Court Opinion

ID: 9656364
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 19:47:12.313126+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:13:30.723847
License: Public Domain

N. J. Kaufman, P.J.
(dissenting in part). I agree *126with the majority that plaintiff was not entitled to mental anguish damages for defendant’s alleged breach of the no-fault insurance contract. Moreover, I agree that, inasmuch as the award of attorney’s fees and interest was based in part upon the mental anguish portion of the verdict, those items must be reconsidered by the trial court. Nonetheless, I must respectfully dissent from that portion of the majority opinion vacating the jury award of $7,200 for replacement services.
As the result of injuries sustained in an automobile accident, plaintiff’s wife died on September 18, 1976. Plaintiff was also injured in the accident. He testified that he stayed with his parents for several days after leaving the hospital. During that period, his mother prepared his meals and did his laundry. In the weeks and months following the accident, ordinary household duties were performed for plaintiff by his mother, mother-in-law and sister. He testified that they cleaned his apartment, did his laundry and did sewing and mending. Plaintiff indicated that he ate most of his meals at their homes. Although plaintiff felt it would be difficult to estimate just how much time was spent by each relative in performing the tasks, he stated that for the first few months he went to his parents’, his in-laws’, or his sister’s home four or five times a week, and that the various relatives performed tasks for him approximately five hours a day. An economist testifying on plaintiff’s behalf valued the services claimed at $80 to $100 per week. Although plaintiff acknowledged that he had not promised to reimburse each relative a specific amount of money, he testified that he had agreed with each to pay for their services depending on his settlement with defendant.
*127Viewing this evidence in a light most favorable to plaintiff, I would hold that it was sufficient to establish a prima facie case that expenses were reasonably incurred under MCL 500.3108; MSA 24.13108. Plaintiff had quite plainly agreed to reimburse his relatives for their services. I do not believe that his liability to them should be viewed as any less real merely because he was waiting for an insurance award prior to payment. To hold otherwise is to establish a "Catch-22” situation that invariably will permit insurers to avoid payment for legitimate replacement services provided by relatives. Typically, an insured who is unsure of the extent of his insurance coverage will obtain replacement services from those close to him, and agreements for reimbursement will be inarticulately made. Nonetheless, an obligation to those persons will be incurred. I would hold such obligations reimbursible as reasonably incurred under § 3108.