Court Opinion

ID: 9565771
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 19:27:22.443151+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:19:53.061478
License: Public Domain

Smith, Justice,
dissenting.
I disagree with the majority’s opinion that, “the mere purchase of liability insurance does not automatically waive sovereign immunity.” “ ‘When a public body has purchased liability insurance, there is no necessity for the protection which sovereign immunity provides to the public.’ [Toombs County, Ga. v. O’Neal, 254 Ga. 390, 393 (330 SE2d 95) (1985)].” Martin v. Ga. Dept. of Public Safety, 257 Ga. 300, 301 (357 SE2d 569) (1987).
In this case there is no contention that insurance coverage was not in effect at the time this claim arose. However, by waiting seventeen months to present the appellant’s claim, the county failed to properly notify the insurance company, and the policy was not properly invoked. The majority holds that in this situation there is no waiver of immunity. The problem with this argument is twofold. First, the appellant has no contractual relationship with the insurance *94company. Thus, if the appellant had given notice to the company, then this notification would have been ineffectual because of the lack of a contractual relationship. Second, the appellant is at the total mercy of the county and insurance company. Thus, the county could avoid any claim covered by the provided insurance by arbitrarily not notifying the insurance company.
Decided March 16, 1988.
Webb, Carlock, Copeland, Semler & Stair, Robert C. Semler, D. Gary Lovell, Jr., Gerald M. Edenfield, for appellant.
Franklin & Taulbee, James B. Franklin, Becky J. Sasher, for appellees.
In light of these general considerations, I would reverse this case on the following grounds:
1. When the county purchased liability insurance and the contract of insurance was issued, then sovereign immunity was waived to the extent of such insurance coverage. Dugger v. Sprouse, 257 Ga. 778 (364 SE2d 275) (1988).
2. The appellant has a claim against the county because the waiver of sovereign immunity was in effect at the time of the injury and neither the county nor insurance company can revoke the waiver retroactively.
I am authorized to state that Justice Weltner joins in this dissent.