FILED

June 9, 1997

Cecil Crowson, Jr.

Appellate Court Clerk

 I N THE COURT OF APPEALS OF TENNESSEE

EASTERN SECTI ON

THELMA W. KELLEY, ) C/ A NO. 03A01- 9701- CV- 00031

)

Appe l l a nt , ) SEVI ER CI RCUI T

)

v. ) HON. BEN W. HOOPER, I I ,

) J UDGE

J OHN E. VANCE a nd )

BETTY L. VANCE, )

) AFFI RMED

De f e nda nt s , ) AND

) REMANDED

a nd )

)

ALLSTATE I NSURANCE COMPANY, )

)

Appe l l ee. )

ROBERT L. OGLE, J R., OGLE & WALLACE, P. C., Se vi e r vi l l e , f or

Appe l l a nt .

J AMES S. Ma c DONALD, DUNN, Ma c DONALD & COLEMAN, P. C. ,

Knoxvi l l e , f or Appe l l e e .

O P I N I O N

Fr a nks . J .

I n t hi s a c t i on, pl a i nt i f f s e e ks uni ns ur e d mot or i s t

c ove r a ge f r om he r i ns ur a nc e c ompa ny, a nd t he Tr i a l Cour t ,

r e s pondi ng t o mot i on f or s umma r y j udgme nt , gr a nt e d j udgme nt t o

de f e nda nt Alls t a t e I ns ur a nc e Compa ny ( Alls t a t e ) . Pl a i ntif f

ha s appeal e d. 

Pl a i nt i f f ha s r a i s e d t wo i s s ue s on a ppe a l :
2

1. Whe t he r t he Tr i a l Cour t e r r e d i n gr a nt i ng

s umma r y j udgme nt hol di ng t ha t t he i ns ur e d di d

not c ompl y wi t h t he t e r ms of he r i ns ur a nc e

pol i c y t ha t s he ?pr ompt l y s e nd ( Al l s t a t e )

c opi e s of t he l e ga l pa pe r s i f a s ui t i s

br ought . ?

2. Whe t he r t he Tr i a l Cour t e r r e d i n gr a nt i ng

s umma r y j udgme nt by i t s r ul i ng t ha t t he one -

ye a r s t a t ut e of limita tions ha d r un a s to

Alls t a t e .

The a ut omobi l e a c c i de nt gi vi ng r i s e t o t hi s c a s e

oc c ur r e d on J une 16, 1993, a nd pl a i nt i f f f i l e d s ui t a ga i ns t

t he ot he r dr i ve r on J une 2, 1994, wi t h pr oc e s s s e r ve d on t hos e

de f e nda nt s on J une 6, 1994. On Oc t obe r 6, 1994, pl a i nt i f f

obt a i ne d a n or de r f r om t he Tr i a l J udge f or pr oc e s s t o i s s ue

a nd be s e r ve d upon Al l s t a t e I ns ur a nc e Compa ny, whi c h pr oc e s s

wa s s e r ve d upon t he De pa r t me nt of Comme r c e a nd I ns ur a nc e on

Oc t obe r 12, 1994, a nd s ubs e que nt l y f ur ni s he d t o Al l s t a t e by

t he De pa r t me nt . Al l s t a t e move d f or s umma r y j udgme nt on t he

gr ounds t ha t pl a i nt i f f ha d f a i l e d t o c ompl y wi t h t he pol i c y

pr ovi s i ons a nd t ha t t he s t a t ut e of l i mi t a t i ons ha d r un on a n

a c tion a ga i ns t it.

The pe r t i ne nt pol i c y pr ovi s i on i s :

A pe r s on s e e ki ng uni ns ur e d mot or i s t c ove r a ge mus t

a l s o: . . . 2. Pr ompt l y s e nd us c opi e s of t he l e ga l

pa pe r s , i f a s ui t i s br ought .

The r ecor d r e veal s t ha t t he i ns ur a nce compa ny wa s f i r s t

f ur ni s he d c opi e s of t he s ui t pa pe r s by t he St a t e of

Te nne s s e e ’ s De pa r t me nt of I ns ur a nc e . I n r e s pons e t o t he

mot i on f or s umma r y j udgme nt , t he pl a i nt i f f f i l e d he r a f f i da vi t

whi c h s t a t e s :

Ve r y s hor t l y a f t e r my a c c i de nt whi c h oc c ur r e d on

J une 16, 1993, I a dvi s e d my i ns ur a nc e a ge nt , Howa r d

Ya t e s , age nt f or Al l s t a t e I ns ur a nce Compa ny, and

c ompl i e d wi t h e ve r y r e que s t ma de by Al l s t a t e

I ns ur a nc e Compa ny. I n a ddi t i on, t he i ns ur a nc e
3

car r i e r pa i d me di cal expe ns e s on my be ha l f i nc i de nt

t o the a c c i de nt. Af t e r s uit wa s f ile d a nd s e r vi c e

wa s ha d on t he De f e nda nt s , I wa s a dvi s e d by my

a t t or ne y t ha t a ppa r e nt l y t he De f e nda nt s ’ Va nc e ha d

no i ns ur a nc e a nd upon t he a dvi s e [ s i c ] of my

a t t or ne y Al l s t a t e I ns ur a nce Compa ny wa s ma de a pa r t y

t o my cas e .

Pl a i nt i f f of f e r s no e xc us e f or f a i l ur e t o s e nd

c opi e s of t he s ui t pa pe r s t o he r i ns ur a nc e c ompa ny, a nd on

a ppe a l , a r gue s t ha t s i nc e no pr e j udi c e ha s be e n de mons t r a t e by

t he i ns ur a nc e c ompa ny, t ha t c ove r a ge s houl d be a f f or de d.

Thi s j ur i s di c t i on ha s l ong he l d t ha t c ondi t i ons t o

be pe r f or me d by t he i ns ur e d a r e c ondi t i ons pr e c e de nt t o

a c t i va t i ng c ove r a ge unde r t he pol i c y. Se e , e . g. , Har tfor d

Ac c i de nt and I nde mni t y Co. , v . Cr e as y , 530 S. W. 2d 778 ( Te nn.

1975) . Thi s r ul e ha s be e n a ppl i e d t o va r i ous c ondi t i ons i n

pol i c i e s of i ns ur a nc e , a nd our c our t s ha ve uni f or ml y he l d t ha t

t he l a c k of pr e j udi c e on t he f a i l ur e t o c ompl y wi t h t he pol i c y

pr ovi s i on i s not gr ounds t o e xc us e non- c ompl i a nc e wi t h t he

pol i c y pr ovi s i on. Thi s Cour t ha s c r i t i c i z e d t hi s r ul e . Se e

Nor t h Ri v e r I ns . Co. , v . J ohns on, 757 S. W. 2d 334 ( Te nn. App.

1988) . Thi s Cour t ha d oc c a s i on t o c ons i de r t he c ondi t i on

c ont a i ne d i n t hi s pol i c y i n Whal e y v . Unde r wood, 922 S. W. 2d

110 ( Te nn. App. 1995) , whe r e t he de l a y i n f ur ni s hi ng c opi e s of

t he ?l e ga l pa pe r s ? wa s de l a ye d s ome 27 mont hs . Aga i n, t he

Cour t a ppl i e d t he r ul e a s r e qui r e d unde r t he hol di ngs of t he

Te nne s s e e Supr e me Cour t . As t he Whal e y c our t not e d, we ha ve

a dopt e d t he de f i ni t i on of ‘ pr ompt ’ a s di s c us s e d i n 44

Am. J ur . 2d I ns ur a nc e 1330, whi c h s i mpl y me a ns t ha t ?not i c e mus t

be gi ve n wi t hi n a r e a s ona bl e t i me unde r t he c i r c ums t a nc e s of

t he case. ? Wi t h no ot he r c i r c ums t a nc e s a ppe a r i ng i n t he c a s e

be f or e us , i t c a nnot be s a i d t ha t a de l a y of 4- 1/ 2 mont hs i n
4

f ur ni s hi ng t he l e ga l pa pe r s i s pr ompt . Ac c or di ngl y, we a r e

c ons t r a i ne d t o a f f i r m t he Tr i a l J udge ’ s gr a nt of s umma r y

j udgme nt upon t he f a i l ur e of t he pl a i nt i f f t o c ompl y wi t h t he

t e r ms of he r pol i c y wi t h t he de f e nda nt i ns ur a nc e c ompa ny.

We f i nd i t unne c e s s a r y t o a ddr e s s t he r e ma i ni ng

i s s ue s , s i nc e thi s is s ue is de t e r mi na tive of the a ppe a l .

The j udgme nt of t he Tr i a l Cour t i s a f f i r me d, a nd t he

caus e r e ma nde d wi t h cos t s of t he appeal as s e s s e d t o t he

a ppe l l a nt .

________________________

He r s c he l P. Fr a nks , J .

CONCUR:

___________________________

Hous t on M. Godda r d, P. J .

___________________________

Cha r l e s D. Sus a no, J r ., J .
5
FILED

June 9, 1997

Cecil Crowson, Jr.

Appellate Court Clerk

I N THE COURT OF APPEALS OF TENNESSEE

EASTERN SECTI ON

THELMA W. KELLEY, ) C/ A NO. 03A01- 9701- CV- 00031

)

Appe l l a nt , ) SEVI ER CI RCUI T

)

v. ) 

) 

J OHN E. VANCE a nd )

BETTY L. VANCE, )

) 

De f e nda nt s , ) 

) 

a nd )

)

ALLSTATE I NSURANCE COMPANY, )

)

Appe l l ee. )

O R D E R

Thi s c a us e wa s r e gul a r l y he a r d a nd c ons i de r e d by t he

c our t . I T I S NOW ORDERED t ha t t he j udgme nt of t he Tr i a l Cour t

i s af f i r me d, and t he caus e r e ma nde d. The cos t s of appeal ar e

a dj udge d t o a ppe l l a nt , f or whi c h e xe c ut i on ma y i s s ue i f

necess a r y.

PER CURI UM