Opinion ID: 2308373
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Was the Tortfeasor Underinsured?

Text: [¶ 23] When multiple insurance policies cover an accident, we compare the amount of the tortfeasor's coverage with the total amount of uninsured or underinsured vehicle coverage available to determine whether the vehicle was underinsured. See Connolly, 455 A.2d at 935. The injured party may recover pursuant to his or her uninsured or underinsured vehicle policy in an amount that secures to the injured party the amount of coverage that would have been available had the tortfeasor been insured to the same extent as the injured party. Id. [¶ 24] Here, the tortfeasor had insurance coverage of $100,000. Hylie Hall's estate had an aggregate of $160,000 available in uninsured or underinsured vehicle coverage: $100,000 (the each accident limit) from Hylie Hall's Dairyland motorcycle insurance policy; $50,000 (the each person limit) from Carla Hall's Dairyland motorcycle policy; and $10,000 from the Allstate policy. See Connolly, 455 A.2d at 935. Hylie Hall's estate recovered $100,000 from the tortfeasor's insurer, which means that the tortfeasor was underinsured by the amount of $60,000. [7] Allstate has already paid up to its policy limit of $10,000. Carla Hall therefore stands to recover through the estate up to $50,000 from Dairyland if she can establish the amount of her damages on remand. See Wescott v. Allstate Ins., 397 A.2d 156, 164 (Me.1979) (holding that a person seeking to recover pursuant to an uninsured or underinsured vehicle policy must establish the amount of damages). Because this matter has not yet proceeded to fact-finding or agreement regarding the total damages suffered by Hylie Hall's estate, we remand the matter to the Superior Court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. The entry is: Summary judgment in favor of Patriot affirmed. Summary judgment in favor of Dairyland vacated and remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. Denial of Carla Hall's motion for summary judgment affirmed. Patriot's and Dairyland's requests for sanctions denied.