvania, finds that § 1731 applies to commercial policies.
C. Federated's rejection of UM/UIM benefits with respect to the Keystone policy is valid, both in the form of the waiver and in the coverage scheme it creates.
Both Rarick and Federated focus on the validity of the waiver in their Motions for Summary Judgment. See Pl.'s Supp. Mem. 5, 11-15; Def.'s Supp. Mem. 29-41. Rarick contends that the waiver is invalid because it creates an unlawful "two-tier" system of coverage. See Pl.'s Supp. Mem. 5. Federated asserts in its motion that the waiver is valid with respect to its language and the system of insurance that it creates. See Def.'s Supp. Mem. 29-30, 33.
1. The language of the rejection form used by Federated with respect to Keystone's rejection of UM/UIM benefits complies with MVFRL § 1731.
As a threshold matter, this Court must determine if the language of the waiver complies with the requirements set forth in § 1731(b). See § 1731(c.1) ("Any rejection form that does not specifically comply with this section is void."). Section 1731(b) governs the form of a valid rejection for uninsured motorist coverage. The standard rejection form provided by § 1731(b) states:
By signing this waiver I am rejecting uninsured motorist coverage under this policy, for myself and all relatives residing in my household. Uninsured coverage protects me and relatives living in my household for losses and damages suffered if injury is caused by the negligence of a driver who does not have any insurance to pay for losses and damages. I knowingly and voluntarily reject this coverage.
Although the MVFRL requires specific compliance, it does not require a "verbatim reproduction of the statutory rejection form." Ford v. Am. States Ins. Co. ,
The text of Federated's rejection form is as follows:
By signing this waiver, I am rejecting uninsured motorist coverage under this policy, for myself and all relatives residing in my household. Uninsured coverage protects me and relatives living in my household for losses and damages suffered if injury is caused by the negligence of a driver who does not have any insurance to pay for losses and damages.
*601I knowingly and voluntarily reject this coverage.
Stip. Facts Ex. I, ECF No. 62-9. It is clear from the juxtaposition of the statutory text and Federated's text that the only substantive difference is the inclusion of a comma in the first sentence. Compare § 1731(b), with Stip. Facts Ex. I. There are a few deviations in the form as a whole, exclusive of the statutory text.
Therefore, I recommend this Court find that the language of the waiver specifically complies with the requirements set forth under § 1731(b).
2. The system of coverage created by Federated through Keystone's commercial policy is valid under § 1731.
The majority of Rarick's argument focuses on the validity of the two-tiered coverage structure that Federated's policy with Keystone creates. See Pl.'s Supp. Mem. 5, 11-15. Specifically, he alleges that the MVFRL does not permit a system of insurance where some insureds under a policy have UM/UIM coverage and others do not. See id. at 5. Rarick contends that the MVFRL requires either acceptance of UM/UIM for all insureds or rejection of the same for all insureds. See id. If a corporation wants to create two separate levels of coverage, Rarick asserts that it must do so through § 1734, providing some level of UM/UIM coverage to all, but reducing the coverage limits for certain groups of people. See id. This issue has not yet been addressed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Thus, this Court must "predict how the state's highest court would resolve the issue." Stengel ,
First, the MVFRL permits corporations to set different levels of benefits for different groups of personnel within the corporation. See Yocum ,
Second, a corporation may fully reject UM/UIM coverage for its employees. DiBartolo ,
Third, a rejection of UM/UIM benefits under § 1731 is not considered the same as a reduction of benefits under § 1734. See Yocum ,
Fourth, as discussed above, the language of Federated's rejection complies with § 1731.
Because (1) Pennsylvania permits different levels of UM/UIM coverage among different personnel of the insured corporation, (2) the level of coverage for a specific group of personnel may be set to $0.00, (3) § 1734 does not apply where the limiting of benefits is a rejection and not a reduction, and (4) the rejection complies with § 1731, Federated's coverage structure is lawful under the MVFRL. Nothing in the language of § 1731 suggests that a waiver of UM/UIM must be an "all-or-nothing" waiver as Rarick would have it. As long as the waiver is compliant with the rejection form of the MVFRL, it is valid.
This conclusion finds support in Wiley v. Universal Underwriters . In that case, the policy-holder, CarSense, rejected UM/UIM benefits for employees but elected $300,000 in UM/UIM coverage for Francis and Marion McGowan, the principals of CarSense. Wiley ,
Furthermore, the MVFRL's objectives support finding this system of coverage lawful. Under the system proposed by Rarick, a policy-holder would be required to purchase "$15,000.00/$30,000.00" of UM/UIM coverage for all of its employees if the corporation wanted UM/UIM coverage for its executives, directors, and owners. See Pl.'s Opp'n Mem. 27, ECF No. 67-2. Similar to the prohibitive costs associated *603with the mandatory stacking provision discussed supra , the increased costs of requiring UM/UIM coverage where an employer specifically seeks to reject it for certain groups of employees would defeat the cost-containment objective of the MVFRL.
This consideration of cost-containment objectives is supported by a recent Pennsylvania Superior Court case. See Byoung Suk An v. Victoria Fire & Cas. Co. ,
Rarick makes a final argument for the invalidity of Federated's coverage system on the basis of ambiguity. See Pl.'s Supp. Mem. 14. He claims that he is defined as an "insured" on page two of the "Pennsylvania Uninsured Motorist Coverage-Non-Stacked Endorsement" ("Endorsement") form of the policy, and an ambiguity is created because the subsequent "Limits of Insurance" form excludes him from coverage without altering the definition of "insured."
*604Ambiguity exists in a policy where it "(1) is reasonably susceptible to different constructions; (2) is obscure in meaning through indefiniteness of expression, or (3) has a double meaning." Cury v. Colonial Life Ins. Co. of Am. ,
Rarick's disagreement with the system of insurance created by the policy does not mean that it is ambiguous. Rather, the documents are clear. The UM Endorsement states that "insureds" are "legally entitled to recover." Stip. Facts Ex. A. at 31 (A.1). It then states that an "insured" can be "[a]nyone 'occupying' a covered 'motor vehicle' or a temporary substitute for a covered 'motor vehicle.' " Id. at 32 (B.2.a.). Then, in Section D.1., the Endorsement states that the amount the "insured" is legally entitled to recover is set forth in "the Limit of Insurance for Uninsured Motorist Coverage shown in the Schedule or Declaration" ("Declaration"). Id. (D.1.). In the subsequent Declaration, the amount is clearly set at $1,000,000 for "directors, officers, partners or owners ... and their 'family members'...." Id. at 39. Just below, the amount of UM coverage for "any other persons qualifying as 'insureds' under the WHO IS AN INSURED provision" is left blank. Id. The Declaration states that "[i]f no limit is shown below, no coverage is afforded to any other person." Id. Therefore, the blank line on the Declaration indicates that there is no UM coverage afforded to "any other person qualifying as 'insureds.' " See id. (emphasis added). Rarick, by reason of his position in the company, falls into this second category of those not afforded UM coverage.
The Endorsement and subsequent Declaration of Limits of Insurance do not contradict the UM/UIM Rejection required by § 1731. Rather, they are in accord with one another. Both the § 1731 rejection and the Endorsement state that the policy will provide UM/UIM coverage for the owners, executives, and other upper-level personnel of the company. See id. at 39; Stip. Facts Ex. I at 2. Both forms also state that UM/UIM coverage has been rejected for all others under the policy. See Stip. Facts Ex. A at 39; Stip. Facts Ex. I at 1. Therefore, the rejection form required by § 1731 does not contradict or confuse the Endorsements that lay out the details of the policy with regard to UM/UIM benefits.
Contrary to Rarick's contention, the terms are not susceptible to different constructions, nor are they indefinite such that they may be subject to multiple meanings. The system of coverage created by the policy Keystone purchased from Federated is lawful because it is neither barred by § 1731 nor ambiguous.
D. Federated is not estopped from asserting the valid rejection form as a defense.
Rarick's final argument in support of his Motion for Summary Judgment asserts that Federated is estopped from using the rejection letter as a defense because the "production of the Rejection was untimely." Pl.'s Supp. Mem. 10. He alleges in his Complaint that Federated "is aware and/or should be aware that it has no rejection of uninsured motorist coverage...." Compl. ¶ 52. Rarick alleges that he relied, to his detriment, on the lack of production of a Rejection form in a timely manner. See Pl.'s Mot. Summ. J. ¶ 30, ECF No. 65.
Section § 1731(c.1) of the MVFRL sets out that "[i]f the insurer fails to produce a valid rejection form, uninsured or underinsured coverage, or both, as the case may be, under that policy shall be equal to the bodily injury liability limits."
The statutory requirement of the MVFRL that the rejection be "produce[d]," provides no time limit. See
Rarick argues that "an insurer is estopped from asserting defenses not raised at the time of initial demand." Pl.'s Supp. Mem. 9. However, Rarick's notion of estoppel as it applies to insurance defenses is the kind of broad-scope construction that the Third Circuit has declined to adopt. See Meth v. United Benefit Life Ins. Co. ,
Relying on this Third Circuit precedent, a district court in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania clarified that "estoppel would be created only where an insurer's omission of a ground from its stated reasons for disclaimer caused detrimental reliance on the part of the insured...." Weintraub v. St. Paul Fire & Marine Ins. Co. ,
However, Rarick was on notice from his first communication with Federated that he was not covered by the policy and that his claim would be denied. See Stip. Facts Ex. D. In its letter dated January 25, 2013, Federated's claim agent stated that "uninsured motorist insurance applies only to directors, officers, partners or owners of Keystone Automotive Operations, Inc. and their family members. For all other persons who qualify as 'insureds', no uninsured motorist coverage is afforded." See
Furthermore, it is difficult for Rarick to argue that the defense of the valid rejection form was not properly asserted when the rejection form is (1) mentioned six times in Federated's Answer to the Complaint and (2) listed in paragraph 74 of the "Affirmative and Other Defenses" section of the Answer. See Def.'s Ans. 5-8, 11, ECF No. 8. Rarick's Memorandum in Support of his Motion for Summary Judgment alleges that Rarick "assumed" Federated was referencing a different document *606when Federated stated that it obtained a valid "Rejection of Uninsured Motorist Coverage" in its Answer to the Complaint. See Pl.'s Supp. Mem. 9 n.7. But the form Federated referenced seven total times in its Answer bears a name that is nearly identical in every way to the title of the statutorily provided form, changing only "protection" to "coverage." Compare Def.'s Ans. 5-8, 11, with § 1731(b).
Rarick's mistaken assumption does not support an estoppel claim. He was provided notice of the rejection of his claim and provided the relevant policy portion to support the rejection of his claim. Furthermore, Rarick had clear notice from the Answer that Federated had a valid rejection form and intended to raise it as a defense in the action. At that point, Rarick could have decided to change his position and elected to settle or withdraw the claims against Federated. However, Rarick has persisted for nearly five years in his claim that the system of coverage created is unlawful, and this claim is not affected by the presence or lack thereof of a valid waiver. This lack of connection between Rarick's arguments and the presence of a valid waiver weighs heavily against estoppel. At least one court has recognized that "induce[ment] to file an unsuccessful lawsuit is not sufficient," on its own, to establish detrimental reliance. Weintraub ,
Here, Federated is not estopped from asserting the rejection as a defense. Foremost, § 1731(c.1) contains no timing requirements, and therefore, Federated has sufficiently complied with the production requirement by keeping a valid waiver and producing it during discovery. Second, a finding of estoppel can be made only where there is actual detrimental reliance. Rarick alleges no other detrimental reliance beyond filing this suit, and such reliance does not warrant estoppel. See
Furthermore, the inclusion of the defense has not altered Federated's position on coverage, nor has it altered Rarick's argument that the two-tiered system of coverage is unlawful. See e.g. , Blofsen v. Cutaiar ,
Therefore, Federated is not estopped from asserting the valid rejection as a defense.
IV. CONCLUSION
Summary judgment is warranted for Federated in this action because Federated is entitled to judgment as a matter of *607law with regard to (1) the existence of a valid rejection of UM/UIM benefits under the MVFRL, (2) the existence of a valid coverage scheme with respect to the Keystone Policy under the MVFRL, and (3) the ability of Federated to assert the valid rejection as a defense. Federated has produced a valid rejection of UM/UIM benefits that complies with the requirements of the MVFRL. Nothing in the MVFRL prohibits a commercial policyholder from rejecting UM/UIM benefits for some and electing it for others. Finally, Federated is not estopped from asserting the valid UM/UIM rejection form as a defense.
Therefore, this Court grants summary judgment in Federated's favor. A separate order follows.
Federated cites Egan for the correct proposition that non-signatories are third-party beneficiaries. Egan ,
Federated refers to this case for the proposition that a third-party beneficiary does not have standing to sue. See Def.'s Supp. Mem. at 21-22. However, it is unclear whether the language "no legally cognizable claim" is indicative of standing, or rather, represents a conclusion based on the finding that the MVFRL was inapplicable to the facts before the Peters court. See Peters ,
Section 1902 states in relevant part, "Words used in the masculine gender shall include the feminine and neuter." § 1902.
Keystone, Rarick's employer, is the named insured on the policy at issue here. Def.'s Statement Undis. Facts ¶ 4, ECF No. 66-2.
See Everhart ,
The full layout of Federated's rejection form is at ECF No. 62-9, Exhibit I.
The deviations included: (1) adding the phrase "option 2" to the heading; (2) using the term "coverage" instead of "protection"; (3) adding the letter "s" to the word "motorist"; and (4) failing to use all capital letters and center justification. See Petty ,
See Section IV.(c.)(i.) supra for a discussion of the validity of the language.
Specifically, Rarick alleges that "The named insureds, Francis McGowan and Marion McGowan, however, chose to elect coverage for themselves." Pl.'s Supp. Mem. 12. This statement is inconsistent with the facts of Wiley . See Wiley ,
Rarick argues that cost-containment is no longer an "overriding" objective of the MVFRL and that this Court should minimize the role that it plays. See Pl.'s Opp'n Mem. 22. He asserts that the dominance of the cost-containment "point of view has been abandoned by the Supreme Court."
Section D.1. of the Pennsylvania Uninsured Motorist Coverage-Non-Stacked Endorsement states in relevant part, "the most we will pay for all damages resulting from one 'accident' is the Limit of Insurance for Uninsured Motorist Coverage shown in the Schedule or Declarations." Stip. Facts Ex. A at 32. The declaration of limits immediately follows the UM/UIM Endorsement forms. See id. at 39.
Because the Policy in Exhibit A contains multiple separate forms on which the numeration resets at different points, this Court uses the ECF system of numbering to reference the pages of the document.
In addition, Rarick had every opportunity to settle or withdraw his claims against the insurer on either July 8, 2013, when Federated mentioned the form seven times in its Answer, or August 6, 2013, when Federated presented Rarick the waiver. Both of those dates occurred no more than three months after the filing of the Complaint and the first of those dates marked Federated's first responsive pleading.
Reference
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- Bryan RARICK, individually and on behalf of a class of similarly situated persons v. FEDERATED SERVICE INSURANCE COMPANY
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- 6 cases
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