Court Opinion

ID: 9680197
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 07:24:55.424747+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:17:26.656392
License: Public Domain

ON MOTION FOR REHEARING
WALKER, Justice.
In their motion for rehearing in Cause No. B^-156, Mr. and Mrs. Dhane point out that the vehicles insured by their policy are described, and the coverages, limits of liability, and premiums are set out, in an endorsement on Texas Standard Form 227, Family Automobile Policy — Non-Uniform Limits or Coverage Endorsement. This endorsement reads, in part, as follows:
It is agreed that with respect to each owned automobile described below, the insurance afforded by this policy is only with respect to such and so many of the following coverages as are indicated for each such automobile by specific premium charge or charges, and the limit of the company’s liability against each such coverage shall be as stated herein as applicable to such automobile, subject to all the terms of the policy and this endorsement having reference hereto. . ..
[Coverages, limits of liability, premiums and description of scheduled vehicles set out here.]
This endorsement is subject to the declarations, conditions and other terms of the policy which are not inconsistent herewith.
Although Mr. and Mrs. Dhane argue to the contrary, the “limits of liability” provisions in Part IV of the policy are not inconsistent with the terms of the endorsement. In so far as it bears on our present problem, the first quoted paragraph in the endorsement is substantially the same as Item 3 of the declarations in the Tucker policy involved in Cause No. B-4071 and set out in the footnote to our original opinion.
As stated in our original opinion, we have concluded that the policy exclusion of injuries sustained by an insured while occupying an owned but unscheduled vehicle is ineffectual to the extent that it deprives a person of coverage required by Article 5.06-1 of the Insurance Code, V.A.T.S. The plaintiffs in both cases say that in view of this holding, there is no consideration for the increased premium charge made for including an additional automobile in the policy except the protection af*687forded “non-relatives” while occupying the additional vehicle. From this premise it is argued that the additional premium charge is grossly excessive or that the protection received therefor is grossly inadequate. That may well be so, but it might also be argued that under our holding as to the effect of the statute on the exclusion, the premium charge for including the first automobile in the policy is somewhat less than adequate. We make no attempt to explore these questions here, because the State Board of Insurance is vested with “sole and exclusive power and authority” to fix just, reasonable and adequate rates of premiums to be charged and collected by all insurers writing insurance on motor vehicles in this State. V.A.T.S. Insurance Code, Art. 5.01.
The motions for rehearing are overruled. No further motion for rehearing will be entertained.