Opinion ID: 2627880
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Accident and insurance policy

Text: Barbara Testa, respondent Deborah Fackett's mother, was a fault-free passenger in a vehicle that collided with Benjamin Bellville's vehicle. Testa was severely injured and died a few weeks later from her injuries. She was insured under her own policy and was not insured under Fackett's Allstate policy. At the time of the accident and Testa's death, Fackett had an insurance policy with Allstate. The UM coverage provided that [Allstate] will pay damages which an insured person is legally entitled to recover from the owner or operator of an uninsured auto because of bodily injury sustained by an insured person.  (Emphasis added.) According to the Policy, insured persons are: 1. [The named insured] and any relative who resides in [the named insured's] household. 2. Any person while in, on, getting into or out of [the named insured's] insured auto with [the named insured's] permission. 3. Any other person who is legally entitled to recover because of bodily injury to [the named insured], a relative who resides in [the named insured's] household, or an occupant of [the named insured's] insured auto with [the named insured's] permission. The parties agree that Testa was not an insured person under the Policy. In addition, the Policy defines an uninsured auto as, among other things, an underinsured motor vehicle which has liability protection in effect and applicable at the time of the accident but less than the applicable damages the insured person is legally entitled to recover. Fackett asserted a wrongful death claim against Bellville and ultimately settled with Bellville's insurance company for his $1,000,000 policy limit. The district court found that Bellville was insured but lacked sufficient insurance to cover all claims involved in the accident. After the settlement, Fackett's attorney informed Allstate of his representation and requested a copy of Fackett's policy that was in effect at the time of the accident. Allstate then informed Fackett's attorney, in writing, that Testa was not an insured person under the Policy, and therefore UM benefits were not available to Fackett. Fackett then made a formal demand for her UM Policy limits. She argued that NRS 687B.145 entitled her to recover any damages for which she is legally entitled to recover from the other driver. Because she was legally entitled to recover from Bellville for the wrongful death of her mother, Fackett reasoned that she was entitled to recover UM benefits as well. Allstate did not reconsider its earlier denial of the claim.