Farmers Tex. Cnty. Mut. Ins. Co. v. Zuniga
Farmers Tex. Cnty. Mut. Ins. Co. v. Zuniga
Opinion of the Court
Delivered and Filed: November 15, 2017
Opinions on Denial of en banc on Reconsideration March 14, 2018
APPELLANT ATTORNEY: Kenneth R. Chambers, Kent Chambers, Attorney at Law, 3915 W. Davis, Suite 130 #287, Conroe, TX 77304.
APPELLEE ATTORNEY: Andrew E. Toscano, 846 Culebra Rd Ste 104, San Antonio, TX 78201-6244, Matthew Brian Probus, Wauson Probus, Comerica Bank Building, Sugar Land, TX 77478-3557.
Sitting: Sandee Bryan Marion, Chief Justice, Karen Angelini, Justice, Patricia O. Alvarez, Justice
OPINION ON MOTIONS FOR REHEARING
Opinion by: Patricia O. Alvarez, Justice
On September 13, 2017, we issued an opinion and judgment in this appeal. Thereafter, Appellant Farmers Texas County Mutual Insurance Company and Appellees Jennifer L. Zuniga and Janet S. Northrup, as trustee for the bankruptcy estate of Christopher J. Medina, filed motions for rehearing.
In this automobile-pedestrian accident case, after all other issues and claims were severed, the parties narrowed their dispute in this cause to a single issue: whether the insurance policy that promises to "pay damages for bodily injury or property damage" covers punitive damages assessed against Farmers's insured. The trial court concluded it did; we disagree. We hold the policy's plain language does not cover punitive damages, and we remand the cause to the trial court.
BACKGROUND
As Jennifer Zuniga was walking on the sidewalk near O'Connor High School, the vehicle Christopher J. Medina was driving struck Zuniga from behind and injured *649her. Zuniga sued Medina for negligence and gross negligence, and the jury found Medina negligent and grossly negligent. It awarded Zuniga $93,244.91 in actual damages, $75,000.00 in punitive damages, pre- and post-judgment interest, and costs of court; the trial court rendered judgment on the verdict.
The vehicle Medina was driving was insured by Farmers, and Medina was a "covered person" under the insurance policy. Farmers paid Zuniga all the amounts awarded in the judgment except for the punitive damages. Farmers filed a petition for declaratory relief against Medina and Zuniga in Harris County seeking a declaration that the punitive damages are not covered by the policy or, alternatively, Texas public policy prohibits coverage for the punitive damages.
Zuniga moved to transfer venue from Harris County to Bexar County, and the Harris County trial court granted Zuniga's motion and transferred the case to Bexar County. In Bexar County, Zuniga filed an original petition seeking to recover the punitive damages from Farmers. Under a turnover order, Zuniga was assigned all of Medina's rights against Farmers, and based on those assignments, she asserted additional claims against Farmers. Zuniga filed a motion to consolidate her lawsuit, which was pending in the 73rd Judicial District Court of Bexar County, with the case transferred from Harris County to the 166th Judicial District Court of Bexar County. The trial court granted the motion, and the cases were consolidated.
Farmers sought a declaration that the insurance policy does not cover punitive damages, Farmers "has no further duty to defend or indemnify Medina; that Zuniga is not entitled to recover or collect any additional monies from Farmers; and, that Farmers has no further duty with respect to the Final Judgment" in Zuniga's suit against Medina. Farmers moved for traditional summary judgment, but the trial court denied Farmers's motion. Later, Zuniga and Northrup sought a declaration that the policy covers punitive damages, and they moved for summary judgment. Farmers filed a response, incorporated its earlier summary judgment evidence by reference, requested some declaratory relief, but prayed only that Zuniga and Northrup's motion be denied. The trial court granted Zuniga and Northrup's motion "insofar that it seeks a determination that the punitive damages ... are covered under the automobile policy in question," denied all of Farmers's requested declaratory relief, and severed all other issues and claims into a separate cause. In the original cause, Farmers appeals complaining that the policy did not cover punitive damages, the motion to transfer venue should have been denied, and on rehearing, that this court should render rather than remand. We begin with the issue of venue.
VENUE
Farmers challenges the order granting Zuniga and Northrup's motion to transfer venue of Farmers's lawsuit from Harris County to Bexar County. In her motion, Zuniga
*650COVERAGE FOR PUNITIVE DAMAGES
In its first issue, Farmers argues that its agreement under the policy to "pay damages for bodily injury" does not cover punitive damages, and even if it did, public policy bars the policy from covering punitive damages. Zuniga, on the other hand, contends that "damages for bodily injury" includes punitive damages because other courts have concluded that the average insured would interpret damages to include punitive damages. Before we address the parties' arguments, we briefly recite the standard of review and the applicable law.
A. Standard of Review
We review a summary judgment de novo. Mann Frankfort Stein & Lipp Advisors, Inc. v. Fielding ,
"[B]efore a court of appeals may reverse summary judgment for one party and render judgment for the other party, both parties must ordinarily have sought final judgment relief in their cross motions for summary judgment." CU Lloyd's of Tex. v. Feldman ,
B. Policy Construction
1. Plain Language
"We interpret insurance policies under the well-established rules of contract construction." Great Am. Ins. Co. v. Primo ,
2. Ambiguity
"If policy language is worded so that it can be given a definite or certain legal meaning, it is not ambiguous and we construe it as a matter of law." Schaefer ,
3. When Construction Must Favor Insured
If a policy is ambiguous, " 'we must resolve the uncertainty by adopting the construction that most favors the insured.' "
4. Public Policy
If a policy's plain language covers punitive damages, we must also "determine whether the public policy of Texas allows or prohibits coverage in the circumstances of the underlying suit." Fairfield Ins. Co. v. Stephens Martin Paving, LP ,
C. Farmers Insurance Policy
The policy Medina was covered under is a contract titled "Texas Personal Auto Policy." The Policy provisions most relevant to the coverage question raised by the parties are the Declarations and Part A-Liability Coverage provisions. Under Declarations, in the Definitions section, the Policy defines a number of terms, but "damages," "bodily injury," and "damages for bodily injury" are not defined. Under Part A-Liability Coverage, the Insuring Agreement defines the coverage under the Policy. The relevant excerpts follow.
Insuring Agreement
A. We will pay damages for bodily injury or property damage for which any covered person becomes legally responsible because of an auto accident. Property damage includes loss of use of the damaged property. Damages include prejudgment interest awarded against the covered person . We will settle or defend, as we consider *652appropriate, any claim or suit asking for these damages. In addition to our limit of liability, we will pay all defense costs we incur. Our duty to settle or defend ends when our limit of liability for this coverage has been exhausted.
....
Limit of Liability
A. If separate limits of liability for bodily injury and property damage liability are shown in the Declarations for this coverage the limit of liability for "each person" for bodily injury liability is our maximum limit of liability for all damages for bodily injury sustained by any one person in any one auto accident. Subject to this limit for "each person," the limit of liability shown in the Declarations for "each accident" for bodily injury liability is our maximum limit of liability for all damages for bodily injury resulting from any one auto accident. The limit of liability shown in the Declarations for "each accident" for property damage liability is our maximum limit of liability for all damages to all property resulting from any one auto accident.
It is undisputed that Medina is a covered person and is legally responsible for the punitive damages. The remaining question is whether punitive damages are included in damages for bodily injury.
D. Plain Language Analysis
Under the Policy, Farmers agreed to "pay damages for bodily injury." As we stated above, the Policy does not define the phrase "damages for bodily injury." "Terms that are not defined in a policy are given their generally accepted or commonly understood meaning." Lamar Homes, Inc. v. Mid-Continent Cas. Co. ,
The plain meaning of "bodily injury" is physical damage to a human being's body. See Zurich Am. Ins. Co. v. Nokia, Inc. ,
The plain meaning of "damages" is a sum of money to compensate for an injury. See Damages , BLACK'S LAW DICTIONARY (10th ed. 2014) (defining damages as "[m]oney claimed by, or ordered to be paid to, a person as compensation for loss or injury"); 1 SHORTER OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY 599 (6th ed. 2007) (defining damage as a "sum of money claimed or awarded in compensation for loss or injury"); see also Horizon Health Corp. v. Acadia Healthcare Co., Inc. ,
The plain meaning of the word "for" is "in exchange as the equivalent of." See WEBSTER'S THIRD NEW INTERNATIONAL DICTIONARY 886 (Philip Babcock Gove et al. eds., 1981); 1 SHORTER OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY 1010 (6th ed. 2007) (defining for as "[i]ntroducing that which something is (to be) exchanged; in exchange for").
*653Thus, the Policy's promise to pay damages for bodily injury was Farmers's commitment to pay a sum of money as compensation in exchange as the equivalent of the physical damage to the injured person's body.
E. Considering All of the Policy's Provisions Together
We consider the Policy's promise to pay damages in the context of the entire agreement, including the insuring agreement, the limit of liability section, and the declarations. See Gilbert ,
The Policy's insuring agreement creates and circumscribes the scope of the coverage.
On the other hand, the Policy's limit of liability section sets a maximum benefit payable under the specific type of coverage provided for in the insuring agreement. See Jankowiak v. Allstate Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co. ,
The Policy's declarations state three separate coverage amounts: one for bodily injury for each person, one for bodily injury for each accident, and one for property damage. The Policy's Limit of Liability language sets limits for each of the three separate coverage amounts. For the two bodily injury coverages, it limits liability to "all damages for bodily injury" in the context of either each person or each accident.
By its plain language, the Insuring Agreement circumscribes the scope of the coverage, and the Limit of Liability section establishes a maximum limit of liability for each coverage type; the Limit of Liability section does not expand the scope of the coverage.
*654F. Policy is Unambiguous
The Policy's plain language agreeing to pay damages for bodily injury, when read in the context of all the Policy's terms and provisions, has only one reasonable interpretation: a promise to pay a sum of money as compensation for the bodily injuries sustained by an injured person. See RSUI ,
G. Zuniga's Arguments for Punitive Damages Coverage
Zuniga insists that the Policy's promise to pay damages for bodily injury covers punitive damages because of the Policy's coverage language and its failure to expressly exclude coverage for punitive damages.
1. Coverage Language
Zuniga argues that the Policy uses language that other courts have held includes punitive damages. Zuniga relies primarily on Manriquez , which considered comparable language. See Manriquez v. Mid-Century Ins. Co. of Tex. ,
In Manriquez , the policy's insuring agreement promised to "pay all damages for bodily injury," the same language used in the Farmers policy.
Although the Manriquez court acknowledged the absence of the phrase "all sums" in the policy it construed, see
2. No Exclusion for Punitive Damages
Zuniga also argues that the Policy covers punitive damages because it does not *655expressly exclude punitive damages. But the "[a]bsence of an exclusion cannot confer coverage." Schaefer ,
H. Public Policy Argument
Farmers argues that the Policy's plain language does not cover punitive damages, but in the alternative, that public policy bars punitive damages in this case. Because we have determined that the Policy does not cover punitive damages, we need not reach the public policy question. See Fairfield ,
RENDER OR REMAND
In its brief and motion for rehearing, Farmers asked this court to hold that the Policy does not cover punitive damages and render judgment in its favor because it filed a motion for summary judgment. Although we hold that the Policy does not cover punitive damages, and that decision is binding on the trial court, we may not render judgment for Farmers because the trial court was not presented with cross-motions for summary judgment. See CU Lloyd's of Tex. v. Feldman ,
Farmers filed its motion for summary judgment in October 2015, its supplemental motion for summary judgment in January 2016, and its first amended motion for summary judgment in April 2016. See, e.g., KSWO Television Co., Inc. v. KFDA Operating Co., LLC ,
Farmers did not file another motion for summary judgment or ask the trial court to reconsider its earlier denial of Farmers's first amended motion for summary judgment. Instead, in its response to Zuniga's motion, Farmers requested declaratory relief, incorporated by reference the summary judgment evidence from its first amended motion, repeated its arguments against the Policy covering punitive damages, and concluded by stating "Farmers prays that summary judgment be denied."
The trial court was not presented with cross-motions for summary judgment. See Feldman ,
CONCLUSION
Because Zuniga and Northrup cited convenience of the parties as a basis to transfer venue, we affirm the Houston trial *656court's order transferring venue to Bexar County.
Although the Bexar County trial court concluded the automobile policy in question covered punitive damages, we disagree. Unlike other policies that contain a promise "to pay all sums which the insured shall become legally obligated to pay as damages because of bodily injury," the Farmers policy promises only to "pay damages for bodily injury." Based on the Policy's plain language, we hold that the Policy is not ambiguous and that it does not cover punitive damages.
We reverse the Bexar County trial court's judgment and remand this cause to the trial court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
OPINION CONCURRING IN THE DENIAL OF APPELLEES' MOTION FOR EN BANC RECONSIDERATION
Concurring Opinion by: Sandee Bryan Marion, Chief Justice
I concur in the order denying appellees' motion for en banc reconsideration and write this opinion to emphasize the legal standard governing our review of the policy language in question and to note Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht's views on the El Paso court's decision in Manriquez v. Mid-Century Ins. Co. of Tex. ,
The opinion dissenting to the denial of appellees' motion for en banc reconsideration applies the legal standard applicable when a policy is ambiguous. In applying that legal standard, the dissenting opinion strictly construes the phrase "for bodily injury" against appellant and in appellees' favor. See Nassar v. Liberty Mut. Fire Ins. Co. ,
With regard to the dissenting opinion's reliance on the El Paso court's holding in Manriquez , in a concurring opinion in Fairfield Ins. Co. v. Stephens Martin Paving, LP , Chief Justice Hecht questioned the El Paso court's holding, asserting:
Standard form personal automobile policies do not state specifically whether punitive damages are covered, and while two courts have concluded that punitive damages are damages for bodily injury covered by automobile policies, that position has been uniformly rejected in the context of uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage and is therefore dubious at best.
Damages for bodily injury are regarded as compensatory damages and include the expense of cure, value of time lost, fair compensation for physical and mental suffering caused by the injury, and for any permanent reduction of the power to earn money. The object of compensatory damages is to make the injured party whole to the extent that it is possible to measure his injury in terms of money. The object is not to place the plaintiff in a better position than he would have been had the wrong not been done.
Punitive damages are damages, other than compensatory and nominal damages, awarded against a person to punish and to discourage him and others from similar conduct in the future. It is an allowance of smart money as the penalty for egregious conduct, or even ... as an expression of the indignation of the jury. From the injured party's perspective, punitive damages represent an additional, non-compensatory award based upon public policy concerns largely irrelevant to the issue of compensation.
With the foregoing comments, I concur in the order denying appellees' motion for en banc reconsideration.
OPINION DISSENTING TO THE DENIAL OF APPELLEES' MOTION FOR EN BANC RECONSIDERATION
Dissenting Opinion by: Luz Elena D. Chapa, Justice, joined by Rebeca C. Martinez, Justice and Irene Rios, Justice
Because appellees' construction of the auto insurance policy is reasonable, we must accept it. Moreover, this case presents extraordinary circumstances justifying en banc reconsideration. I therefore respectfully dissent to the denial of appellees' motion without requesting a response.
WE MUST ADOPT APPELLEES' CONSTRUCTION BECAUSE IT IS REASONABLE
The parties in this case dispute whether an auto insurance policy covers exemplary damages. The disputed coverage provision states: "We will pay damages for bodily injury or property damage for which any covered person becomes legally responsible *658because of an auto accident." Appellees argue the phrase "We will pay damages for bodily injury" includes coverage for exemplary damages, which are a type of damages that may be awarded in cases involving bodily injury. Appellees contend their interpretation is reasonable, and is either the only reasonable construction (i.e. the policy is unambiguous in their favor), or one of many reasonable constructions (i.e. the policy is ambiguous), in which case they would prevail.
A. If an insured's construction of an insurance policy is reasonable, we must accept it.
Generally, courts must apply general rules of contract interpretation to construe insurance policies. Nassar v. Liberty Mut. Fire Ins. Co. ,
When construing an insurance policy, we must therefore adopt the insured's construction when either: (1) the insured's construction is reasonable and the insurer's construction is unreasonable (in which case the policy would be unambiguous in the insured's favor); or (2) the insured's construction is reasonable and the insurer's construction is also reasonable (in which case the policy is ambiguous and must be strictly construed against the insurer). See Nassar ,
The supreme court has repeatedly framed the analysis for construing insurance policies in this way. Our inquiry is "whether the [insureds]' interpretation is reasonable. If it is, then the [insureds]' interpretation must be adopted even if [the insurer]'s interpretation is also, or more, reasonable."
B. The absence of "all sums" language does not make appellees' construction unreasonable.
Appellant argues appellees' construction is unreasonable solely because the coverage provision does not say the insurer will pay "all sums" of damages, similar to language found in some other auto insurance policies. But the absence of the "all sums" language is simply not dispositive here.
First, cases in which Texas courts have construed similar policies that use the "all sums" language have not turned on that language. One court concluded exemplary damages were covered based on the weight of persuasive authority.
*659Dairyland Cty. Mut. Ins. Co. v. Wallgren ,
Second, other courts have considered whether the "all sums" language is dispositive and, despite reaching opposite results, they have agreed the phrase "all sums" is not dispositive. Compare Manriquez v. Mid-Century Ins. Co. of Tex. ,
Third, courts throughout the country have generally construed similar policies as either unambiguously covering exemplary damages or concluded the language was ambiguous, and the insureds prevailed because their interpretation was reasonable. See Valley Forge Ins. Co. v. Jefferson ,
Fourth, including the "all sums" language in the policy here would not change its meaning. Again, the disputed coverage provision states:
We will pay damages for bodily injury or property damage for which any covered person becomes legally responsible because of an auto accident.
The parties have argued that only two phrases in this policy contextually define what damages are covered: (1) "We will pay damages"; and (2) "for bodily injury or property damage." Including the "all sums" language in this provision would not change the meaning of either phrase or the provision as a whole.
In the phrase "We will pay damages," the damages covered are not limited or qualified whatsoever. We must therefore construe the phrase, at least initially, as including coverage for all damages, including exemplary damages. See
Appellant argues the phrase "for bodily injury or property damage" limits the damages covered to only compensatory damages. Appellant thus construes the policy as meaning, "We agree to pay damages [that are compensatory]." Under appellant's construction, if the "all sums" language were added, the policy would read, "We agree to pay all sums of damages [that are compensatory]." With or without the "all sums" language, appellant's construction would include coverage for only compensatory damages. Either way, the inclusion of the "all sums" language in the policy would not change its meaning. Thus, the absence of the "all sums" language does not make appellees' construction unreasonable.
C. Considered as a whole, the phrase "We will pay damages for bodily injury or property damage" can reasonably be construed as including coverage for exemplary damages.
The only language in the policy that might limit or qualify the damages covered is the phrase "for bodily injury or property damage." Because exemplary damages may be awarded in some cases involving bodily injury or property damage, this case turns on how "for" is defined. Some definitions of the word "for," such as "because of" or "on account of," are broad and would include exemplary damages. See, e.g. , WEBSTER'S THIRD NEW INTERNATIONAL DICTIONARY 886 (Philip Babcock Gove, et al. eds., 1981) (defining "for" as "in connection with," (3d); and "because of," or "on account of," (8a) ). Consequently, "for bodily injury or property damage" could reasonably be construed as limiting damages to those arising from incidents that involve bodily injury or property damage. Shaffer , 888 S.W.2d at 148-49 ; see Dairyland ,
Other definitions of "for," such as an "exchange" or "in order to remedy," are narrower and would exclude exemplary damages. See, e.g. , WEBSTER'S THIRD NEW INTERNATIONAL DICTIONARY 886 (defining "for" as "with the purpose or object of," (2e); "in order to remedy," (2h); "in exchange as the equivalent of," (5a) ). Even if it is reasonable to define "for" narrowly as limiting the types of damages covered, appellees' construction is nevertheless reasonable when considering the policy as a whole. We must therefore construe the phrase "for bodily injury," which are "words of limitation," strictly against appellant and in appellees' favor. See Ramsay ,
In conclusion, appellant's sole "all sums" argument lacks merit, and a broader definition of "for" that includes coverage for exemplary damages is reasonable. We must therefore adopt appellees' construction even if appellant's construction is also reasonable or more reasonable, and regardless of whether appellant's construction is unreasonable. See Nassar ,
EN BANC RECONSIDERATION IS JUSTIFIED IN THIS CASE
Extraordinary circumstances justify en banc reconsideration in this case for three reasons. First, in order to satisfy Texas's requirement to establish financial responsibility for vehicles they drive, many Texas residents have purchased an auto insurance policy substantially similar to the one here. See TEX. TRANSP. CODE ANN. § 601.051 (West 2001) ; David A. Fischer & Robert H. Jerry, II, Teaching Torts Without Insurance: A Second-Best Solution , 45 ST. LOUIS U.L.J. 857, 872 (2001) (noting this policy is a "standardized form in widespread use in the United States").
Second, rejecting appellees' construction would be not only contrary to the vast majority of decisions of courts throughout the country, but also in conflict with a decision of another Texas court of appeals. Manriquez ,
Third, construing "for bodily injury" as limiting "damages" to those that redress only physical damage to a human body creates further uncertainty about this form policy's coverage. Appellant's position requires construing "for bodily injury or property damage" as limiting damages elements, as opposed to limiting the types of claims that trigger coverage. Accepting appellant's position would raise serious questions about what damages elements other than exemplary damages would not be covered. Under Texas law, some elements of compensatory damages redress physical damage to a human being's body (such as disfigurement, physical impairment, and physical pain and suffering), but other elements, such as mental anguish, are not strictly compensatory for the bodily injury itself. See TEX. CIV. PRAC. & REM. CODE ANN. § 41.001(12).
Based on the foregoing, I dissent to the denial of appellees' motion for en banc reconsideration without having requested a response.
The day before Appellees filed their motion, an amicus curiae brief was filed supporting Appellees' position.
For brevity and because their positions are aligned, from this point in the opinion until the conclusion, we use Zuniga to refer to both Zuniga and Northrup.
We recognize that conditions, exclusions, and endorsements may narrow the effective coverage. See, e.g. , Gastar Expl. Ltd. v. U.S. Specialty Ins. Co. ,
Assuming arguendo that Zuniga is not raising a new argument, in her motion for rehearing Zuniga insists that the Policy covers punitive damages because the Limit of Liability section includes "liability for all damages for bodily injury sustained by any one person in any one auto accident." Zuniga emphasizes the "all damages for bodily injury" portion of the phrase as broad language that covers punitive damages. She cites a North Carolina Supreme Court case for support, but that decision was based on a policy that required the insurer to "pay on behalf of the Insured all sums which the Insured shall become legally obligated to pay as damages." See Mazza v. Med. Mut. Ins. Co. of N. Carolina ,
Dairyland Cty. Mutl Ins. Co. , the second opinion Chief Justice Hecht described as dubious in its conclusion that punitive damages are damages for bodily injury, is an "all sums" policy case. The policy in that case provided for the payment of "all sums which the insured shall become legally obligated to pay as damages because of ... bodily injury."
The Dairyland court relied on a law journal article and a Sixth Circuit case.
The Milligan court noted in one of those cases, "the First Court determined that the phrase 'because of bodily injury' is ambiguous because it could be interpreted to mean the insured is entitled to recover any damages that arise because of bodily injury, or it could mean the insured is only entitled to recover damages that are derived from the bodily injury."
The majority and concurring opinions in Fairfield Insurance Co. v. Stephens Martin Paving, LP ., noted four times that Texas courts have "uniformly" rejected coverage of exemplary damages in uninsured motorist policies on public policy grounds-not solely because of the plain meaning of the insurance policy.
Black's Law Dictionary defines "damages" as suggesting all damages are compensatory in nature. But under Texas law, compensatory damages and exemplary damages are both categories of "damages."
See also Valley Forge ,
I disagree with the concurring opinion's statement that considering the plain meaning of individual words and phrases "violates a settled rule of contract interpretation." Every time a court consults a dictionary for a word's plain meaning, the court is, technically speaking, considering the word in isolation. See, e.g. , Farmers Tex. Cty. Mut. Ins. Co. v. Zuniga , No. 04-16-00773-CV, 548 S.W.3d 646, 652-54,
This form language appears in "[m]ost standard commercial and individual liability policies." Ellen S. Pryor, The Tort Liability Regime and the Duty to Defend ,
See also Golden Eagle Archery, Inc. v. Jackson ,
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