Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca5-15-60792/USCOURTS-ca5-15-60792-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Pamela Beam Drake
Appellant
Progressive Gulf Insurance Company
Appellee
Lisa Beam Stephens
Appellant

Document Text:

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

No. 15-60792

LISA BEAM STEPHENS, Wrongful Death Beneficiary of Truman Edward 

Beam; PAMELA BEAM DRAKE, Wrongful Death Beneficiary of Truman 

Edward Beam, 

 Plaintiffs - Counter Defendants - Appellants

v.

HOLCOMB LOGGING, L.L.C., 

 Defendant

PROGRESSIVE GULF INSURANCE COMPANY, 

 Counter Claimant - Appellee

Appeal from the United States District Court 

for the Northern District of Mississippi

USDC No. 1:13-CV-244

Before JOLLY, BARKSDALE, and SOUTHWICK, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:*

The plaintiffs initiated a garnishment action against Progressive Gulf 

 

* Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not 

be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH 

CIR. R. 47.5.4.

United States Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit

FILED

September 6, 2016

Lyle W. Cayce

Clerk

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No. 15-60792

2

Insurance Company to collect on a Mississippi state court judgment. The 

plaintiffs appeal the district court’s grant of summary judgment to Progressive. 

We briefly explain our reasons to affirm as to each issue.

The district court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to consider the 

plaintiffs’ untimely motion for entry of default. See S&W Enters., L.L.C. v. 

SouthTrust Bank of Ala., NA, 315 F.3d 533, 535–37 (5th Cir. 2003). The 

plaintiffs never requested an extension of the relevant deadline or explained 

the cause for delay. See id. at 536. 

As correctly analyzed in the district court’s opinion, the state court 

judgments against Darryl Holcomb, James Holcomb, and IC Trucking are void. 

The plaintiffs had the burden to obtain an order on their motion to substitute

Crystal Holcomb for the deceased Darryl Holcomb. See Ridgway Lane & 

Assocs., Inc. v. Watson, 189 So. 3d 626, 630 n.4 (Miss.), reh’g denied (May 12, 

2016). They failed to do so. The final judgment against the deceased Darryl 

Holcomb is void under Mississippi law. See Wells v. Roberson, 209 So. 2d 919, 

922 (Miss. 1968). 

The state court granted, with prejudice, the plaintiffs’ motion to 

voluntarily dismiss their claims against James Holcomb. See Hogrobrooks v. 

Progressive Direct, 858 So. 2d 913, 922 (Miss. Ct. App. 2003). The district court 

properly held the judgment was therefore void as to him. 

The district court correctly held that the judgment was also void as to IC 

Trucking either because it was never served or because of Darryl Holcomb’s 

death. See Canal Ins. Co. v. Herrington, 846 F. Supp. 2d 654, 659 (S.D. Miss. 

2012); Tucker v. Williams, 7 So. 3d 961, 964–65 (Miss. Ct. App. 2009). 

The state court judgment is only valid as to Holcomb Logging, L.L.C. 

The district court did not err in concluding that Progressive’s policy does not 

cover the judgment against Holcomb Logging. For the reasons discussed by 

the district court, Holcomb Logging does not fit within the definition of 

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No. 15-60792

3

“insured” in Part I of the policy. The district court also correctly analyzed the 

mobile equipment and the MCS-90 endorsements. 

The plaintiffs re-urge the argument made in the district court that 

uninsured motorist coverage existed under the policy to cover the state court 

judgment. Such insurance typically protects insured individuals from 

damages caused by others who are uninsured. See Jones v. S. United Fire Ins., 

935 So. 2d 1127, 1129–30 (Miss. Ct. App. 2006). Regardless of whether such 

coverage existed, the plaintiffs cite no case where uninsured motorist coverage 

applied in these circumstances. They also offer no argument explaining how 

such coverage would apply. 

AFFIRMED.

 Case: 15-60792 Document: 00513664726 Page: 3 Date Filed: 09/06/2016