Opinion ID: 1301356
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: facts pertaining to in re estate of bowers

Text: Barbara Bell Bowers was struck and killed by an uninsured motorcyclist on July 8, 1980. Bowers was the mother of two children, whose ages at that time were 10 and 8, and whose legal custodian was Bowers' former husband, Stephen Gaddis. At the time of the accident, Gaddis was insured under a Safeco automobile liability insurance policy providing UIM coverage on each of Gaddis's two automobiles. While Bowers was not a named insured under Gaddis's policy, their two children resided with Gaddis. Within 1 month following Ms. Bowers' death, Gaddis informed his insurance agent of the accident, and was told there was no coverage available under his policies. Additionally, a lawsuit was instituted against the uninsured motorcyclist on behalf of Gaddis's children, resulting in a judgment in their favor. In November 1983, Gaddis's attorney notified Safeco of the uninsured motorist claim on behalf of Gaddis's children, and on December 5, 1984, Gaddis demanded arbitration of that claim. Upon receiving no response from Safeco, Gaddis filed a complaint to compel arbitration. On April 3, 1985, upon an order to show cause, the trial court ordered both parties to proceed to arbitration. In a 2-to-1 decision, the arbitrators awarded $175,000 or the policy limits, whichever was less, to each child. On Gaddis's motion to confirm the arbitration award, a second trial judge deferred confirmation pending the resolution of three specific legal issues in an ordered declaratory judgment action: (1) whether the action is barred by the statute of limitation; (2) whether Gaddis's policy provides coverage in this instance; and (3) if the policy provides coverage, what are the policy limits. Following a bench trial, a third judge resolved these three legal issues in favor of Gaddis, and entered a judgment in his favor, as personal representative of the estate of Bowers, in the amount of $175,000 for each of the minor children for a total of $350,000. The Court of Appeals, Division One, reversed and dismissed the action, holding that the 3-year tort statute of limitation barred Gaddis's action. In re Estate of Bowers, 50 Wn. App. 691, 750 P.2d 275 (1988).