Court Opinion

ID: 7320510
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-07-25 21:15:38.196028+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:19:50.028262
License: Public Domain

MICHELS, P.J.A.D.,
dissenting.
I respectfully disagree with the majority that would reverse the judgment in favor of defendant P.T.P., Inc. (F.T.P.) notwithstanding the verdict, and then, reinstate the jury verdict.
My colleagues believe that Thomas Guthrie’s (Guthrie) conduct as a surplus lines insurance agent “fell sufficiently below the established minimum standards” of “failpng] to exercise ‘reasonable skill, care and diligence’ in the execution of his commission” as to forego the necessity of expert testimony to establish the competence generally expected of like insurance agents. In my view, however, the evidence does not create such a clear cut breach of any applicable standard to find that plaintiff proved a prima facie case of negligence on the part of Guthrie.
We must not lose sight of the fact that Guthrie was not a traditional insurance agent attempting to place traditional insurance coverage, but rather, was a surplus lines insurance agent placing surplus lines insurance. Surplus lines insurance is coverage that insurance companies authorized or admitted to do business in this State have refused to cover by virtue of the nature of the risk. The duties of surplus lines agents are regulated by statute and differ from those of a traditional insurance agent. Expert testimony is necessary to establish the applicable standard of care and professionalism to which similarly situated surplus lines insurance agents must adhere and whether any deviation from that standard occurred. Without such testimony, a jury can not properly or reasonably determine whether a surplus lines insurance agent is negligent.
Consequently, to have made out a prima facie case against F.T.P., plaintiff was required to present expert testimony to establish the appropriate standard of care to be exercised by *474similarly situated surplus lines insurance agents and whether Guthrie deviated from that standard. Having failed to present such expert testimony and from my review of the record, I am convinced that the trial court properly granted judgment notwithstanding the verdict in favor of F.T.P. Therefore, I would affirm the judgment under review substantially for the reasons expressed by Judge Yanoff in his oral opinion of March 3,1989.