Court Opinion

ID: 9854256
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 06:04:01.447822+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:22:59.799055
License: Public Domain

BURNETT, J.:
I respectfully dissent. In my opinion, - it is unnecessary to address either S.C.Code Ann. § 38-77-160 (2002) or the personal and portable nature of UM coverage for the language of the insurance contract itself provides no coverage for Erwood.
The construction of an agreement is a matter of contract law. McDuffie v. McDuffie, 313 S.C. 397, 399, 438 S.E.2d 239, 241 (1993). The primary objective in construing a contract is to ascertain and give effect to the intention of the parties. Williams v. Teran, Inc., 266 S.C. 55, 59, 221 S.E.2d 526, 528 (1976). The Court must first look at the language of the contract in order to determine the intention of the parties. Superior Auto. Ins. Co. v. Maners, 261 S.C. 257, 263, 199 *94S.E.2d 719, 722 (1973). If its language is plain, unambiguous, and capable of only one reasonable interpretation, no construction is required and the contract’s language determines the instrument’s force and effect. Blakeley v. Rabon, 266 S.C. 68, 72, 221 S.E.2d 767, 769 (1976).
“When a contract is unambiguous, clear and explicit, it must be construed according to the terms the parties have used, to be taken and understood in their plain, ordinary and popular sense.” C.A.N. Enter., Inc. v. South Carolina Health and Human Serv. Fin. Comm’n, 296 S.C. 373, 377-378, 373 S.E.2d 584, 586 (1988) (quoting Warner v. Weader, 280 S.C. 81, 83, 311 S.E.2d 78, 79 (1983)). “[I]t is not the function of this Court to rewrite it or torture the meaning of a policy to extend coverage never intended by the parties.” Torrington Co. v. Aetna Cas. & Sur. Co., 264 S.C. 636, 643, 216 S.E.2d 547, 550 (1975).
Erwood entered into an insurance contract with Nationwide. The insurance contract applied to any vehicle owned by her or her relative and contemplated the involvement or ownership of an uninsured vehicle. As noted by the majority, the pertinent portion of Erwood’s insurance contract states:
3. If a vehicle owned by you or a relative is involved in an accident where you or a relative sustains bodily injury or property damage, this policy shall:
a) be primary if the involved vehicle is your auto described on this policy; or
b) be excess if the involved vehicle is not your auto described on this policy. The amount of coverage applicable under this policy shall be the lesser of the coverage limits under this policy or the coverage limits on the vehicle involved in the accident.
Subsection (a) of the policy is inapplicable because the involved vehicle was uninsured. Subsection (b), therefore, applies to limit the amount of coverage available. The amount of coverage applicable under subsection (b) is the lesser of coverage limits under Erwood’s policy or the coverage limits on the vehicle involved in the accident. The vehicle involved in the accident was uninsured. Thus, the clear and unambiguous language of this provision does not provide any coverage for Erwood. WTen the language of a policy is “plain, unam*95biguous, and capable of only one reasonable interpretation,” it must be given full force and effect. See Blakeley, 266 S.C. at 72, 221 S.E.2d at 769. Accordingly, I would reverse the decision of the Court of Appeals.