ROBERT W. FENWICK AND MARY FENWICK, HUSBAND AND WIFE, APPELLANTS,
v.
AMERICAN STATES INSURANCE COMPANY, APPELLEE
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Robert Fenwick sought uninsured motorist benefits under his employer's insurance policy after being struck by an uninsured vehicle while in a phone booth, not occupying the insured vehicle. The court affirmed the trial court's summary judgment dismissing his claim, holding that the policy only covered employees occupying a company car, which did not violate Florida's mandatory uninsured motorist insurance provisions.
The court held that Robert Fenwick is not entitled to uninsured motorist benefits because he was not occupying the insured vehicle at the time of the accident. The policy's restriction limiting coverage to employees occupying the company car does not violate Florida's mandatory uninsured motorist insurance requirements.
[1] Uninsured motorist coverage does not extend to an employee injured while occupying a phone booth, even if the employee was in possession of a company vehicle at the time…
[2] An employee is not covered by an employer's uninsured motorist policy if the employee is not occupying the insured vehicle at the time of the accident.
Previewing 2 of 4 headnotes on this case. FLexlaw’s editorially structured points of law — every proposition, pinpointed — are reserved for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“These latter are protected only if they receive bodily injury due to the negligence of an uninsured motorist while they occupy the insured automobile of the named insured with his permission or consent.”
Establishes the controlling legal principle that non-named insureds receive uninsured motorist protection only while occupying the insured vehicle
Previewing 1 of 3 key quotes on this case — the court’s exact language, pinpointed for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceRobert Fenwick was an employee of B.C. Coffee & Supplies, Inc. in charge of the company's automobile. While he was occupying a phone booth making a ca…
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PER CURIAM.
We affirm the trial court’s holding that the appellant, Robert Fenwick, is not entitled to uninsured motorist benefits under his employer’s policy of insurance with the appellee insurance company. Appellant was injured when an uninsured vehicle struck the phone booth he was occupying. The trial court held that the policy only covered employees of the company while they were occupying a company car and that this coverage scheme did not violate the mandatory uninsured motorist insurance provisions in the Florida statutes. Cf. Pearcy v. Travelers Indemnity Co., 429 So. 2d 1298 (Fla. 3d DCA), rev. denied, 438 So. 2d 833 (Fla.1983). We agree with and adopt the reasoning of the trial court set out in its final order:
This matter has been considered upon the defendant’s motion for summary judgment. For the sake of the motion, the court assumes that the facts as alleged in the complaint and in the plaintiff’s affidavit filed February 23, 1987 are true. The important facts are that plaintiff, an employee of B.C. Coffee & Supplies, Inc. was in charge of the B.C.’s automobile on the day in question. However, at the time of the accident, he had left the automobile and had stepped into a phone booth to make a call when he was struck by another motorist who was uninsured. The court is of the view that Mullís v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co., 252 So. 2d 229 [(Fla.1971)] controls the matter. The following language from Mullís is instructive:
“When uninsured motorist coverage was obtained by Shelby Mullís pursuant to Section 627.0851 for himself as the named insured, for his spouse and for his or his spouse’s relatives who are residents of his household, they were given the same protection in case of bodily injury as if the uninsured motorist had purchased automobile liability insurance in compliance with the Financial Responsibility Law. This, of course, would not be the case as to other persons potentially covered who are not in the class of the named insured and relatives resident in the Mullís household. These latter are protected only if they receive bodily injury due to the negligence of an uninsured motorist while they occupy the insured automobile of the named insured with his permission or consent. This latter group is necessarily restricted to occupants of the insured automobile for the purpose of coverage identification and to show their insurable relationship to the named insured paralleling coverage for others than named insured in automobile liability policies. However, this is not true as to the named insured and the protected relatives resident in his household.”
To the same effect is Babcock v. United Services Automobile Association, [501 So. 2d 679], Florida Law Week Volume 12, number 6, page 297 [(1987)] where, the parties agreed (and the court apparently approved) the concept that an employee who was not occupying the vehicle when he was struck is not covered.
Plaintiff relies upon certain language in Part IV-D(2):
“Anyone else is an insured while using with your permission a covered auto you own, hire or borrow....”
Apparently plaintiffs theory is that the plaintiff was using the vehicle in question all day because he had sole and exclusive possession and the vehicle was not available for others to use on that date. However, he was not occupying the vehicle at the time of the accident. This is a distinction drawn by the cases.
For the reasons stated, the said motion is granted.
It is ADJUDGED that the plaintiffs ROBERT W. FENWICK and MARY FENWICK take nothing by this suit and that AMERICAN STATES INSURANCE COMPANY go hence without day. The court reserves jurisdiction to tax costs.
ANSTEAD, DELL and STONE, JJ., concur.
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Auto-Owners Ins. Co. v. Above ALL Roofing, LLC, 924 So. 2d 842 (Fla. 2d DCA 2006)…Rent-A-Car v. Hayward, 858 So. 2d 1238, 1241-42 (Fla. 5th DCA 2003). See also Mullis v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 252 So. 2d 229 (Fla.1971); Davis v. Fireman’s Fund Ins. Co., 463 So. 2d 1191 (Fla. 2d DCA 1985); Fenwick v. Am. States Ins. Co., 520 So. 2d 98-99 (Fla. 4th DCA 1988). Velasquez v. American Manufacturers Mutual Insurance Co., 387 So. 2d 427 (Fla. 3d DCA 1980), is instructive. Mr. Velasquez’ minor son was driving a rental car when it broke down. The son was struck and injured while walking…
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Lampkin v. Nat'l Union Fire Ins. Co. of Pittsburgh, 581 So. 2d 175 (Fla. 3d DCA 1990)…ection 627.727, Florida Statutes (1985), the version in force at the time of the accident. The decided cases are to the contrary. See Mullis v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 252 So. 2d 229, 233, 238 (Fla.1971); Fenwick v. American States Ins. Co., 520 So. 2d 98, 99 (Fla. 4th DCA 1988). Affirmed.…
Authorities Cited
- Mullis v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 252 So. 2d 229 (Fla. 1971)
- Morgan Pearcy & Panco Elec. Contractors, Inc. v. Travelers Indem. Co., 429 So. 2d 1298 (Fla. 3d DCA 1983)
- Babcock v. United Servs. Auto. Ass'n, 501 So. 2d 679 (Fla. 3d DCA 1987)