Court Opinion

ID: 9855295
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 06:22:28.212491+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:25:36.313920
License: Public Domain

STEVENS, Chief Judge
(dissenting).
I regret that I am not able to agree with my colleagues as to the time within which the suit must have been brought. It is my opinion that the suit must have been brought within twelve (12) months next following 18 November, 1958, being the cut-off date for negotiations. I agree with the majority opinion in relation to the fact that Simon’s damages were not limited to the period of 60 days next following the fire.
The majority opinion construes the coverage which is the basis of this litigation as a separate and distinct policy of insurance. I cannot reach this conclusion. The document upon which the plaintiff relies is quoted in part in the majority opinion. The following language indicates to me that the document cannot stand alone, “attached to and forming a part of policy number * * *” and “subject to all its provisions and stipulations, this policy covers * * * loss * * * caused by the perils insured against during the term of this policy, except * * It seems clear to me that coverage under this document was dependent upon damage as a result of “the perils insured against.” The majority recognizes that these perils were fire. This fact is not reflected in the document in question. By the very terms of the document, it is a rider or an appendage to a policy. Originally, the single policy contained a three phase coverage namely drugs, equipment and business loss. The coverage as to the first two items was cancelled and the policy was continued in relation to the business loss coverage only. In my opinion, it is not appropriate to say, as the majority has said, “[t]his original or basic policy was cancelled by the plaintiff and the defendant.” In my opinion, the policy continued with but a single type of coverage, namely the business loss coverage. It is noted that at least two of the essential elements of an insurance policy are missing, these being the premium rate and the period of coverage. Unfortunately, the record does not disclose the date of the cancellation of the drug coverage and the equipment coverage so that we have no assistance in this problem in relation to the effective dates of the cancellation of the other two phases of coverage nor do we have assistance as to the effective date of the commencement of each of the several types of coverage.
I would reverse the case with directions to render judgment for the defendant basing this action upon the plaintiff’s failure to file his suit within twelve (12) months next following the cut-off date of 18 November, 1958.