Case Title: Streebin v. Capitol Truck Lines

Citation: 182 Kan. 527, 322 P.2d 776

Docket Number: 40,765

State: kansas

Court: Kansas Supreme Court

Date: 1958-03-08T00:00:00Z

Document:
182 Kan. 527 (1958)
322 P.2d 776
LELA STREEBIN, Appellant,
v.
CAPITOL TRUCK LINES, INC., A CORPORATION, and THE STATE AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE ASSOCIATION, an Insurance Corporation, and ROBERT LEE ARMSTRONG, Appellees.
No. 40,765

Supreme Court of Kansas.
Opinion filed March 8, 1958.
Richard C. Byrd, of Ottawa, argued the cause, and Robert A. Anderson, of Ottawa, Arthur J. Stanley, Jr., Lee E. Weeks, Leonard O. Thomas, J.D. Lysaught, Robert H. Bingham, Richard Millsap, and Ervin G. Johnston, all of Kansas City, were with him on the briefs for the appellant.
Willard L. Phillips, of Kansas City, argued the cause, and Thomas M. Van Cleave, P.B. McAnany, Thomas M. Van Cleave, Jr., and James J. Lysaught, all of Kansas City, were with him on the briefs for the appellees.
The opinion of the court was delivered by
PARKER, C.J.:
In this case the trial court sustained a motion to strike an insurance policy, which had been attached to and made a part of such pleading, from the plaintiff's petition. The appeal is from that ruling.
The facts giving rise to this lawsuit and others essential to a proper disposition of the question raised on appeal are set forth in the following quoted and summarized allegations of the petition.
Further allegations of the petition are of little consequence to the appellate issues involved and all that need be said regarding them is that they describe in detail the acts of negligence on the part of defendants relied on by plaintiff for recovery; the injuries and damages *530 sustained by her as a result of the collision; and a prayer for judgment against each and all defendants for the amount of damages so claimed.
The only question raised by appellant's sole specification of error is that the trial court erred in sustaining appellees' motion to strike and in striking the insurance policy (Exhibit "A") from her petition. However, appellees raise a question which must be disposed of before that issue can be given consideration. It is that the ruling of which appellant complains is not an appealable order, hence it is not reviewable. We therefore turn directly to that question, mindful, as we do so, the universal rule of this jurisdiction is that rulings on motions to strike, regardless whether such motions have been sustained or overruled, rest in the sound discretion of the trial court and are not appealable unless they affect a substantial right and in effect determine the action. See Meek v. Ames, 175 Kan. 564, 266 P.2d 270, and cases there cited. See, also, Hatcher's Kansas Digest [Rev. Ed.], Appeal & Error, § 20; West's Kansas Digest, Appeal & Error, §§ 78 [3], 93.
For what is perhaps our last pronouncement on the subject see Sherk, Administratrix v. Sherk, 181 Kan. 297, 310 P.2d 899, where, after supporting the principles announced in the opinion (pp. 299, 300) with numerous decisions, it is held:
We believe the answer to all arguments advanced by appellant in support of her position the ruling of the trial court in striking the involved insurance policy from her petition resulted in depriving her of rights so substantial as to make such ruling an appealable order, notwithstanding the established rules to which we have heretofore referred, is to be found in our own decisions.
See Graves v. National Mutual Cas. Co., 164 Kan. 267, 188 P.2d 945, involving an action somewhat similar to the one here involved, where it is held:
Of a certainty, resort to our more recent decisions leads to the inescapable conclusion that in actions of the character involved in the case from which we have just quoted, as well as the case at bar, a trial court's action in striking a liability insurance policy from a petition does not affect a substantial right or in effect determine the action. See Lamb v. Hartford Accident & Indemnity Co., 180 Kan. 157, 300 P.2d 387, where it is held:
See, also, Fitzgerald v. Thompson, 167 Kan. 87, 204 P.2d 756, which holds:
and where it is said:
For other decisions of like import see Billups v. American Surety Co., 170 Kan. 666, 228 P.2d 731; Twichell v. Hetzel, 145 Kan. 139, 64 P.2d 557.
*532 The fact G.S. 1949, 66-1,128, now G.S. 1957 Supp., 66-1,128, was amended in 1953 (L. 1953, Ch. 296, Sec. 1) to permit insurance companies to file a certificate with the State Corporation Commission, certifying that there is in effect the liability insurance required by statute, in lieu of the insurance policy itself, does not change, alter or impair the rules announced by this court in the decisions to which we have just referred.
In conclusion it should be stated we have disregarded, not overlooked, many arguments advanced by appellant, founded on the erroneous theory, that the effect of the trial court's ruling is to change this case from an action upon the insurance policy to an action upon the certificate on file with the Commission. The foregoing decisions make it clear this action is in tort, not in contract, and if appellant is to recover she must do so upon the basis of appellees' liability for negligent operation of their tractor-trailer, not upon the extent of their insurance coverage. (Lamb v. Hartford Accident & Indemnity Co., supra; Fitzgerald v. Thompson, supra.)
Based on what has been heretofore stated, and the decisions cited with respect thereto, we are forced to conclude the record discloses no appealable order and that the appeal must be dismissed.
It is so ordered.