Opinion ID: 1369036
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Purpose of the Policy Provisions

Text: The obvious purpose of extending coverage to family members residing in the same household is to cover those for whom the named insured naturally would wish to provide coverage, including his or her spouse, children, and other dependent relatives. See United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co. v. Winkler, 351 F.2d 685, 687-88 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, 382 U.S. 1026, 86 S.Ct. 647, 15 L.Ed.2d 540 (1965). See generally Annot., 36 A.L.R.4th 588, 589 (1985); Annot., 91 A.L.R.3d 1280, 1285 (1979). On the other hand, because the insurer naturally does not desire to cover every relative of its named insured, it limits the extension clause to residents of the insured's household. This limitation generally makes good sense in relation to a named insured's parents, children, brothers, sisters, and the like, but makes much less sense in relation to a spouse. Presumably, a husband and wife purchasing personal auto insurance intend to be covered to an equal extent. In fact, because the extent of coverage may vary between named insureds and omnibus insureds, an automobile insurance buyer is usually afforded an opportunity to specify that other persons  such as a spouse or children  are to be identified as named or designated insureds on the Declarations page of the policy. 1 A. WIDISS, supra § 4.4, at 59. Further, some insurers automatically identify all principal users of insured vehicles as named insureds. Id. The record in the case before us does not indicate why or how only Shawn was specified as the named insured.