Consolidated Sun Ray, Inc. v. Lea
Consolidated Sun Ray, Inc. v. Lea
Opinion of the Court
OPINION OF THE COURT
I.
FACTS.
Consolidated Sun Ray, Inc. (Consolidated), Sun Ray Drug Co. (Sun Ray), a division of Consolidated, and Bargain City U.S.A., Inc. (Bargain City) have sued Harry R. Lea and Roslyn T. Lea (Lea), insurance brokers, alleging breaches of duty by Lea to the plaintiffs in failing to procure insurance. The suit at bar is concerned with losses incurred by the plaintiffs because of a fire at Bargain City which occurred on December 24, 1959. The court had before it stipulations of counsel and documentary evidence as set out in the footnote.
Consolidated was created by the merger on February 2, 1959 of Consolidated Retail Stores (Retail Stores) and Sun Ray. Bargain City was created as a joint venture by Consolidated and another company with which we are not concerned. Ninety percent of Bargain City’s stock is owned by the public and five percent is owned by Consolidated.
Upon being notified of the cancellations, plaintiffs requested that Lea replace the policies. Consequently, Lea contacted the Anka Agency, Inc. (Anka) and Anka in turn got in touch with The Steel Insurance Company of America (Steel), whose principal office appears to have been in Chicago, Illinois. There can be no doubt whatsoever from the record that Lea undertook to provide U & 0 coverage as provided for by the Eagle and Eastern policies except that payroll insurance, not here relevant, was to be excluded.
At some point Anka had furnished Lea a brochure
Anka is an insurance agent. On July 7, 1959, unknown to Lea until after the fire loss referred to had occurred, Luber, vice-president of Steel, wrote a letter to Rabat of Anka. The letter stated in pertinent part: “In line with our meeting of today this is to confirm our agreement along the following lines: 1. The Steel Insurance Company of America will recognize the Anka Agency, Inc. and Lindquist-Burns as our full and exclusive representatives in the Eastern states. However, it is understood that in the state of Pennsylvania we reserve the right to restrict your sole activities to the Philadelphia metropolitan area and in the state of New York your sole authorization does not encumber [sic] the Buffalo metropolitan. 2. In regard to Binding Authority you are hereby authorized to be able to bind for our Company risks to the extent of 10% of the total line. However, you shall not assume risk for the Company in excess of $150,000. 3. These lines are to be submitted to the Steel Insurance Company of America on a facultative basis with it clearly understood that all underwriting data should be in the hands of the Company within ten days from the assumption of liability.” It is contended by the plaintiffs that the foregoing shows that
From early in 1959 a series of communications took place between plaintiffs, Seligman of Lea, Jenchel and Kabat of Anka, and Steel. Jenchel was secretary-treasurer and Kabat was president of Anka. Kabat attended meetings with Seligman and discussed the replacement of the insurance cancelled by Eagle and Eastern. Kabat received from Lea a memorandum indicating the coverage of the Eagle and Eastern policies, the equivalent of which was to be provided for by Steel if Steel were to issue policies, and that the U & O coverage would be provided for with the exception of ordinary payroll insurance and that Bargain City should specifically be named as an assured.
On July 23, 1959 Lea wrote McGeer of Bargain City stating: “Please be advised that as of July 1, 1959 we have replaced the above policies with [Steel].” The “above policies” referred to as replaced were the Eagle and Eastern policies. Paragraph 5 of Lea’s letter stated: “Use & Occupancy coverage which is included in the form without additional charge is to exclude ordinary payroll.” In fact, the terms of the policy which was eventually issued specifically excluded all U & O coverage and did not include protection for Bargain City by name.
The following appears from the second stipulation of counsel: “On November 16, 1959, Mr. Seligman not having received written confirmation of the U & O coverage inclusion and of fur and jewelry coverage in a number of the Steel policies went to Mr. Jenchel’s office at Anka Agency and insisted that Mr. Jenchel call Steel Insurance Company to confirm that U & 0 coverage was as agreed. Mr. Jenchel placed a call to a Mr. Luber of Steel Insurance Co. and had a conversation with him in the presence of Mr. Seligman. Immediately after the telephone conversation, Mr. Jenchel dictated and then signed the document dated November 16, 1959 which document speaks for itself and is Exhibit 3.”
It will be observed that it is stated that U & O coverage is extended “as per previous coverage in the Eagle Fire Insurance Co.” but that Bargain City is not mentioned. Bargain City, as we have said was specifically covered by name in the Eagle policy by an endorsement dated “2-10-59” and was also so covered by the Eastern policy by an endorsement dated “2-10-59”. The letter of November 16, 1959 did not put any time limit on coverage but the prior printed binder issued by Steel to the plaintiff as we have stated, was limited to thirty-one days.
On November 23, 1959 Luber of Steel wired Jenchel of Anka: “Please cancel immediately binder covering jewelry [,] appliances and furs on all outstanding lines.” It is contended by Lea that the wire demonstrates that Anka “did in fact have the right and authority to bind Steel.”
Within a comparatively short time thereafter, on December 4, 1959, Jen-chel of Anka wrote Seligman of Lea, stating: “Confirming our telephone conversation of yesterday and once again my conversation today with Paul Borden [of Steel], I wish to advise you there is no coverage at all for any jewelry, fur or other similar items under any of the Steel Insurance Co. Policies. Our binder under which we extended these policies has been cancelled by the Company.” Lea apparently accepted this cancellation without demur. No formal endorsement or binder was ever issued by Steel granting U & 0 coverage of Bargain City or naming Bargain City as an insured.
On December 11, 1959 Luber of Steel wrote a letter addressed to the “Insurance Buyer, Consolidated Retail Stores” stating that Steel was cancelling Policy No. 563 as of December 31, 1959. The disastrous fire causing plaintiffs’ losses occurred, as we have said, on December 24, 1959. The plaintiffs notified Steel of the loss and made demand for payment. Steel refused payment, denying liability.
On December 28,1959 Seligman of Lea wrote a letter to Kabat of Anka, stating in pertinent part the following: “Re: Consolidated Sun Ray, Inc. et al. Steel Insurance Co. Policy #563. Dear Darwin : Confirming our discussion this afternoon, there are a number of outstanding endorsements due under the above policy all of which had been previously agreed to. Since we understand that the endorsements are not issued in your office, but by the Chicago office of the Steel Insurance Company, we ask that you please have all of the outstanding endorsements issued if they have not already been prepared by the company. Among the endorsements that we are awaiting are the following: * * *
2. Issue use and occupancy endorsement as per wording of Eagle Fire Policy No. NYIM 80015 which was previously submitted to the Steel Insurance Company except that coverage is excluded for ordinary payroll. 3. Include the name Bargain City, U. S. A., in the title of the assured. * * * It would be appreciated if the endorsements have not been prepared by the Steel as of now that you secure their authorization to have the endorsements issued by your agency in New York. Please accept our thanks for your cooperation.”
The plaintiffs brought three suits in the court below, two against Steel and the suit at bar against Lea. As stated in the opinion of the court below: “Steel defended the suits against it on the grounds, inter alia, that (a) Bargain City was not covered by the policy since it was neither (i) a named assured nor (ii) an affiliate or subsidiary of Consolidated; (b) U & 0 coverage was not afforded any assured since (i) the policy expressly excluded U & 0 coverage and (ii) Anka Agency was not authorized to bind Steel by any writing Anka might have issued purporting to bind such coverage; (c) plaintiffs had negligently or fraudulently failed to furnish complete information concerning their prior loss experience and thus the policy was procured by plaintiffs by material false and misleading statements; and (d) the policy had been is
II.
Law.
The court below decided that the law of Pennsylvania was applicable and that Lea in failing to procure endorsements for U & 0 coverage and specifically naming Bargain City breached the duty owed the plaintiffs-appellees as an insurance broker. The court said: “Under Pennsylvania law, which is applicable in this diversity suit, whether the charge is negligence or breach of contract, the brokers’s conduct is measured by the same standard.”
The court then discussed the “color-able” defenses raised by Steel. In substance these were that the plaintiffs had instructed Lea to procure an endorsement from Steel naming Bargain City as an assured, and while conceding that Lea failed to do this Lea asserted that no harm resulted from this failure because Steel’s policy insured Consolidated and “its Affiliated or Subsidiary Companies or Corporations” and that Bargain City was an affiliate of Consolidated. Consolidated owned less than 5% of Bargain City’s stock. The court below stated in its opinion: “Since plaintiffs have admitted that Bargain City is an affiliate of Consolidated, Lea argues that Bargain City was covered by the policy * *
The court below also said: “The point in this suit is not whether Bargain City was in fact an affiliate of Consolidated and therefore covered by the policy, rather the issue here is whether the omission of Bargain City made available to Steel a defense it could not have raised if plaintiffs’ instructions had been carried out. The answer to the pertinent question is obvious. Had Bargain City been named, its relationship with Consolidated would have been irrelevant; with the omission, the relationship became a matter of importance. Since Consolidated owned less than 5% of Bargain City stock, coverage for Bargain City as an ‘affiliate’ was open to dispute, a dispute which would have been avoided if Bargain City had been specifically named as an assured. It may well have been for the purpose of avoiding such a dispute that plaintiffs instructed Lea to include Bargain City as a named assured.”
Ae we apprehend the lower court’s opinion, the trial judge found that Lea’s failure to obtain explicitly adequate authorized policy coverage as required by the plaintiffs resulted from Lea’s failure to exercise the care that a reasonable and prudent insurance broker would have exercised under the circumstances.
Lea contends, however, that the court below had before it no expert testimony as to what would be the standard of conduct of a reasonable and prudent insurance broker under the circumstances and that evidence as to such a standard was necessary. The decision most relevant to the case at bar that we have been able to find is Talley v. Hoffman, supra, 18 Pa.Dist. & Co.R. 2d at 729 in which Judge Greevy of the Court of Common Pleas of Lycoming County stated: “A principal may sue his agent to recover damages for all losses sustained by him because of the agent’s breach of duty. The general rule is that an agent, in executing his agency, is required to exercise the degree of care ... ,. , , ,. which an ordinarily prudent person would exercise under the circumstances. If he fails to exercise such ordinary care, he is liable to the principal for all losses sustained by him in consequence thereof. Specifically, an insurance broker is under a duty to exercise the care that a reasonably prudent businessman in the brokerage field would exercise under similar circumstances and if the broker fails to exercise such care and if such care is the direct cause of loss to his customer, then he is liable for such loss unless the customer is also guilty of failure to exercise care of a reasonably prudent businessman for the protection of his own property and business which contributes to the happening of such loss.” See also Kovler v. Easterby, 79 Pa.Dist. & Co. 102 (1951).
We can find no Pennsylvania case directly in point on the issue as to whether negligence of an insurance broker must be proved by expert testimony but a decision of the Court of Appeals of Maryland is suggestive, we think, of what the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania might hold in a case similar to that at bar. In Lowitt v. Pearsall Chemical Corporation of Maryland, 242 Md. 245, 252, 219 A.2d 67, 73 (1966), the Court of Appeals of Maryland held that expert testimony was not necessary to establish the degree of skill required of an insurance broker and that the broker’s contention that the degree of skill and diligence usually employed by brokers under circumstances' similar to those at bar could only be determined by exPel’t testimony was held to be incorrec^' ®ee Insurance Law and Practice, Appleman, Section 8841 at 521. It is also the lawu that inan action a*aiast an insurance broker by an insured, the broker hag ^ burden Qf ¡ that the insured suffered no actual damage by reason of the broker,g breach of duty_ See Appiemail) supra> at 52L
Finally, Lea argues that it is necessary in order for the plaintiffs to recover that they demonstrate Lea’s negligence was responsible for all Steel’s
We agree with the court below that Lea cannot be conceived of as acting with the reasonable skill and diligence of an insurance broker. In our opinion, even viewing the facts de novo, we cannot but conclude as did the court below that Lea was guilty of negligence.
We note that the defense of contributory negligence asserted by Lea against the plaintiffs has not been pressed on appeal. In any event we deem the defense to be without merit.
Lea also contends that the amount of the judgment has been wrongly calculated and is too large. But the court below stated in its opinion, 276 F.Supp. at 136, “The parties have agreed as to the computation and amount of the damages, if they are to be awarded.” Note 9 cited to the text sets up a calculation and damages of $580,023. The statement of Judge Luongo as to the agreement of the parties has not been demonstrated to be incorrect.
. We point out preliminarily that the trial of this case started before the late lamented Judge Allan K. Grim sitting without a jury and because of his death before completion of proof no decision was rendered. To avoid a retrial, the parties agreed to have the issue decided upon the record, consisting of the complaint (Document #1), the answer (Document #5), the plaintiffs’ reply to new matter (Document #11), pretrial memo randa (Documents #7 and #8), request for admission of genuineness of documents (Document #12), and the answer thereto (Document #13).
. The opinion of the court below is reported at 276 F.Supp. 132.
. The remaining five percent is owned by Blauners, Inc., the other party to the Bargain City joint venture.
. The exact time is not clear from the record. See note 3 cited to the text, 276 F.Supp. at 134.
. This is an abbreviation for “As Interests May Appear.”
. On July 31, 1959 McGeer of Bargain City wrote Lea as follows: “Thank you for your letter of 7/23/59, advising of the replacement of the captioned [Eagle and Eastern] policies as of July 1, 1959. We assume that the coverage and rates afforded Consolidated Sun Ray is also applicable to Bargain City USA., Inc. and that we will receive a policy shortly with our name included. If there is any question in this connection, please advise the writer immediately.” P’s Exhibit I.
. D’s Exhibit 1.
. Paragraphs 7, 10(a), (b), (c), of the second stipulation of counsel.
. Paragraph 10(d) of the second stipulation of counsel.
. The effective date of the binder was given as “6-30-59”.
. See P’s Exhibit E.
. P’s Exhibit AA.
. P’s Exhibit I.
. P’s Exhibit J.
. P’s Exhibit K.
. The caption was “Steel Insurance Co. [Insurance Policy] No. 563.”
. P’s Exhibit L.
. Stipulation of counsel, Paragraph 9 “ÍP”.
. D’s Exhibit 3.
. P’s Exhibit G.
. The binder stated that the “additional cover is subject to full information being supplied no later than Wednesday, November 18.” The record does not show whether or not such information was furnished and since the parties have not mentioned it in their briefs nor the court below referred to it in its opinion, we will assume compliance with this provision.
. See the second Stipulation of Counsel, Paragraph 6, and P’s Exhibit L.
. Appellants’ brief, pp. 19-20.
. D’s Exhibit 22.
. Id. at 136.
. Ibid.
. Ibid.
. Id. at 137.
. Since jurisdiction in this case is based on diversity of citizenship we apply the law of Pennsylvania including the conflict of laws rules of Pennsylvania. Klaxon Co. v. Stentor Electric Mfg. Co., 313 U.S. 487, 61 S.Ct. 1020, 85 L.Ed. 1477 (1941). However, New York, the only other state jurisdiction whose law might be held by a Pennsylvania court to be applicable in the circumstances at bar, has the same test of liability of an in-suranee broker as that stated in Talley v. Hoffman, supra. See Fleetwood Motors, Inc. v. John F. James & Sons, Inc., 38 Misc.2d 499, 237 N.Y.S.2d 668 (Sup.Ct., Queens County 1963).
. We recognize, of course, as Lea contends, that where the facts are stipulated to, no oral testimony being received, we may substitute our factual conclusions without the necessity of determining that the findings of fact of the lower court were clearly erroneous as required by Rule 52(a) Fed.R.Civ.Proc., 28 U.S.C. See In re Kellett Aircraft Corp., 186 F.2d 197 (3 Cir. 1950); and United States v. United Steelworkers of America, 271 F.2d 676, 685 (3 Cir.), aff’d 361 U.S.. 39, 80 S.Ct. 1, 4 L.Ed.2d 12 (1959).
. In so stating we do not pass upon the correctness of the calculation under the terms of the policy.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- CONSOLIDATED SUN RAY, INC., Sun Ray Drug Co., and Bargain City U. S. A., Inc. v. Harry R. LEA and Roslyn T. Lea, Copartners trading as Harry R. Lea & Co.
- Cited By
- 28 cases
- Status
- Published