Court Opinion

ID: 9775575
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 19:03:59.600089+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:32:29.004105
License: Public Domain

Supplemental Opinion on Denial of Petition for Rehearing delivered September 18, 1978 John A. Fogleman, Justice. Appellee has filed a petition for rehearing based entirely upon the contention that there is no proof in the record that appellee ever received the policy issued by Derby Insurance Agency before the loss occurred, and, as a result, appellee could not be bound by the requirement of the policy that written proof of loss be given within 120 hours after it occurred. Appellee says that the record discloses that Stewart, the soliciting agent, only gave appellee a binder and that appellant does not deny that the policy was issued by the Derby Agency at a later date. This is a matter that was not in issue in the trial court. In appellee’s third party complaint against appellant, he alleged that appellant executed and delivered to appellee the policy of insurance and that it was dated March 28, 1974. He also alleged that he had given due notice and had executed proof of loss to appellant, “as required by the terms of the policy or that said requirements had been waived by appellant.” Appellant admitted delivery of the policy and alleged, in an amendment to its answer, that appellee had not complied with the requirements of the policy as to notice of loss, as to proof of loss and, in addition, appellant pleaded all other policy provisions as defenses. Appellant’s motion to dismiss quoted the policy requirements verbatim and, in it, appellant asserted that appellee had stated in a pre-trial deposition that he had read all the policy terms. Appellee filed no response to this motion. Lawrence Derby, the first witness to testify, identified, the policy issued to appellee. Appellee testified that he did not actually get the policy on March 28, but that he later got a copy of it in the mail. He testified that he was sure that he had looked over the policy when he received it in the mail. He did not even intimate that he had not received it when he suffered the hail damage on April 1, 1974. The trial judge gave an instruction which stated that appellee had the burden of proving that he had complied with all the requirements of the policy of insurance as issued by Continental or that his failure to do so worked no prejudice to , the rights of Continental Insurance Company, unless the jury found that these requirements had been waived by actions of the third party defendant. In making his only objection to this instruction, appellee’s attorney said: “Stanley did not comply with all the requirements, it is admitted and this is inconsistent with the Court’s action in refusing the submission of interrogatories.” The court, over the objection of appellant, added the provision as to waiver after this objection by appellee had been made. No instruction given, or , offered, would have submitted the issue now raised to the jury. An instruction requested by appellee and given by the court, advised the jury that a failure to give notice or furnish proof of loss is waived by any conduct on the part of the insurer, or its authorized agent, prior to the expiration of the time when notice may be given the insurer, which lulled the insured into a feeling of security that formal notice will not be required, is sufficient to constitute waiver. No other instruction was given or requested that could have any bearing on the issues. Appellee did assert, in the opening statement in his brief here, that on March 28, 1974, Stewart issued a binder for the policy to be issued by appellant and that no one remembered when the policy was actually delivered to appellee. The abstract of the record does not support the latter statement, or indicate that any witness was ever asked about the date of delivery. On the other hand, when appellee was asked what he had understood the policy to say about notice of loss, he responded, “I understood it, I guess just like the policy said.” Appellee’s only argument on this point was: *** It must be remembered that Stewart sold the policy to Appellee on March 28, 1974, and only a binder was issued. There is no proof when the actual policy was mailed to Appellee, but it would be an exceptional performance on the part of Derby Insurance Agency to prepare and mail a policy and get it into the hands of the insured by mail within four days, because the hail loss occurred on April 1, 1974. The court was correct in denying the Motion to Dismiss. Since it can be clearly seen that there was no issue in the trial court relating to the date of delivery of the policy, there was no reason for appellant to prove the date of delivery. We cannot consider this question raised for the first time on appeal. The petition for rehearing is denied.