Court Opinion

ID: 9595979
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 00:44:56.498566+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:07:31.519179
License: Public Domain

COOPER, Justice,
Dissenting.
As Justice Johnstone points out in his separate dissent, Preston chose to try her case in Georgia and lost. Now the majority of this Court holds that she can try her case again in Kentucky where her prospects for success presumably will be better. In so doing, the majority opinion not only (1) condones the worst case scenario of forum shopping, but also (2) ignores the principles of res judicata and issue preclusion, and (3) divests USF & G of its subro-gation right to indemnity against the tort-feasor.
The majority says that the issue of apportionment is barred from relitigation. (Op. at 149.) While USF & G may choose not to relitigate that issue, it is a grievous misstatement of the law to say that it is barred from doing so. Although USF '& G was not a party to the Georgia lawsuit, it could assert “issue preclusion” against Preston, because she was a party and had a full and fair opportunity to present her case. Sedley v. City of West Buechel, Ky., 461 S.W.2d 556 (1970); Cooper v. Automobile Club Ins. Co., Ky.App., 638 S.W.2d 280 *150(1981). However, Preston cannot assert “issue preclusion” against USF & G, because USF & G has not had an opportunity to litigate the issue of liability and, as the majority points out, its liability is not vicarious or “purely derivative” of that of the tortfeasor.
Finally, the majority opinion divests USF & G of its right of subrogation for indemnity against the tortfeasor, KRS 304.20-020(4), Wine v. Globe Am. Cas. Co., Ky., 917 S.W.2d 558, 562 (1996), whose liability for damages arising out of this accident has been judicially determined to be zero. Under the principle established in Puckett v. Liberty Mut. Ins. Co., Ky., 477 S.W.2d 811 (1971), an insurer having paid its insured under its uninsured motorists coverage can still seek indemnity against the tortfeasor either by third-party complaint or by separate action. But here, the uninsured motorist has been immunized from a claim for indemnity, because he has already been exonerated by the court in which the insured chose to bring her tort action against him. A subrogee stands in the shoes of its subrogor and has no greater cause of action than would the subrogor. Sharp v. Bannon, Ky., 258 S.W.2d 713 (1953). Preston no longer has a cause of action against the uninsured tortfeasor; ergo, USF & G can acquire no subrogation rights against him.
I agree with Justice Johnstone that the majority opinion in this case makes absolutely no legal sense. It only achieves a desired result of granting a second bite of the apple to a plaintiff who has already had her day in court and lost.
JOHNSTONE and KELLER, JJ„ join this dissenting opinion.