Court Opinion

ID: 9533283
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 04:30:11.848308+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:28:59.850196
License: Public Domain

CONCURRING OPINION OF
ABE, J.
I concur with the result reached by the majority of the court and as to parts I and III of the decision.
I do not agree with part II because I believe that the insurance company here (which actually paid the claim and would have satisfied a judgment for the claim if the action had gone to trial and judgment was obtained against the defendant) is the real party in interest and pursuant to H.R.C.P. Rule 17(a) should be named as a party defendant.
It would be naive for this court to believe that in cases of this nature the jury is not aware or cognizant of insurance coverage. Thus, I believe that the statement of this court that “it would not be sound public policy to permit the insurer to be joined as a defendant, in deference to what is believed to be a jury’s tendency to find negligence or to augment the damages, if it thinks that an affluent institution such as an insurance company will bear the loss” is pure hogwash.