Geico Indem. Co. v. Shazier, 1D09-2595.

• Decision Date: 04 May 2010
• Docket Number: No. 1D09-2595.,1D09-2595.
• Citation: 34 So.3d 42
• Parties: GEICO INDEMNITY COMPANY, Appellant,v.Kutasha P. SHAZIER; Tercina S. Jordan; Avis Rent-A-Car System, LLC, a Foreign Limited Liability Corporation; Rethell Byrd Chandler, as Mother and Natural Guardian of Jamelia A. Chandler, a minor; Carolyn E. Price, Individually and on behalf of her minor child Christeegia A. Price; The Estate of Camelia Y. Byrd, Lida Jean Parker, Whitney Marshall, Tenisha Marshall, and Monica Steele, Appellees.
• Court: Florida District Court of Appeals

34 So.3d 42

GEICO INDEMNITY COMPANY, Appellant,v.Kutasha P. SHAZIER; Tercina S. Jordan; Avis Rent-A-Car System, LLC, a Foreign Limited Liability Corporation; Rethell Byrd Chandler, as Mother and Natural Guardian of Jamelia A. Chandler, a minor; Carolyn E. Price, Individually and on behalf of her minor child Christeegia A. Price; The Estate of Camelia Y. Byrd, Lida Jean Parker, Whitney Marshall, Tenisha Marshall, and Monica Steele, Appellees.

No. 1D09-2595.

District Court of Appeal of Florida,

First District.

March 10, 2010.

Rehearing Denied May 4, 2010.

Angela C. Flowers of Kubicki Draper, Ocala, for Appellant.

James E. Messer, Jr. of Fonvielle Lewis Foote & Messer, Tallahassee, for Appellee Monica Steele.

Henry J. Graham, II, of Graham Law Firm, P.A.; Robert Scott Cox and David H. Burns of Cox & Burns, Tallahassee, for Appellees Carolyn E. and Christeegia A. Price.

Gary A. Roberts and Stenise Rolle of Gary A. Roberts & Associates, Tallahassee for Appellees the Estate of Camelia Y. Byrd and Linda Jean Parker.

Henry C. Hunter of Henry C. Hunter & Associates, P.A., Tallahassee, for Appellees Whitney and Tenisha Marshall.

Thomas Porter Crapps of Crapps Law Firm, P.A., Tallahassee, for Appellees Rethell Byrd and Jamelia A. Chandler.

ROBERTS, J.

This appeal arises from a final summary judgment determining that coverage existed under a family automobile insurance policy issued by the appellant, Geico Indemnity Company (“Geico”), for an accident involving a rental car. Geico argues that there was no coverage under the policy because the rental car did not qualify as a “temporary substitute auto.” We agree and reverse.

Kutasha Shazier owned a Ford Expedition. The Ford Expedition was covered under the policy issued by Geico to Shazier and her husband. The policy contained a standard “temporary substitute auto” provision which also extended coverage to:

[A] private passenger, farm, or utility auto or trailer, not owned by you, temporarily used with the permission of the owner. This vehicle must be used as a substitute for the owned auto or trailer when withdrawn from normal use because of its breakdown, repair, servicing, loss or destruction.

(Emphasis modified.)

When the Ford Expedition began experiencing transmission problems, Shazier rented a Hyundai Sonata (“the rental car”) from Avis Rent-A-Car System, LLC (“Avis”). Pursuant to the rental agreement, Shazier was the only person authorized to drive the rental car. The rental agreement provided in pertinent part:

NO ADDITIONAL OPERATORS ARE AUTHORIZED OR PERMITTED WITHOUT AVIS' PRIOR WRITTEN APPROVAL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE RENTAL AGREEMENT OR APPLICABLE STATE LAW.

* * *

15. Prohibited Use of the Car. Certain uses of the car and other things you or a driver may do, or fail to do, will violate this agreement. A VIOLATION OF THIS PARAGRAPH, WHICH INCLUDES USE OF THE CAR BY AN UNAUTHORIZED DRIVER, WILL AUTOMATICALLY TERMINATE YOUR RENTAL[.]

(Emphasis removed.)

Subsequently, the rental car was involved in an accident while being driven by Tercina Jordan, an unauthorized driver. Six of the passengers in the rental car sustained injuries and one passenger died. The passengers or their...