Court Opinion

ID: 9464801
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 23:42:55.716433+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:38:49.420259
License: Public Domain

VAN OOSTERHOUT, Senior Circuit Judge,
specially concurring.
Judge Henley’s opinion fairly states the material facts and the issues presented. Our decision is controlled by Arkansas law. The Arkansas Supreme Court has not passed on the issues here presented or given any clear indication of how it would dispose of such issues. The view of Judge Eisele, an able and experienced Arkansas judge, on the law of his state is entitled to great respect. Judge Eisele’s view of the applicable Arkansas law is reinforced by the confirmation of such view by our distinguished colleague from Arkansas in the majority opinion.1 I concur in Judge Henley’s opinion solely upon the ground that I cannot say with any degree of certainty that a permissible conclusion on the basis of Arkansas law has not been reached on the right to recover on the basis of the original policy, which has been voluntarily replaced by a new policy. I have no problem with respect to denying recovery on the additional insurance provided by the second contract and the denial of penalty and attorney’s fees.

. The recent four-to-three opinion of the Arkansas Supreme Court in Ford Life Ins. Co. v. Jones, supra note 4, reflects an extremely liberal attitude on the part of the Arkansas court in allowing recovery against insurance companies in questionable situations.