Court Opinion

ID: 9602363
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 01:53:38.141369+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:02:03.003340
License: Public Domain

Birdsong, Presiding Judge,
concurring specially.
I agree with the majority opinion in all that it says.
In my opinion, the evidence in this case shows as a matter of law that the appellant acted in good faith. After the accident happened, an adjuster was notified and given the facts in this case that Johnson had been hit by a Lincoln Continental which had been struck by a Volkswagen insured by the appellant insurance company. The adjuster was assured by the owner of the Continental that Travelers Insurance Co. carried the insurance on the Continental. This was shown on the police report as well.
The adjuster checked the policy issued by appellant and came to the conclusion that there was no liability under appellant’s policy, that the carrier for the Lincoln, which struck Johnson, should be lia*208ble. In an abundance of caution, the adjuster contacted his supervisor as to his opinion as to coverage. Both felt there was no coverage; however, since a claim for PIP had been filed they felt a legal opinion was necessary and an attorney was called. The attorney felt that there was no coverage and the supervisor requested an opinion from the attorney in writing. The attorney mailed a letter stating in his opinion that there was no coverage.
The claims supervisor then called the attorney representing appellee and advised him of the company’s position (this was March 24, 1982) suggesting that the claim should be filed with the insurance carrier of the Lincoln.
On April 20, 1982, the adjuster received medical bills from the owner of the Lincoln and was advised, for the first time, that the Lincoln was not insured by Travelers. The supervisor began his own investigation and found for the first time that appellant did indeed insure the Lincoln. The attorney for appellee was immediately notified that the claim would be paid by appellant; this was refused.
In discussing the case with the supervisor, the appellant’s attorney advised that in his opinion the policy of the Volkswagen did not cover appellee and the attorney further advised the supervisor that he had found no Georgia cases that covered the situation in dispute. He further stated that New York and Florida “reached contrary results under somewhat different situations. However, these cases were decided under different statutory schemes, and I doubt whether a Georgia court would follow them in light of our statute and the cases cited above.”
At this time and to this date, there are no Georgia cases which have been decided on this very point. It is true that there was a case in the United States District Court (N.D. Ga.), Southern Guaranty Ins. Co. v. Berry, 560 FSupp. 901 (1983) which construed a case under similar circumstances and which today we use to affirm coverage under the Horne policy; however, this case was not decided until April 15, 1983, approximately one year after coverage was denied in the instant case. There were no Georgia cases, federal or state, on April 20, 1982, which could give guidance as to how a Georgia appellate court would hold.
In view of the evidence in this case, it follows as a matter of law that the statutory penalties, attorney fees, and punitive damages awarded appellee should be written off. See Cotton States Mut. Ins. Co. v. McFather, 251 Ga. 739, 743 (309 SE2d 799); Atlanta Cas. Co. v. Jones, 247 Ga. 238, 241 (275 SE2d 328); Colonial Life &c. Ins. Co. v. McClain, 243 Ga. 263, 265 (253 SE2d 745).
I am authorized to state that Presiding Judge McMurray and Judge Pope join in this special concurrence.