Court Opinion

ID: 9575429
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 21:13:43.441627+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:48:11.520932
License: Public Domain

Judge PHILLIPS
dissenting.
In my opinion the trial court erred both in denying Great American’s motion to intervene and in entering summary judgment against plaintiffs, after being apprised of Great American’s interest in the suit and their right to participate in it. When Great American moved to intervene the action was still pending, the order of summary judgment dismissing the action not being entered until nearly four months later, and since Great American’s motion shows that it has a substantial interest in the trans*495action which is the subject of the suit, is so situated that the disposition of the action will impair its ability to protect that interest and its interest is not being adequately represented by plaintiffs, it has the absolute right to intervene under the terms of Rule 24(a)(2). Furthermore, the majority seems to be of the view that since the release bars plaintiffs from further pursuing their claim against defendants that that necessarily ends the matter. Such is not the law, as I understand it. When a third party tort feasor has knowledge of an insurer’s interest in the claim, his settlement with the insured is no defense to a suit by the insurer. Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. v. Canada Dry Bottling Co., 268 N.C. 503, 151 S.E. 2d 14 (1966). The defendant appellees argue in their brief that when the settlement was made they had no knowledge of Great American’s interest in the claim; but whether that is so is a question that remains to be adjudicated.