Opinion ID: 2015724
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Preferred Venue

Text: It is clear that there may be more than one county of preferred venue for a given lawsuit. [1] This is an example of such a situation. The Court of Appeals was correct in concluding that preferred venue may lie in Marion County because the principal office of a defendant (in this case the only defendant) is in that county. The Court of Appeals is also correct, although for somewhat different reasons, that preferred venue was not conferred by reason of the presence of the agency in Randolph County. [2] That is not the end of the matter, however. Ind. Trial Rule 75(A) provides that an action may be filed in any county of preferred venue. Only if the court in which the action is commenced is not in a county of preferred venue, may the case be transferred to a court of preferred venue meeting the criteria listed in T.R. 75(A)(1)-(9). [3] Jasper County Bd. of County Comm'rs v. Monfort, 663 N.E.2d 1166, 1167 (Ind.Ct.App.1996). If plaintiffs properly filed their complaint in a county of preferred venue, the trial court had no authority to transfer the case to a different county on preferred venue grounds. [4] Conner Ins. Agency, Inc. v. Frericks, 634 N.E.2d 84, 85 (Ind.Ct.App.1994). Ind.Trial Rule 75(A)(3) provides for preferred venue in the county where the accident or collision occurred, if the complaint includes a claim for injuries relating to the operation of a motor vehicle ...; This does not require that the claim arise from the accident as opposed to arising from the policy. All it demands is that the claim be (1) for injuries and (2) relate to the operation of a vehicle. Although less clear as a matter of the syntax of the rule, the term the accident or collision obviously refers to the nature of the claim and serves to impose a third requirement that the claim relate to an accident or collision occurring in the county. Plaintiffs' claim meets these tests. It is plainly a claim for injuries, and it relates to an accident or collision occurring in Randolph County involving the operation of a motor vehicle. We believe that this construction of the rule is consistent with, if not demanded by, the language of the rule. It also comports with the underlying philosophy of preferred venue. It is clear that the rule contemplates that people who operate vehicles in various parts of this state can expect to litigate any resulting accidents or collisions in those locales. Their insurers can expect to find themselves in litigation wherever their insureds' vehicles take them. There is nothing unreasonable in permitting any resulting underinsured motorist issues to go forward where the accident occurred, which is presumably where the testimony of witnesses, obtaining of police reports, and jury views are most easily arranged. A contrary rule produces a lawsuit over an accident in a remote county based solely on the location of the insurer's home office, notwithstanding that the insurer has frequently, as in this case, elected to do business with insureds throughout the state and routinely defends its insureds in many counties. Insurer contends that witnesses as to the issue heredenial of coverageare all in the county of its home office. Presumably plaintiffs will have their side of this story, including the issue of whether and to what extent any delays in notice to defendant create a defense to coverage. But even if defendant's point is well taken in this case, as a general proposition litigation over underinsured motorists coverage can and often will involve disputes over whether the insurer was adequately notified of the underlying claim, whether there was adequate insurance, etc., all of which are at least as conveniently litigated in the venue of the underlying incident. And a variety of issues relating to the conduct of the original trial can be imagined to be relevant to many such disputes. The balance of convenience, even if it were an explicit factor, is not sufficient to disturb the plaintiffs' selection of a forum that meets preferred venue requirements.