Case Title: Ponser v. St. Paul Fire & Marine Ins. Co.

Citation: 2004-Ohio-714

Docket Number: 

State: ohio

Court: Ohio Supreme Court

Date: 2004-03-03T00:00:00Z

Document:
[Cite as Ponser v. St. Paul Fire & Marine Ins. Co., 101 Ohio St.3d 214, 2004-Ohio-714.] 
 
 
PONSER, ADMR., ET AL., APPELLEES, v. ST. PAUL FIRE & MARINE INSURANCE 
COMPANY ET AL., APPELLANTS.  (TWO CASES.) 
[Cite as Ponser v. St. Paul Fire & Marine Ins. Co., 101 Ohio St.3d 214, 2004-
Ohio-714.] 
Discretionary appeal accepted — Court of appeals’ judgment reversed on 
authority of Westfield Ins. Co. v. Galatis — Certification of conflict 
accepted only on the second certified question. 
(Nos. 2003-1730 and 2003-2125 — Submitted January 12, 2004 — Decided 
March 3, 2004.) 
APPEAL from and CERTIFIED by the Court of Appeals for Licking County, No. 
2002CA00072, 2003-Ohio-4377. 
__________________ 
{¶1} 
Case Nos. 2003-1730 and 2003-2125 are consolidated. 
Case No. 2003-1730 
{¶2} 
The discretionary appeal is accepted. 
{¶3} 
The judgment against St. Paul Fire & Marine Insurance Company 
is reversed, sua sponte, on the authority of Westfield Ins. Co. v. Galatis, 100 Ohio 
St.3d 216, 2003-Ohio-5849, 797 N.E.2d 1256.  The remaining insurance 
companies, Motorists Mutual Insurance Company and Nationwide Insurance 
Company, are to brief the issues. 
Case No. 2003-2125 
{¶4} 
The certification of conflict by the Court of Appeals for Licking 
County is accepted only on the question certified on behalf of Motorists Mutual 
Insurance Company and Nationwide Insurance Company, which states: 
{¶5} 
“If an insured does not file a wrongful death suit against the 
tortfeasor with[in] the two year statute of limitations set forth in R.C. 
SUPREME COURT OF OHIO 
2 
[2125.02(D)], is he or she ‘legally entitled to recover damages’ against the 
tortfeasor under R.C. 3937.18 and, therefore, able to maintain an un[der]insured 
or uninsured motorists claim[?]” 
{¶6} 
The judgments against Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company and St. 
Paul Fire & Marine Insurance Company are, sua sponte, reversed on the authority 
of Westfield Ins. Co. v. Galatis, 100 Ohio St.3d 216, 2003-Ohio-5849, 797 N.E.2d 
1256.  The remaining insurance companies, Motorists Mutual Insurance Company 
and Nationwide Insurance Company, are to brief the certified question quoted 
above. 
 
MOYER, C.J., LUNDBERG STRATTON, O’CONNOR and O’DONNELL, JJ., 
concur. 
 
RESNICK, F.E. SWEENEY and PFEIFER, JJ., dissent. 
__________________ 
 
Morrow, Gordon & Byrd, Ltd., and Adam K. Vernau, for appellees. 
 
Rendigs, Fry, Kiely & Dennis, L.L.P., Kenneth B. Flacks and Ralph F. 
Mitchell, for appellant St. Paul Fire & Marine Insurance Company. 
 
Gary L. Grubler, for appellant Nationwide Insurance Company. 
 
Keener, Doucher, Curley & Patterson, L.P.A., W. Charles Curley and 
Jenifer J. Murphy, for appellant Motorists Mutual Insurance Company. 
 
Ulmer & Berne, L.L.P., and David L. Lester, for appellant Fireman’s Fund 
Insurance Company. 
__________________