Can An Insurance Company "End Around" the Innocent Spouse Doctrine . . . Maybe Not
Yesterday, I wrote a bit about the recent Tuturea v. Tennessee Farmers Mutual Insurance Company case that was decided last week by the Western Section of the Court of Appeals. Remember, this is the case where the plaintiff's allegedly insane husband set fire to the house in an unsuccessful effort to commit suicide. I saved the best part for today . . .
One of Mrs. Tuturea's arguments in favor of coverage was that the innocent co-insured doctrine should allow her to recover. However, like pretty much all policies I read these days, Tennessee Farmers had contracted around that doctrine to prohibit an innocent insured from recovering when another insured intentionally causes the loss. Accordingly, Mrs. Tuturea lost.
What's intriguing about this this case is that the Court of Appeals stepped outside of its scope of review and considered, without deciding, an issue that was not presented by Ms. Tuturea, i.e., whether the policy language excluding recovery by an innocent co-insured is enforceable at all. The Tuturea court stated,
We recognize that insurance companies have written policies in response to the proliferation of the innocent co-insured doctrine that often expressly exclude recovery by an innocent co-insured or, at the very least, more clearly impose joint responsibility on the co- insureds. An argument exists that these carefully written provisions return the relationship between insureds and the insurer to the former status quo previously deemed unacceptable, but it is not the duty of the judiciary to impose liability where none exists. See Certain Underwriter's at Lloyd's of London v. Transcarriers Inc., 107 S.W.3d 496, 499 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2002) (citations omitted) (recognizing that courts are not at liberty to rewrite an unambiguous insurance policy simply to avoid a harsh result). While courts in other jurisdictions have reformed or held unenforceable policies excluding recovery by an innocent co-insured where the policies did not comply with legislative limitations on liability exclusions, e.g., Sager v. Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co., 680 N.W.2d 8, 9 (Iowa 2004); Watson v. United Services Automobile Ass'n., 566 N.W.2d 683, 692 (Minn. 1997). Mrs. Tuturea has not argued that similar limitations govern the enforcement of insurance agreements in Tennessee. Because the specific language of the policies before us clearly excludes recovery by an innocent co-insured, the trial court’s decision is affirmed.
Needless to say, I'll be taking a hard look at the cases cited above as the Court's dicta seems to be a clear invitation for someone to present the issue. A favorable ruling would certainly be advantageous for policyholders, and I see plenty of opportunities to give the Court an opportunity to do just that.
The "I'm Too Crazy To Intentionally Burn My House" Defense - Is it Viable in Tennessee?
The Tennessee Court of Appeals released Tuturea v. Tennessee Farmers Mutual Insurance Company on June 29, 2010. Its certainly an interesting opinion, although a bit long for fun reading (29 pages). The basic facts are this. Mr. Tuturea suffered from terminal cancer, and set fire to his house in an unsuccessful attempt to commit suicide. His home was destroyed in the fire, and he then passed away a few months later. His wife's claim for insurance proceeds was denied, and she sued to recover on the insurance policy.
The issue presented by Mrs. Tuturea on appeal was whether the fire was "intentional" within the meaning of the subject insurance policy. Relying on expert testimony, she argued that Mr. Tuturea did not form a conscious desire to bring about the fire because "he was insane, had an acute break with reality, and was not in control of his actions when he set the fire." After weighing the evidence, the trial court disagreed, and the Court of Appeals affirmed his decision. What's interesting about this case is the issue that wasn't decided. In a footnote, the court noted that "some jurisdictions hold that an insane person is incapable or forming the intent to commit an intentional act in the insurance context," while others hold "that an actor is able to commit an intentional act so long as the actor understands the physical nature and consequences of the act, regardless of whether the actor is able to distinguish right from wrong." Unfortunately, that issue wasn't presented, nor was it decided.
There was one other interesting twist about this case, but I'll save that for tomorrow.
Recent Developments - Adams v. Tennessee Farmers Mutual Insurance Company
Earlier this week, the Tennessee Court of Appeals issued a 24 page opinion addressing a variety of issues affecting insureds in the State of Tennessee. The case is Adams v. Tennessee Farmers Mutual Insurance Company, a copy of which is available here. My partner, Clint Scott, and I represented the insured in this case, which was tried way back in December 2008 before Judge Roy Morgan in Chester County. The case was defended by Charlie Trotter, a very talented and experienced defense lawyer who certainly keeps us on our toes. The Court of Appeals opinion is worthy of several blog posts, but I’ll try to summarize the major points here.
First, the Court of Appeals made it crystal clear that legal title is not required in order to have an insurable interest in real property. Tennessee Farmers argued that an insured’s transfer of legal title to a family member mandated a finding that there was no insurable interest. The Court of Appeals disagreed, finding that any interest in property, even the mere right to use property, is enough for a finding that there is an insurable interest. All that is required is that the insured benefit from the property’s continued existence or suffer a loss as a result of its destruction.
Second, the Court of Appeals rejected the proposition that an insured has a duty to notify an insurer of a change in ownership of the insured property when the change in ownership occurs after the policy is issued. This contention actually raised an even broader issue of first impression in Tennessee, i.e., whether an insured has a duty to supplement the disclosures made on an application for insurance after a policy has been issued. After surveying several jurisdictions across the country, the Court of Appeals concluded that there is no such duty, reasoning “the burden is more appropriately placed on the insurer to specify when the insured will be required to notify it of changes in circumstances after the policy is delivered.” Because the policy at issue in this case had no such provision, there was no duty to disclose the change in legal ownership subsequent to the issuance of the policy.
Finally, the Adams case also addressed the issue of whether an insured is entitled to the full policy proceeds when he or she was occupying the property but lacked legal title. In considering this issue, the Court of Appeals again referenced decisions from our sister states and adopted the reasoning of the Oklahoma Supreme Court in concluding that “the insurable interest requirement should not be extended beyond the reasons for its existence by an overly technical construction that frustrates the legitimate expectations of the insured or that permits an insurer to avoid the very risk it intended to insure.”
The Adams case is an important case for first party insurance practitioners on both sides of the bar, and all such lawyers would be wise to read it closely.
Rules of Interpretation for Insurance Policies
Insurance litigation requires a lot of briefing so we keep a stash of helpful citations that are often used in our court filings. An example is the rules that courts must follow when interpreting insurance policies. These rules of construction can be quite helpful in the right case. Below are several that insurance practitioners should not forget:
- Insurance contracts, being subject to the same rules of construction as contracts generally, should be interpreted and enforced as written. Absent fraud or mistake, the terms of a contract should be given their plain and ordinary meaning, for the primary rule of contract interpretation is to ascertain and give effect to the intent of the parties. U.S. Bank, N.A. v. Tennessee Farmers Mut. Ins. Co., 277 S.W.3d 381, 387 (Tenn. 2009).
- The parties' respective rights and obligations are governed by their contract of insurance whose terms are embodied in the policy. As with any other contract, our responsibility is to give effect to the expressed intention of the parties, by construing the policy fairly and reasonably, and by giving the policy's language its common and ordinary meaning. We are not at liberty to rewrite an insurance policy simply because we do not favor its terms or because its provisions produce harsh results. In the absence of fraud, overreaching, or unconscionability, the courts must give effect to an insurance policy if its language is clear and its intent certain. Angus v. Western Heritage Ins. Co., 48 S.W.3d 728, 731 (Tenn.Ct.App. 2000).
- Exclusionary clauses are to be strictly construed against the insurer when drafted by the insurer. Palmer v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 614 S.W.2d 788, 789 (Tenn. 1981).
- The language of the policy must be taken and understood in its plain, ordinary and popular sense. Where language is susceptible to more than one reasonable interpretation, the language is ambiguous. If such ambiguous language limits the coverage of the insurance policy, that language must be construed in favor of the insured. In determining the “plain, ordinary and popular” meaning of language, courts may refer to dictionary definitions. CBL & Associates Management, Inc. v. Lumbermens Mut. Cas. Co., 2006 WL 2087625, 6 (E.D.Tenn. 2006); Am. Justice Ins. Reciprocal v. Hutchison, 15 S.W.3d 811, 814 (Tenn. 2000).
- Language in a policy is ambiguous if it is capable of more than one reasonable interpretation. Tata v. Nichols, 848 S.W.2d 649, 650 (Tenn. 1993). A contract is ambiguous only if it is of uncertain meaning and may fairly be understood in more ways than one. Rogers v. First Tennessee Bank Nat. Ass'n., 738 S.W.2d 635 (Tenn.Ct.App. 1987).
- If possible, all provisions in the contract should be construed in harmony with each other to promote consistency and to avoid repugnancy between the various provisions. Guiliano v. Cleo, Inc., 995 S.W.2d 88, 95 (Tenn. 1999).
- In Tennessee, exceptions, exclusions, and limitations in insurance policies must be construed against the insurance company and in favor of the insured. Allstate Ins. Co. v. Watts, 811 S.W.2d 883, 886 (Tenn. 1991). The entire policy, however, including insuring clauses and exceptions thereto, must be read as a whole. Am. Sav. & Loan Ass'n v. Lawyers Title Ins. Corp., 793 F.2d 780, 782 (6th Cir. 1986). Further, exceptions should not be construed so narrowly as to defeat their evident purpose. Standard Fire Ins. Co. v. Chester-O'Donley & Assocs., Inc., 972 S.W.2d 1, 8 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1998).
- “[T]he paramount rule of construction in insurance law is to ascertain the intent of the parties.” Blue Diamond Coal v. Holland-America Ins. Co., 671 S.W.2d 829, 833 (Tenn.1984).
- The insuring agreement defines the outer limits of an insurance company's contractual liability. The courts are not at liberty to rewrite an insurance policy solely because they do not favor its terms, and must avoid forced constructions that render a provision ineffective or extend a provision beyond its intended scope. As long as a policy's terms are unambiguous, it will be enforced as written, and courts cannot rewrite an unambiguous policy simply to avoid harsh results. Therefore, the insured cannot simply focus on the declarations/summary portion of a contract in isolation; the policy must be read as a whole. Hoyt v. Pyles, 2007 WL 1217264, 5-6 (Tenn.Ct.App. 2007).
- The insuring agreement sets the outer limits of an insurer's contractual liability. If coverage cannot be found in the insuring agreement, it will not be found elsewhere in the policy. Exclusions help define and shape the scope of coverage, but they must be read in terms of the insuring agreement to which they apply. Exclusions can only decrease coverage; they cannot increase it. Exclusions should also be read seriatim. Each exclusion reduces coverage and operates independently with reference to the insuring agreement. Exclusions should not be construed broadly in favor of the insurer, nor should they be construed so narrowly as to defeat their intended purpose. Once an insurer has established that an exclusion applies, the burden shifts to the insured to demonstrate that its claim fits within an exception to the exclusion. Standard Fire Ins. Co. v. Chester O'Donley & Associates, Inc., 972 S.W.2d 1, 8 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1998).
- An insurance contract should be construed in “a reasonable and logical manner.” Standard Fire Ins. Co. v. Chester O'Donley & Associates, Inc., 972 S.W.2d 1, 7 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1998). When coverage questions arise, the components of a policy should be construed in the following order: 1) the declarations; 2) the insuring agreements and definitions; 3) the exclusions; 4) the conditions; and 5) the endorsements. Id.
An Insured Need Not Rebuild at the Same Premises in Order to Recover Replacement Cost
Parks' recent post about whether an insured has to rebuild at the same location in order to recover replacement cost got me thinking, and then researching. Here's what I found:
Although none in Tennessee, there are a dozen or so cases across the country dealing with the issue of whether an insured has to rebuild at the same location in order to recover replacement cost. For example, in Hess v. N. Pac. Ins. Co., 859 P.2d 586 (Wash. 1993), the Supreme Court of Washington held that insureds are entitled to replace at an alternate location, but that the reimbursement amount is limited to the amount it would have cost to rebuild at the original location. Specifically, the court stated,
"This particular limitation does not require repair or replacement of an identical building on the same premises, but places that rebuilding amount as one of the measures of damage to apply in calculating liability under the replacement cost coverage. The effect of this limitation comes into play when the insured desires to rebuild either a different structure or on different premises. In those instances, the company's liability is not to exceed what it would have cost to replace an identical structure to the one lost on the same premises. Although liability is limited to rebuilding costs on the same site, the insured may then take that amount and build a structure on another site, or use the proceeds to buy an existing structure as the replacement, but paying any additional amount from his or her own funds."
Several other courts have rendered similar decisions. See, e.g., Kumar v. Travelers Ins. Co., 211 A.D.2d 128 (N.Y. 1995) (holding that insurance provision offering to pay full cost to repair or replace damaged dwelling on the same premises merely established the limits of coverage and that replacement cost is limited to what it would cost to replace the damaged structure on the same premises, however, the insured is not required to replace the damaged dwelling on the same premises in order to recover replacement cost); Conway v. Farmers Home Mut. Ins. Co. , 26 Cal. App.4th 1185 (Cal. App. 1994 (“[W]hen the insured desires to rebuild either a different structure or on different premises . . . the company’s liability is not to exceed what it would have cost to replace an identical structure to the one lost on the same premises); S and S Tobacco and Candy Co., Inc. v. Greater New York Mutual Ins. Co., 617 A.2d 1388 (Conn. 1992) (holding that construction of replacement structure at different location constituted replacement under the policy).
So as much I hate to say it, Parks seems to have a lot of folks with "Judge" in front of their names who agree with him. And so I guess I agree as well.
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!
