Paxton Nat. Ins. Co. v. Brickajlik

• Decision Date: 11 March 1987
• Citation: 522 A.2d 531,513 Pa. 627
• Parties: PAXTON NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY, Appellant, v. William BRICKAJLIK, ind. t/a Brick's Farm Market, Appellee.
• Court: Pennsylvania Supreme Court

Page 531

522 A.2d 531

513 Pa. 627

PAXTON NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY, Appellant, v. William BRICKAJLIK, ind. t/a Brick's Farm Market, Appellee.

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

Argued Oct. 20, 1986.

Decided March 11, 1987.

[513 Pa. 628] John S. Thome, Jr., Doylestown, for appellant.

Nino V. Tinari, Mark D. Muncello, Philadelphia, for appellee.

Before NIX, C.J., and LARSEN, FLAHERTY, McDERMOTT, HUTCHINSON, ZAPPALA and PAPADAKOS, JJ.

OPINION OF THE COURT

FLAHERTY, Justice.

We granted the petition for allowance of appeal of Paxton National Insurance Company to consider whether, after an insured refuses to sign a third party complaint, an insurer should be allowed to recover benefits previously paid to the insured under an insurance policy.

The insured is appellee, Mr. William Brickajlik, the owner of a truck which was stolen while in the possession of a service station. Based on a written policy insuring against theft, the insurance company reimbursed Mr. Brickajlik for his loss. The reimbursement was $3,350. The insurance company then attempted to bring a third-party action against the service station, but despite three written requests by the insurance company and similar requests by the insurance company's counsel, Mr. Brickajlik refused to sign the complaint. The insurance company then commenced an action against Mr. Brickajlik to recover the $3,350 paid on account of Mr. Brickajlik's loss, plus interest. This action resulted in verdict and judgment in favor of the insurance company.

The basis for Paxton's action was a claimed breach of the following provisions of the policy of insurance:

4. Insured's Duties in the Event of Occurrence, Claim or Suit:

* * *

(c) The Insured shall cooperate with the company and, upon the company's request, assist in making settlements, in the conduct of suits, and in enforcing any right of contribution or indemnity against any person or organization who may be liable to the insured because of injury or damage with respect to which insurance is afforded under this policy; and the insured shall attend hearings and trials and assist in securing and giving evidence and obtaining the attendance of witnesses. The insured shall not, except at his own cost, voluntarily make any payment, assume any obligation or incur any expense other than for first aid to others at the time of accident.

* * *

7. Subrogation: In the event of any payment under this policy, the company shall be subrogated to all the insured's rights of recovery therefor against any person or organization and the insured shall execute and deliver instruments and papers and do whatever else is necessary to secure such rights. The insured shall do nothing after loss to prejudice such rights.

Both lower courts correctly agreed that Mr. Brickajlik's refusal to sign the complaint constituted a breach of both the subrogation and cooperation clauses. Mr. Brickajlik's agreement to "execute and deliver instruments and papers and do whatever else is necessary to secure [the insurance company's subrogation] rights" comprehended his signature on a complaint in any subrogation action that might be brought in his name for the benefit of the insurance company. Moreover, the clear language of the cooperation clause, that "[t]he Insured shall cooperate with the company, and, upon the company's request, assist ... in the conduct of suits ...," contemplates the insured's affixing his signature to a complaint to commence an action to recover for losses under the policy.

The question then remains whether Mr. Brickajlik's breach was a material one. In Conroy v. Commercial Cas. Ins. Co., 292 Pa. 219, 224, 140 A. 905, 907 (1928) we ...