Court Opinion

ID: 9551915
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 19:02:03.716867+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:25:04.763162
License: Public Domain

Stafford, J.
(concurring in the result) — I concur only in the result of the majority for two reasons: (1) First, the husband and wife were driving separate vehicles at the time of the accident, yet the majority does not distinguish between this and the more common situation where family members are riding in the same vehicle. I would limit the result herein solely to the facts at hand.
(2) It is not the family exclusion clause per se which should be held void as against public policy. Rather, it is the inability of an insured to contractually avoid such an exclusionary clause that should be deemed violative of public policy. As mentioned in footnote 1 of the majority opinion, automobile liability insurance policies without a family exclusion clause are not readily available in this *383state. If insurance companies gave policy holders an option to have extended coverage with no family exclusionary clause, it should not be violative of public policy to allow an insured to opt out of that coverage. Cf. RCW 48.22.030 (allowing insured to reject uninsured motor vehicle coverage). Thus, if the majority opinion is to be read as absolutely prohibiting such family exclusion clauses, it goes too far. Parties should be free to contract for any risk they choose, adjusting the premium to the risks assumed. Tou-chette v. Northwestern Mut. Ins. Co., 80 Wn.2d 327, 335, 494 P.2d 479 (1972) (Neill, J., concurring).