Opinion ID: 1864717
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: u.s. west is the primary carrier and national farmers the excess carrier.

Text: The trial court found as a matter of law that U.S. West was the primary UIM insurer and National Farmers was the secondary or excess carrier. We agree. Bergstresser's policy with National Farmers contained a provision which states: OTHER INSURANCE If there is other similar insurance on a loss covered by this Part, we will pay our proportionate share as our limit of liability bears to the total limits of all applicable similar insurance. But, any insurance for a vehicle you do not own is excess over any other applicable similar insurance. Although there is a split of authority as to whether self-insurance is other insurance, we think the better rule is that the coverage provided by a self-insurer is other insurance subject to the same provisions that would be imposed on a commercial insurance carrier. This is consistent with our interpretation of SDCL XX-XX-XXX under which U.S. West is required to provide UIM as a self-insurer. Accord Jones v. Morrison, 284 F.Supp. 1016, 1019 (W.D.Ark 1968); Travelers Indemnity Co. v. Michigan Lia. Co., 259 F.Supp. 606, 609 (W.D.Va.1966); Hackman v. American Mut. Lia. Ins. Co., 110 N.H. 87, 261 A.2d 433 (1970); Hillegass v. Landwehr, 176 Wis.2d 76, 499 N.W.2d 652 (1993); cf. In re Request for Opinion of Supreme Court, 379 N.W.2d 822, 827 (S.D. 1985) (self-insurance as ordinarily used does not constitute insurance such as to waive state's sovereign immunity). In Union Ins. Co. v. Farmland Ins. Co., 389 N.W.2d 820 (S.D.1986) this court reiterated the general rule is that primary liability is placed with the insurer of the owner of the vehicle involved in an accident rather than on the insurer of the operator. Id. at 822 (citing 7A Am.Jur.2d Automobile Insurance § 434 (1980); 16 Couch on Insurance § 62:60 (Rev. ed. 1983); USF & G v. Safeco Ins. Co. of Am., 522 S.W.2d 809 (Mo.1975)); Georgia Mut. Ins. Co. v. Southern General Ins. Co., 181 Ga.App. 238, 351 S.E.2d 658 (1986) (expressing where policies covered both owner and permissive user, owner's policy was primary); Home Ins. Co. v. Glens Falls Ins. Co., 675 S.W.2d 486 (Tenn.App. 1984) (stating to determine primary carrier, look to the owner of the vehicle permittee was operating); Millers Cas. Ins. Co. v. Briggs, 100 Wash.2d 9, 665 P.2d 887 (1983). We see no reason to deviate from that rule here. Therefore, we agree with the trial court and hold that the primary liability for UIM is placed with U.S. West as the owner of the vehicle and that Bergstresser's private UIM coverage with National Farmers is secondary.