Olson, D. v. State Auto Property and Casualty ( 2020 )

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NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37
DONNA M. OLSON AND DENNIS : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
OLSON, HUSBAND AND WIFE : PENNSYLVANIA
:
:
v. :
:
:
STATE AUTO PROPERTY AND :
CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY; : No. 737 WDA 2019
MICHAEL SAYRE, JR.; AND :
INTERNATIONAL TITANIUM CORP. :
:
:
APPEAL OF: STATE AUTO PROPERTY :
AND CASUALTY INSURANCE :
COMPANY AND INTERNATIONAL :
TITANIUM CORP. :
Appeal from the Order Entered April 16, 2019
In the Court of Common Pleas of Beaver County Civil Division at No(s):
10835 of 2017
BEFORE: SHOGAN, J., OLSON, J., and FORD ELLIOTT, P.J.E.
MEMORANDUM BY OLSON, J.: FILED MARCH 03, 2020
Appellants, State Auto Property and Casualty Insurance Company
(“State Auto”) and International Titanium Corp. (“International”), appeal from
the April 16, 2019 order granting summary judgment in favor of Michael Sayre
Jr., (“Sayre”), Donna M. Olson, and Dennis Olson (collectively, “the Olsons”)
and denying a summary judgment motion filed by State Auto and
International. We affirm.
The trial court summarized the relevant factual and procedural history
of this case as follows.
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The underlying accident occurred on August 2, 2012, in New
Brighton, Beaver County, Pennsylvania. Donna Olson was a
passenger in a motor vehicle driven by a third party[,] and was
traveling on Sixth Avenue. [] Sayre was operating his own motor
vehicle, acting in the course and scope of his employment with
[International] for the purpose of picking up the company’s mail,
and traveling directly in front of the vehicle in which [Donna]
Olson was a passenger. [] Sayre proceeded to back his vehicle
up and struck the front of the vehicle in which [Donna] Olson was
a passenger. At the time of the accident, [] Sayre was the general
manager of [International.]
***
[Following the accident, the Olsons filed a tort action against
Sayre for personal injury]. While that case was pending, [the
Olsons] initiated [the instant] action for declaratory relief,
asserting that there should be additional insurance coverage
available in the underlying action[.] [Specifically, the Olsons]
contended [] that [] Sayre should also be covered by the auto
insurance policy issued by [State Auto to International].
[Thereafter, State Auto, International, and Sayre] filed
preliminary objections to the [Olsons’] [c]omplaint for
[d]eclaratory [r]elief, challenging [the Olsons’] standing to initiate
the action. Prior to [] argument on the preliminary objections, []
Sayre filed an [a]nswer, [n]ew [m]atter, and [c]ross-[c]laims,
including a cross-claim asserting his own claim for coverage under
the State Auto policy. Judge Deborah Kunselman[1] . . . [held]
that the preliminary objections [regarding the Olsons’] standing
were sustained, without comment. [In the same order, Judge
Kunselman permitted the declaratory judgment action to proceed
as Sayre had standing to pursue a claim for coverage against
International and its carrier, State Auto].
Trial Court Order and Opinion, 4/16/19, at 3-4 (footnote added).
On November 26, 2018, Sayre filed a motion for summary judgment.
Sayre’s Motion for Summary Judgment, 11/26/18, at 1-6. State Auto,
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1In November 2017, Judge Deborah Kunselman was sitting as a judge in the
Court of Common Pleas of Beaver County. She is currently a judge on this
Court, but is not a panel member in this case.
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International, and the Olsons followed suit, filing motions for summary
judgment on January 17, 2019. State Auto and International’s Motion for
Summary Judgment, 1/17/19, at 1-6; Olsons’ Motion for Summary Judgment,
1/17/19, at 1-5. The trial court entertained oral argument on the motions on
March 20, 2019. N.T. Summary Judgment Hearing, 3/20/19, at 1-23.
Thereafter, on April 16, 2019, the trial court entered summary judgment in
favor of Sayre and the Olsons but denied the motion for summary judgment
filed on behalf of Appellants. Trial Court Order and Opinion, 4/16/19, at 1-15.
This timely appeal followed.2
Appellants raise the following issue for our consideration:
Did the trial court commit an error of law in granting summary
judgment in favor of [the Olsons] and Sayre where Sayre’s Dodge
Ram was a borrowed vehicle such that neither Sayre nor his
vehicle were covered under [International’s business auto p]olicy
at the time of the accident?
Appellants’ Brief at 4.
Our standard of review is as follows:
A reviewing court may disturb the order of the trial court only
where it is established that the court committed an error of law or
abused its discretion. As with all questions of law, our review is
plenary.
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2 Appellants filed a notice of appeal on May 13, 2019. On May 22, 2019, the
trial court issued an order directing Appellants to file a concise statement of
matters complained of on appeal pursuant to Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b)(1).
Appellants timely complied. The trial court issued an opinion pursuant to
Pa.R.A.P. 1925(a) on June 13, 2019, expressly noting that it relied on its April
16, 2019 opinion for this appeal.
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In evaluating the trial court's decision to enter summary
judgment, we focus on the legal standard articulated in the
summary judgment rule. The rule states that where there is no
genuine issue of material fact and the moving party is entitled to
relief as a matter of law, summary judgment may be entered.
Where the non-moving party bears the burden of proof on an
issue, he may not merely rely on his pleadings or answers in order
to survive summary judgment. Failure of a nonmoving party to
adduce sufficient evidence on an issue essential to his case and
on which it bears the burden of proof establishes the entitlement
of the moving party to judgment as a matter of law. Lastly, we
will view the record in the light most favorable to the [nonmoving]
party, and all doubts as to the existence of a genuine issue of
material fact must be resolved against the moving party.
Additionally, we note that the interpretation of an insurance policy
is a question of law that we will review de novo.
State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co. v. Dooner, 189 A.3d 479, 481–482 (Pa.
Super. 2018) (internal citations omitted).
Herein, Appellants argue that the trial court erred in granting the
motions for summary judgment filed by Sayre and the Olsons because Sayre
“consented to temporarily using his personal vehicle to perform
[International’s] business.” Appellant’s Brief at 12. As such, International
“borrowed” Sayre’s vehicle at the time of the accident and, therefore, “neither
Sayre nor his vehicle were covered under [International’s] [p]olicy at the time
of the accident.” Id.We note:
The goal in construing and applying the language of an insurance
contract is to effectuate the intent of the parties as manifested by
the language of the specific policy. When the language of an
insurance policy is plain and unambiguous, a court is bound by
that language. Alternatively, if an insurance policy contains an
ambiguous term, “the policy is to be construed in favor of the
insured to further the contract's prime purpose of indemnification
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and against the insurer, as the insurer drafts the policy, and
controls coverage.” Contract language is ambiguous if it is
reasonably susceptible to more than one construction and
meaning. Finally, the language of the policy must be construed in
its plain and ordinary sense, and the policy must be read in its
entirety.
Pennsylvania Nat. Mut. Cas. Ins. Co. v. St. John, 106 A.3d 1, 14 (Pa.
2014) (internal and parallel citations omitted).
“Mindful of the foregoing legal principles, it is clear that the focal point
of our inquiry is the language of [International’s] insurance policy.” State
Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 189 A.3d at 483. Under the terms of the policy,
State Auto will “pay all sums an ‘insured’ legally must pay as damages because
of ‘bodily injury’ or ‘property damage’ to which [the] insurance applies, caused
by an ‘accident’ and resulting from the ownership, maintenance, or use of a
covered ‘auto.’” R.R. 60a. Thus, for coverage to attach under International’s
policy, Sayre’s vehicle must qualify as a “covered auto” and Sayre must have
been an “insured” at the time of the accident.
First, we examine the terms of International’s policy defining whether a
vehicle constitutes a “covered auto.” Under International’s policy, liability
coverage extends to those “autos” within Category “1.” R.R. 56a. Category
“1” includes “any auto.” Id. at 59(a). “Any auto,” however, is not defined in
the policy. Nonetheless, we conclude, as this Court did in Bamber v.
Lumbermens Mut. Cas. Co., 680 A.2d 901, 903 (Pa. Super. 1996), that the
term “any auto” “as it is used in the policy, logically refers to all autos falling
within the subsequent limited categories ‘2’ through ‘9.’” Bamber, 680 A.2d
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at 903; see also R.R. 59(a). Category “9,” entitled “non-owned ‘autos,’” is
relevant in this case. Category “9” reads as follows:
9 = NONOWNED “AUTOS” ONLY. Only those “autos” you do not
own, lease, hire, rent or borrow that are used in connection with
your business. This includes “autos” owned by your employees or
partners or members of their households but only while used in
your business or your personal affairs.
R.R. 59(a). Accordingly, any autos not owned, leased, or borrowed by
International but used in connection with its business are considered “covered
autos” pursuant to Category “9.” Id.We now turn to the terms of International’s policy detailing who qualifies
as an “insured.” It is undisputed that, at the time of the accident, Sayre
served as International’s general manager. As such, we note the following
relevant provisions. In Section II(A)(1), the policy defines insureds as follows:
1. WHO IS AN INSURED
The following are “insureds”:
a. You for any covered “auto.”
b. Anyone else while using with your permission a covered
“auto” you own, hire or borrow except:
******
2) Your employee if the covered “auto” is owned by that
employee or a member of his or her household.
R.R. 60(a). We also note the following provision included within the
endorsement section of International’s policy.
G. EMPLOYEES AS INSUREDS
The following is added to SECTION II – LIABILITY COVERAGE,
Paragraph A.1. Who Is An Insured provision: Any “employee” of
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yours is an “insured” while using a covered “auto” you do [not]
own, hire, or borrow in your business of personal affairs.
R.R. 87(a).
Pursuant to the aforementioned provisions, whether Sayre’s vehicle
qualifies as a “covered auto,” and whether Sayre himself is an “insured,”
depends upon whether, at the time of the accident, International “borrowed”
his vehicle.
The policy does not define the term “borrowed.” Nonetheless, because
“borrowed” is a “[w]ord[] of common usage,” it is to be “construed in [its]
natural, plain, and ordinary sense” and “we may inform our understanding of
[this] term[] by considering [its] dictionary definition.” Wagner v. Erie Ins.
Co., 801 A.2d 1226, 1231 (Pa. Super. 2002). Merriam-Webster defines
“borrow” to mean “to receive with the implied or expressed intention of
returning the same or an equivalent.” MERRIAM WEBSTER’S COLLEGIATE
DICTIONARY 144 (11th ed. 2003). Black’s Law Dictionary defines “borrow” as
“tak[ing] something for temporary use.” BLACK’S LAW DICTIONARY 196 (8th ed.
2004).
Herein, it is undisputed that, on the day of the accident, Sayre served
as International’s general manager. After initially reporting to International’s
office, Sayre then drove his own vehicle to pick up the mail for the company.
Trial Court Opinion, 4/16/19, at 3. In doing so, Sayre embarked, in essence,
on a company errand. The record reflects that International often dispatched
Sayre for this purpose. Indeed, during Sayre’s deposition, he testified that he
frequently used his own vehicle to retrieve the company mail or “haul[] things”
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for the company. Id. at 4. Notably, Sayre also testified that, when he
performed such duties, he would submit “receipts for gas and some repairs to
his vehicle” and would, in turn, be “reimbursed by [International].” Id. When
considering these facts, it is relatively clear that, at the time of the accident,
International temporarily utilized Sayre’s vehicle with the implied intention of
returning it. This conclusion is consistent with case law in other jurisdictions.
See Andresen v. Employers Mut. Cas. Co., 461 N.W.2d 181, 185 (Iowa
1990) (holding that when an employer “temporarily gain[s] the use of [an
employee’s] vehicle,” this “arrangement falls within the ordinary meaning of
the term ‘borrow’” even though the employee “drove [his own] car on the
[employer’s] business.”); Atl. Mut. Ins. Co. v. Palisades Safety & Ins.
Ass'n, 837 A.2d 1096, 1100 (N.J. Super. Ct. App. Div. 2003) (holding that an
employer “borrowed” an employee owned and operated vehicle when it gained
“substantial dominion or control” of the vehicle by requiring the employee to
run an “errand” for the company while “remain[ing] on the clock and
reciev[ing] pay.”); Travelers Indem. Co. v. Swearinger, 169 Cal. App. 3d
779, 785 (Cal. Ct. App. 1985) (holding that a “borrowing can occur [when an
entity] permits [its] employee[] [to] use [] his or her [own] vehicle on [the
entity’s] errand” because, in doing so, the entity “properly gains the use of
[the employee’s] vehicle for its purposes[,] whatever may be said of the
employee’s dominion over the vehicle (by ownership) or physical possession
of it (by driving it).”).
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Notwithstanding legal precedents applying the common definition of
“borrow,” the trial court held that “Sayre’s automobile was not a borrowed
vehicle at the time of the accident.” Trial Court Opinion, 4/16/19, at 11. In
reaching this conclusion, the court apparently rejected the notion that an
employee can “borrow” his own vehicle. We note, however, that this
determination is at odds with the aforementioned case law applying the
definition of “borrow” to similar facts. Indeed, the fact that International
reimbursed Sayre for gas and vehicle repairs strongly suggests that
International “borrowed” Sayre’s vehicle when he used it for company
errands. See Travelers Indem. Co., 169 Cal. App. 3d at 785. Furthermore,
the trial court opined that Sayre’s vehicle could not be “borrowed” because he
“used his vehicle on an almost daily basis to pick up the mail as part of his
employment performance” and, as such, Sayre’s use was not “temporary.”
Trial Court Opinion, 4/16/19, at 11. Thus, in applying the definition of
“borrow” to the present circumstance, the trial court appears to have conflated
the frequency of occurrence with duration of use. This conclusion is contrary
to the common usage of the term “borrow.”
Nonetheless, we are constrained to affirm the trial court’s ruling because
“[i]t is beyond the power of a Superior Court panel to overrule a prior decision
of the Superior Court.” Czimmer v. Janssen Pharm., Inc., 122 A.3d 1043,
1064 n.19 (Pa. Super. 2015), quoting Commonwealth v. Hull, 705 A.2d
911, 912 (Pa. Super. 1998). Herein, we are bound by this Court’s previous
decision in Bamber.
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In Bamber, this Court interpreted a nearly identical insurance policy
under factually similar circumstances. The facts of the case are as follows.
“In 1991, appellant[,] John Bamber[,] sustained a number of injuries following
an automobile accident that allegedly occurred during the course of his
employment” at the Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America
(“Chamber of Commerce”). Bamber, 680 A.2d at 902. After the accident,
Bamber sought underinsured motorist (“UIM”) benefits under the Chamber of
Commerce’s business auto insurance policy (“Chamber policy”). Id. The
insurance company, Kemper National Insurance Company (“Kemper”), denied
coverage and successfully moved for summary judgment against Bamber in
subsequent litigation. Id.On appeal, Bamber argued that “he [was] entitled to UIM benefits”
under Chamber’s policy with Kemper. Id. He specifically claimed that “his
vehicle was a ‘covered auto’ under [] Chamber[’s] policy when [it] was used
in the course of Bamber’s employment.” Id. This Court agreed.
First, the Bamber Court determined that the vehicle qualified as a
“covered auto” under Chamber’s policy. In particular, the Court held that
Bamber’s vehicle fell within the following category:
9 = NONOWNED “AUTOS” ONLY. Only those “autos” you do not
own, lease, hire, rent or borrow that are used in connection with
your business. This includes “autos” owned by your employees or
partners or members of their households but only while used in
your business or your personal affairs.
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Id. at 903. After citing this provision, the Court simply concluded that
“Bamber’s personal vehicle clearly [fell] into this category when it [was] used
in the course of his employment with the Chamber of Commerce” and, as
such, the vehicle was a “‘covered auto’ for purposes of liability coverage.” Id.The Court, however, did not consider whether Bamber’s vehicle was owned,
hired, or borrowed by the Chamber of Commerce at the time of the accident.
The Court then addressed whether Bamber himself was “specifically
excluded from coverage” by the language within the policy detailing who is an
“insured.” Id. The specific provision is as follows:
1. WHO IS AN INSURED
The following are “insureds”:
a. You for any covered “auto.”
b. Anyone else while using with your permission a covered
“auto” you own, hire or borrow except:
******
2) Your employee if the covered “auto” is owned by that
employee or a member of his or her household.
Id. Without providing any analysis, the Bamber Court concluded that
“Bamber cannot be excluded by [Section II(A)(1)(b)(2)] when he is not in the
relevant class of people included in section (b). Section (b) states that it will
insure permissive users of covered autos that are owned, hired, or
borrowed by the Chamber of Commerce. As Bamber’s personal vehicle was
not owned, hired or borrowed by the Chamber of Commerce, this entire
section, including the exclusions, does not apply.” Id. (emphasis in original).
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The Bamber Court, therefore, overlooked the possibility that the definition of
“insured” applied, but that Bamber himself was not included within its
meaning; thus, barring coverage.
Pursuant to Bamber, an employee using his or her own vehicle during
the course and scope of employment is using a “covered auto” and is an
“insured.” We have serious misgivings about Bamber’s interpretation of the
Chamber’s policy and its application thereof. Indeed, it appears that the Court
concluded that the Chamber of Commerce did not own, hire, or borrow
Bamber’s vehicle for purposes of finding that it was a “covered auto.” 3 If,
however, Bamber’s vehicle were not owned, hired, or borrowed, Bamber could
not qualify as an “insured” because an “insured” is one who engages in the
permissive use of a “covered auto” that the “Named Insured,” i.e., the
Chamber of Commerce, owns, hires, or borrows.4 Instead of carrying out the
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3 The Bamber Court focused on the second sentence of Category “9” to
conclude that Bamber’s vehicle was a “covered auto.” Bamber, 680 A.2d at
903. This sentence included those “‘autos’ owned by [the Chamber of
Commerce’s] employees . . . used in [the course of employment].” Id. In
doing so, the Court ignored the preceding language which excluded those
“autos” that the Chamber of Commerce “own[ed] . . . hire[d] . . . or
borrow[ed].” Id. Thus, by summarily stating that Bamber’s vehicle “clearly
f[ell] into [C]ategory [9],” it implicitly found that the Chamber of Commerce
did not own, hire, or borrow Bamber’s vehicle. Id.4 Pursuant to the terms of Chamber’s policy, to qualify as an “insured” an
individual/entity must have met the definitions set forth in Section II (A)(1)(a)
or Section II (A)(1)(b). Bamber, 680 A.2d at 903. Section II (A)(1)(a) covers
only the “Named Insured,” which, in Bamber, was the Chamber of Commerce.
Thus, Bamber had to meet the definition provided in Section II (A)(1)(b) to
qualify as an “insured.” Section II (A)(1)(b) explicitly states that an “insured”
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logical consequence of its prior determination, the Bamber Court elected not
to apply the definition of “insured” to its coverage analysis.
For the foregoing reasons, we have serious reservations regarding
Bamber’s analysis and interpretation of the Chamber’s policy. Nonetheless,
we are bound by Bamber. See Regis Insurance Co. v. All American
Rathskeller, Inc., 976 A.2d 1157, 1161 n. 6 (Pa. Super. 2009) (explaining
that a Superior Court panel lacked power to disregard and overrule a binding
prior decision). Indeed, a panel of this Court recently followed the Bamber
Court’s analysis while interpreting a similar insurance policy in Lightner v.
Carlevale’s Custom Cars, LLC, 2017 WL 6396084, *1, *5 (Pa. Super. Dec.
15, 2017) (explaining that if an employee was driving the vehicle in question,
pursuant to Bamber, the employer “would have been covered” because the
purpose of “coverage for non[-]owned autos” is to “protect[] the policyholder
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is “anyone else” that is using “with [the Named Insured’s] permission, a
covered ‘auto’ that [the Named Insured] own[s], hire[s], or borrow[s].” Id.Thus, for Bamber to qualify, he needed to be engaged in a permissive use of
a “covered auto” that the Chamber of Commerce owned, hired, or borrowed.
As explained in footnote three, the Bamber Court implicitly determined that
the Chamber of Commerce did not own, hire, or borrow Bamber’s vehicle when
it concluded that Bamber’s vehicle was a “covered auto.” Id. It is therefore
inconsistent to conclude that the Chamber of Commerce did not own, hire, or
borrow Bamber’s vehicle for purposes of finding that it was a “covered auto,”
only to turn around and conclude that Bamber was an
“insured” because the Chamber of Commerce owned, hired, or borrowed
Bamber’s vehicle. To avoid this inconsistency, the Bamber Court determined,
without explanation, that it would not apply the definition of an “insured” to
its coverage analysis. Thus, the Court failed to “give effect” to the language
of the policy as required when interpreting an insurance contract. Erie Ins.
Exchange v. Conley, 29 A.3d 389, 392 (Pa. Super. 2001).
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in cases of respondeat superior.”). Accordingly, until this Court grants en banc
review,5 we are bound by the decision in Bamber and, as such, we are
constrained to affirm the trial court’s April 16, 2019 order.
Order affirmed.
Judge Shogan joins.
President Judge Emeritus Ford Elliott concurs in the result.
Judgment Entered.
Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.
Prothonotary
Date: 3/03/2020
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5 “It is well-settled that this Court, sitting en banc, may overrule the decision
of a three-judge panel of this Court.” Commonwealth v. Morris, 958 A.2d
569, 581 n.2 (Pa. Super. 2008) (en banc); see also Commonwealth v.
Jacobs, 900 A.2d 368, 377 n.9 (Pa. Super. 2006) (en banc).
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