Opinion ID: 2444387
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Hudson pursues insurance through arbitration and litigation

Text: Through his next friend, Hudson filed suit against Dennis and Millsboro Auto Mart. The parties resolved that dispute through a binding arbitration that awarded the insurance policy limits of $15,000 for each of the two defendants' auto insurance policies. At the time of the accident, Old Guard provided Hudson's parents auto insurance coverage. Hudson's parents claimed underinsured motorist benefits, but Old Guard denied their claim. Upon reaching the age of majority, Hudson filed suit against Old Guard for recovery of UIM benefits based on third-party negligence. In October 2008, Old Guard moved for summary judgment, contending that no facts of record exist that could support any third-party liability. Hudson responded that he had a defensive driving expert who would testify that Dennis could have taken preventative actions when approaching the end of the driveway. The trial judge partially granted Old Guard's motion for summary judgment, ruling that Dennis had not acted negligently per se by violating rules of the road codified in 21 Del. C. §§ 4144 and 4168. The trial judge held that neither § 4144 nor § 4168 imposed any per se duty upon her to sound her horn or to drive any slower than she actually did. The trial judge, however, denied summary judgment with regard to common law negligence. Before trial, each side filed various motions in limine. The trial judge granted Old Guard's motion in limine to exclude Hudson's liability expert's opinion testimony, stating that a fact-finder would not need a defensive driving expert, and that the expert based his professional opinion on an unreliable methodology. The trial judge held, however, that Hudson's expert could testify if Old Guard sought to introduce evidence that Dennis did all she could to avoid the accident. After Hudson presented his theory of liability to the jury, Old Guard moved for judgment as a matter of law, pursuant to Superior Court Civil Rule 50. The trial judge granted Old Guard's motion, holding that, as a matter of law, Dennis had not acted negligently, and that, even if she had, Hudson had acted more negligently than had Dennis. The trial judge ruled as a matter of law that Hudson was more than 51 percent negligent, having violated 21 Del. C. § 4133 by failing to yield the right of way to approaching vehicles as he entered the roadway. This appeal followed.