Court Opinion

ID: 9572403
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 20:41:28.297775+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:32:52.824683
License: Public Domain

MILLER, Chief Justice
(concurring specially).
Despite its most persuásive tenor, I am convinced Justice Sabers’ dissent is wrong. It is clear to me that there was adequate evidence at the trial from which the advisory jury could conclude (as it did on a vote of 11-1) that American Family did have notice. Their finding (on a vote of 10-2), that the notice was adequate, is also supported by the record.
American Family raises as its first two issues whether there was evidence from which to find there was notice and whether the notice was sufficient. Even though Kremer restates these issues as whether they have “formal” notice, I do not feel this rephrasing warrants condemnation of Kremer or her counsel. From my reading of the briefs and the record, I conclude their rephrasing was done merely because they find the resolution of the questions of notice and its sufficiency to be so clearly correct that they concentrate their argument on the nature of the notice received by American Family. American Family itself expends considerable energy on the nature of the notices it could have received, but did not.
American Family told the trial court, at a hearing on motions for summary judgment, that it was aware there was evidence that American Family had notice, but that the question was what was the weight of that evidence. The jury appropriately answered the question. We have said that “[t]he trier of fact is the exclusive judge of the credibility of the witnesses and the weight to be given to their testimony.” Wolff v. Royal Ins. Co. of Amer., 472 N.W.2d 233, 236 (S.D.1991). I do not think we should ignore the jury and the trial court.
American Family knew Kremer had been involved in an accident with an uninsured motorist. Their files contained sufficient memos from which a reasonable insurance company could easily have determined that it was going to ultimately be held liable under its uninsured motorist provision. More than one month before the underlying default judgment was entered against the uninsured motorist, American Family was made aware of the impending likelihood of a default judgment against the uninsured motorist. Nevertheless, they did nothing. They had time.
A review of the trial transcript reveals an exchange between Lisa Serck, an American Family casualty claim analyst, and Kremer’s attorney regarding Lisa’s telephone memo wherein she noted that it was her understanding that Kremer was “suing the other company.” Lisa stated that she was aware that “sometimes” insurance companies get sued. However, in discussing Lisa’s interpretation of her own tele*772phone memo, she agreed with Kremer’s attorney that as a “matter of practice and everyday occurrence ... the other driver is sued and not his insurance company.” Lisa’s understanding was further clarified in the following discourse:
Q And, so, you would know that if Lois is suing as a result of her traffic accident, she couldn’t be suing the other company?
A If I knew that the other driver was not insured, that would be a correct statement.
Q And if you even thought that the other driver was insured, you would also know that, no, we don’t sue the other company, we sue the other driver; wouldn’t you?
A Yes.
Lisa made clear that there was nothing in Kremer’s file that indicated the other driver was insured. By Lisa’s own testimony, she was not deceived as to what was going on and as to who would be sued. Clearly, due process was satisfied. See Mullane v. Central Hanover Trust Co., 339 U.S. 306, 70 S.Ct. 652, 94 L.Ed. 865 (1950).
I also cannot help but think that although Fuller’s actions, hopes and desires to keep American Family in the dark as much as possible are less than laudatory, the fact remains that American Family had notice. The trial judge, before whom this same question was argued on numerous occasions, and at great length, was not persuaded that the motive behind Fuller’s alleged attempts to not notify American Family are relevant to the question of whether they actually had notice. I agree with the trial court.
In sum, though I do not condone the actions of Fuller, Kremer’s attorney prior to the trial before the advisory jury, I do not conclude that the jury or the trial judge were wrong in their respective decisions. “Upon review, the evidence and inferences therefrom must be viewed in a light most favorable to uphold the verdict and, if there is competent and substantial evidence to support the verdict, it must be upheld.” Gross v. Connecticut Mut. Life Ins. Co., 361 N.W.2d 259, 273 (S.D.1985) (citations omitted). The trial court should be affirmed.