Opinion ID: 1857590
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: whether ambiguity in the um endorsement must be resolved in favor of the insured permissive driver, or alternatively when the policy language and um endorsement provides for multiple coverages and issuance of insurers' automobile fleet policy, whether the multi-cars um coverages are still available to permissive drivers although the insurer issues separate declaration pages to its multiple-cars policy.

Text: Curtis argues that the language in the subject policies is ambiguous and that this ambiguity must be resolved in Curtis's favor. In support of this position, Curtis directs the Court's attention to the UM endorsement found as part of each of the subject policies which contains a paragraph entitled Fleet Automobile Policy. Each policy contains the same UM endorsement which ends with the Fleet Automobile Policy paragraph. Curtis argues that the UM endorsement form extending statutorily-required UM coverage contains language which recognized that the policy was designed to provide Multi-car coverage in a single insurance policy. This paragraph provides: FLEET AUTOMOBILE POLICY [w]hen this endorsement is attached to a fleet Automobile policy and the First Named Insured is other than an individual or a husband or wife, for the purposes of this endorsement the First Named Insured shall be the person or persons so designated in Item No. 9 of the Declaration of the Fleet Automobile Policy. (C.P. at 57) (emphasis added). Curtis argues that a Fleet Automobile Policy is understood to mean a single insurance policy which provides coverage for multiple cars. The UM endorsement was attached to the insurer's single policy providing automobile insurance coverage for multiple cars. Hackler's four automobiles qualified for multiple car UM coverages through the insurer's single insurance policy insuring multiple cars. However, Farm Bureau Casualty argues, and this Court agrees, that a close reading of the subject policies will reveal that they were separate policies, covering individual automobiles, each having different policy periods and premium amounts. In addition, Curtis stipulated that the subject policies were indeed separate. Farm Bureau Casualty policies Nos. A267135, A648962 and A733336 should be treated as separate and distinct from each other and especially separate and distinct from Policy No. A055607 issued by Farm Bureau Mutual. A careful reading of the subject policies will reveal that none of the policies was a Fleet Automobile Policy. None of the policies show an Item No. 9 or a Declaration of the Fleet Automobile Policy as mentioned in the Fleet Automobile Policy paragraph of the UM endorsement. Therefore, the endorsement cannot be considered attached to a Fleet Automobile Policy as argued by Curtis. Finally, Farm Bureau Casualty argues and the Court agrees that there is no ambiguity in the language of the subject policies as Curtis contends. The policies may require a little close reading but the policy language is not ambiguous. The policies are separate, covering separate vehicles which are owned by a non-relative of the Deceased and consequently, Curtis merits no relief on this assignment of error.