Title: Norman v. King

State: vermont

Issuer: Vermont Supreme Court

Document:

NORMAN_V_KING.94-069; 163 Vt 612; 659 A.2d 1123

[Filed 21-Mar-1995]


                               ENTRY ORDER

                      SUPREME COURT DOCKET NO. 94-090

                             JANUARY TERM, 1995


Jill Norman and                        }          APPEALED FROM:
The Travelers Companies                }
                                       }
     v.                                }          Chittenden Superior Court
                                       }
                                       }
Michael King, State Farm Mutual        }
Insurance Co., Richard Dodge           }          DOCKET NO. S0745-92 CnC
and Lori Dodge

                     In the above entitled cause the Clerk will enter:

     The Travelers Companies appeals from a decision of the Chittenden
Superior Court denying its attempt to seek reimbursement from State Farm
Insurance Co. for uninsured motorists (UM) benefits paid to Jill Norman.  We
affirm. 

     The benefits were paid by Travelers to compensate Jill Norman for
injuries she received in an accident while riding as a passenger in a car
driven by Michael King.  The car, owned by Richard Dodge, was insured under
an automobile liability policy issued by State Farm.  Dodge gave his
daughter, Lori Dodge, permission to use the car with the express restriction
that she not let anyone else drive it.  On the night of the accident, Lori
drove the car to the Essex Reservoir where she met some friends.  While
there, Lori joined a friend in another vehicle, but before doing so, she gave
the keys to her father's car to Michael King.  She told him he could drive it
around the Reservoir.  The accident occurred on a public highway away from
the Reservoir and caused injuries to Jill Norman, who was a passenger in the
Dodge car. 

     At the time of the accident, Jill Norman's parents held an automobile
policy issued by Travelers, which paid UM benefits to Jill Norman after State
Farm denied coverage under its policy.  Travelers thereafter commenced this
action pursuant to 23 V.S.A.  941(e) to recover the monies that it paid
under its UM coverage.(FN1)  The trial court granted summary judgment for
State Farm concluding that there was no coverage for Michael King or Jill
Norman under State Farm's policy.  Plaintiff appeals on the grounds that
under either Vermont's Financial Responsibility and  Insurance law, 23 V.S.A.
 800-810, or Vermont's Mandatory Uninsured 

 

Motorists statute, 23 V.S.A.  941, defendant's liability section cannot
effectively exclude coverage. 

     The omnibus clause in the State Farm policy defines an insured as "any
other person while using such a car if its use is within the scope of consent
of you or your spouse."  This court previously upheld the enforceability of
such a clause in American Fidelity Co. v. Elkins, 125 Vt. 313, 315,