Opinion ID: 491024
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: planet's exclusion

Text: 17 If the accident occurred while Ainsworth was in the business of anyone to whom the [truck was] rented, the terms of Planet's Trucker's endorsement eliminate coverage altogether. 8 On the strength of Ainsworth's testimony, the district court found that he was on his way to Apex, Nevada to pick up a load of wallboard for PST at the time the accident occurred. Although Transport tried to impeach this testimony, Transport suggested no other purpose for driving the rig at the time of the accident. Transport has not demonstrated that the district court's determination that Ainsworth was driving in the business of PST was clearly erroneous. LaDuke v. Nelson, 762 F.2d 1318, 1321 (9th Cir.1985); Fed.R.Civ.P. 52(a). 18 Transport makes two arguments in support of its contention that the trucker's endorsement should not prevent Planet from bearing some of the loss. First, Transport contends that the trucker's endorsement is void as against public policy because, under certain circumstances, it might leave Ainsworth's truck wholly uninsured in violation of Nevada's financial responsibility law. We have difficulty accepting this hypothetical prospect as sufficient to invalidate the exclusion. The carrier-lessee's policy covered during trip leases; Ainsworth's policy covered while he was not engaged in another's business. As far as we can discern, 9 the tractor was covered at all times during this typical trip lease, and would be during others. 19 Second, Transport argues that Planet's excess insurance clause in its standard policy covers this accident. But the trucker's endorsement prominently stated that it modified the standard policy provisions, specifically excluding coverage under the conditions present in this case. 10 Planet did not contract to insure Ainsworth's tractor when it was operating in the business of others, and its exclusion is binding. See Baton v. Transamerica Insurance Company, 584 F.2d 907, 910 (9th Cir.1978). 20 We therefore conclude that Planet's trucker's endorsement precluded coverage at the time of the accident. Because Planet did not extend coverage to any loss arising from this accident, we do not address Transport's suggestion that federal statutes, regulations, and the terms of the ICC-mandated endorsement intended to protect the public should not affect allocation of liability between members of the insurance industry. 11