CARMEN MARIMON SENA ET AL., APPELLANTS,
v.
STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY, A FOREIGN CORPORATION, APPELLEE

Fla. 3d DCA | 1974-12-10
No. 73-1392
Nathan, J.
305 So. 2d 243 Florida District Court of Appeal, Third District (1974) Negative Treatment
Cited by 24 cases

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Synopsis

An insured who settles with and releases a potentially liable party in violation of the insurance policy's subrogation rights is not entitled to uninsured motorist benefits, and summary judgment for the insurer was properly entered.


Holding

An insured cannot recover uninsured motorist benefits when he settles with and releases a potentially liable party in violation of the policy's subrogation provisions.


Headnotes

[1] An insured forfeits uninsured motorist coverage by settling with and releasing a potentially liable party in violation of the insurance policy's subrogation provisions.

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Facts & Procedural History

The insured entered into a settlement with and executed a release in favor of a person who may have been liable for the insured's injuries, in violati…

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Opinion of the Court
NATHAN, Judge.

NATHAN, Judge.

The plaintiffs appeal an adverse summary final judgment in favor of the defendant.

We find the decisive issue in the case to be whether an insured is entitled to uninsured motorist benefits under his insurance policy, when he has entered into a settlement with, and executes a release in favor of a person who may be liable for the insured’s injuries, in violation of the terms of the policy including the insured’s right of subrogation. Florida cases clearly answer this question in the negative. See Oren v. General Accident Fire & Life Assurance Corporation, Fla.App.1965, 175 So. 2d 581; Phoenix Insurance Company v. Bowen, Fla.App.1965, 178 So. 2d 751; American Fidelity Fire Insurance Company v. Richardson, Fla.App.1966, 189 So. 2d 486. The appellants rely on the case of Kaplan v. Phoenix of Hartford Insurance Company, Fla.App.1968, 215 So. 2d 893, to urge the proposition that summary final judgment should not be entered where it is shown that the settlement agreement has not prejudiced the insurer. However, there being no indication in the record that the issue of prejudice was brought before the trial court, this court is now unable to entertain the matter for the first time on appeal. Alliance For Conservation of Natural Resources in Pinellas County v. Furen, Fla.App.1960, 122 So. 2d 51, 65.

Therefore, for the reasons stated and upon the authorities cited, the order is affirmed.

Affirmed.


Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus


Citator

Cited By (12 total)

  • …ppers Insurance Company v. Gonzalez, 234 So. 2d 693 (Fla.3d DCA 1970). A settlement with the tortfeasor is precluded because by settling, the plaintiff may lose his uninsured motorist coverage. See Sena v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co., 305 So. 2d 243 (Fla.3d DCA 1974)., If a plaintiff may proceed upon his own uninsured motorist coverage before pursuing the tortfeasor, one of two possibilities arises: (1) The courts may hold that the plaintiff may recover in such uninsured motorist arbitration on…
  • …such settlement was ever effected. . Indeed, under a standard provision of these policies, a settlement or judgment secured without the permission of the UM insurer would effectively forfeit UM coverage entirely. Sena v. State Farm Mutual Ins. Co., 305 So. 2d 243 (Fla. 3d DCA 1974). . It is also contended that she is not a “specifically named policy beneficiary,” both because she is not referred to by name in the policy, and because the “beneficiary” language in both Roberts and the statute refers to life i…
  • Edwards v. Lawyers Title Guar. Fund, 370 So. 2d 58 (Fla. 3d DCA 1979)
    …PER CURIAM. Affirmed. Butchikas v. Travelers Indemnity Co., 343 So. 2d 816 (Fla.1977); Allstate Insurance Co. v. Gibbs, 340 So. 2d 1202, 1204 (Fla.4th DCA 1976); Sena v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co., 305 So. 2d 243 (Fla.3d DCA 1974); MacDonald v. Penn Mutual Life Insurance Co., 276 So. 2d 232 (Fla.2d DCA 1973); State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. v. Herrin, 230 So. 2d 709 (Fla.2d DCA 1970).…

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