Court Opinion

ID: 9597077
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 00:55:17.006287+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:01:36.669344
License: Public Domain

Evans, Judge,
dissenting.
Burney Lester, as executor of the estate of Felton S. Lester, owned two liquor stores and a one-half undivided interest in a motel. Lester had insurance policies on the liquor stores which provided, among other things, coverage for losses due to hold up and robbery outside the business premises, that is, to pay for loss of money, etc, by hold up or robbery from the assured or "an employee of the assured outside of the business premises anywhere in the world.” (R. 25, 31, J-4).
Lester customarily took the receipts from the two liquor stores, and locked them in a safe at the motel. He employed a nightwatchman whose primary duties and *357responsibilities were to receive and guard the receipts at the motel until they could be deposited. These receipts also included the motel receipts. (R. 40).
A robbery occurred outside the business premises in that the employee-nightwatchman was robbed. Demand for payment was made and the insurance company refused to pay, and Lester sued. Discovery was had thereafter, and defendant’s motion for summary judgment was granted. Plaintiff appeals.
1. The majority affirms largely because of the definition of an "employee” contained in the policy. The language of that clause in the policy is as follows: "The word 'employee’ shall mean all natural persons, in the regular service of the Assured, at the business premises designated in the Declarations, in the ordinary course of Assured’s business, who are compensated by salary, wages, or commissions and who, in the performance of such service are at all times governed and directed by the Assured from the business premises and are working at or out of the business premises.” I respectfully dissent.
2. The evidence here shows the employee who was robbed as nightwatchman, was in the employ of the plaintiff, and also in employ of the other partner of the motel. His performance of services was at all times governed and directed by the assured from the "business premises” and he was working "out of the business premises.” (R. 40).
3. A jury might say that from the payment of the employee’s wages, his working hours, and the fact that he was jointly employed by the liquor store owner and another employer, and because his duties were primarily at the motel, this constituted a subterfuge for the plaintiff to say he was plaintiff’s employee at the liquor store.
4. But on summary judgment, the evidence must be construed most strongly in favor of the party opposing the summary judgment motion. See Holland v. Sanfax Corp., 106 Ga. App. 1, 4 (126 SE2d 442); McCarty v. Nat. Life &c. Ins. Co., 107 Ga. App. 178, 179 (129 SE2d 408); Simpson v. Dotson, 133 Ga. App. 120, 122 (4) (210 SE2d 240).
But here the evidence does not even have to be construed more favorably toward the party opposing the summary judgment since the plaintiff positively stated *358that the employee who was robbed was employed by plaintiff, although admitting that he was a nightwatchman, who guarded the receipts for all three businesses until deposited.
5. Further, in construing the meaning of the word "employee” as set forth in the policy, it must be remembered that insurance policies must be construed most liberally in favor of the object to be accomplished by the policy. Aetna Life Ins. Co. v. Padgett, 49 Ga. App. 666 (176 SE 702). Here, in order to arrive at the construction reached by the majority, a strict construction has to be given the term "employee,” contrary to the law in such cases.