Court Opinion

ID: 9639455
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 16:18:54.717606+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:10:18.825128
License: Public Domain

*58STONE, Circuit Judge (concurring).
In concurring in the above opinion, I wish to emphasize that I do so because, as stated therein, plaintiff consented to the defense of the action by the attorneys of the defendant upon the conditions set forth in the letter of December 7, 1922.
The right of exclusive control of this personal injury litigation was of very great importance both to Meyers and to the company. If the company was to assume the liability (within the meaning of the policy) it was of great importance to it that it should control this litigation with full power to settle or to conduct it in its own way. If the company was to renounce all liability and Meyers was compelled to assume that burden, it was of equal importance to him to have this same power of exclusive control. As the policy gave the company this right of exclusive control, if it assumed liability the corresponding duty rested upon it to determine seasonably whether it would do so or not and to notify Meyers of its decision. The contract required it to act with reasonable diligence, under the attendant circumstances, to ascertain and define its position toward that liability. If it had notice of facts upon which it would rely to disclaim liability, it must act with reasonable promptness after obtaining such knowledge. Also, if it had notice of facts which would reasonably raise a doubt in its mind as to the existence of facts upon which its liability under the contract would depend, it was its duty to investigate those facts with reasonable diligence and act with reasonable promptness upon the results of such investigation.
However, the defendant set 'forth its proposed line of action and plaintiff acquiesced therein. Such action upon his part prevents him from urging an estoppel or waiver based upon such line of action to which he consented.