Court Opinion

ID: 9570881
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 20:27:16.996235+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:20:40.623943
License: Public Domain

Deen, Judge,
concurring specially.
Assuming arguendo that five judges in a five to four vote can overrule a previous whole court case where there was a six to three vote, then I stand ready and willing to overrule and disapprove the whole court case of Parris & Son v. Campbell, 128 Ga. App. 165 (196 SE2d 334) as well as the case of Hawkins Iron & Metal Co. v. Continental Ins. Co., 128 Ga. App. 462 (196 SE2d 903). The identical issue is involved in both of these cases as well as the case under consideration, and that is the duty of the insured to read and know what is in his policy.
If Garrett v. Royal Bros. Co., 225 Ga. 533 (170 SE2d 294) is applicable and controlling now it was also applicable and controlling when this court by a six to three vote adopted Parris, supra. Unless this whole court case is overruled it is binding upon this court, cannot be ignored, and must be followed.
I believe Hawkins, supra, is in error for the additional reason that it is in conflict with the whole court case of Allstate Ins. Co. v. Anderson, 121 Ga. App. 582 (174 SE2d 591). In the Hawkins case the plaintiff insured renewed his contract after the agent represented to the insured that it was "fully covered in all areas,” citing Reliance Life Ins. Co. v. Hightower, 148 Ga. 843 (a) (98 SE 469) which says: "The insured is bound by plain and unambiguous limitations upon the power of the agent contained in his policy.” However, the Supreme Court of Georgia in Metropolitan Life Ins. Co. v. Hale, *312177 Ga. 632 (170 SE 875) citing Johnson v. Aetna Ins. Co., 123 Ga. 404 (2) (51 SE 339) has made'the clear distinction: "Limitations in an insurance policy upon the authority of the agent of the company to waive the conditions of the contract of insurance are to be treated as referring to waivers made subsequently to the issuance of the policy.” Since knowledge of the agent is knowledge of the company and there being no written application shown of limitation of the agent’s authority prior to the taking out of insurance Hawkins is in direct conflict with Allstate and Metropolitan, and must be overruled.