Court Opinion

ID: 9793780
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 02:52:53.167297+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:06:52.763160
License: Public Domain

CROCKETT, Justice
(concurring).
I am in general agreement with what is said in the main opinion concerning the constitutionality of the act. But, for the purpose of stating my views thereon as succinctly and clearly as possible, I offer these comments: The furnishing of insurance is so widespread and generally accepted that it is properly regarded as an essential service in which the public interest is so involved that it is a legitimate subject of regulation in the interest of the general welfare. See Insurance, Title 31, U.C.A. 1953.
The classifications provided in the Act seem to harmonize with its purposes. As to the burdens plaintiff complains of: there is hardly any regulation which is not purposed to produce some benefit and which does not impose some corresponding burden, but the burdens provided for in this act are intended to be imposed equally upon all within the same class.
The argument is made that the plaintiff and other insurance companies who are more efficient and more solvent will be penalized by bearing burdens for those that are less so. Such an argument could be made by the members of many groups, such as utilities for example, or even by taxpayers, that they have less children to be educated, or fire proof or burglary proof houses and are made to pay more than their aliquot share of the expenses for the various public services such as schools, police and fire protection. The argument is *758without merit. There is no impermissible discrimination or inequality of treatment so long as the burden is imposed equally upon all within the same class and all are afforded equal opportunity to benefit from the service, even though the amount of benefit actually received may vary considerably.
In harmony with what has been said, I concur in upholding the constitutionality of the statute.