Court Opinion

ID: 9656435
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 19:48:08.746464+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:13:32.314177
License: Public Domain

VANDE WALLE, Justice,
concurring specially.
I reluctantly agree with the majority opinion. The trial judge relied on the statement in St. Alexius Hospital v. Eckert, 284 N.W.2d 441 (N.D.1979), that stacking was permitted under no-fault policies. I agree that statement was obiter dictum because in that instance we were concerned with a statutorily authorized coordination-of-benefits clause in a hospital-services policy with a no-fault policy while in this instance we are concerned with stacking under several no-fault policies. In St. Alexius v. Eckert, we construed the coordination-of-benefits *490statute to prevent duplication of payments but not the allocation of losses among different insurers in those situations where the total economic loss exceeded no-fault benefits. In support of that statement we unfortunately cited Wasche v. Milbank Mut. Ins. Co., 268 N.W.2d 913 (Minn.1978), which did permit stacking under no-fault policies, but we did not discuss Section 26-41-03(2), N.D.C.C.
Although this case is different from St. Alexius Hospital v. Eckert, supra, primarily because of Section 26-41-03(2), N.D.C.C., it nevertheless gives rise to bothersome problems. I join the majority opinion in urging that the Legislature consider these problems. Thus the limitation on stacking contained in Section 26-41-03(2), N.D.C.C., appears to be directly at odds with the legislative declaration in Section 26-41-02, N.D. C.C., that the purpose of the North Dakota Auto Accident Reparations Act is to, among other things, “avoid inadequate compensation to victims of motor vehicle accidents, ...” In this instance it is unquestioned that Eileen was not adequately compensated for her injuries. Furthermore, although the treatise by Appleman, quoted in the majority opinion, disagrees with those courts which have held that the charging of a separate premium is a basis for permitting stacking, it raises an issue which should be considered. The insurers argue that the additional premium is required because all of the cars may be on the road at the same time and involved in separate accidents for which the insurer would be responsible to the limits of the various policies. Perhaps consideration should be given to a premium based on the probabilities of such an event much like the additional premium charged in this instance because Eileen was identified as an occasional operator of one of the vehicles.
SAND, J., concur.