Siebert v. Wis. Am. Mut. Ins. Co., 2009AP1422.
| Decision Date | 04 May 2010 |
| Docket Number | No. 2009AP1422.,2009AP1422. |
| Parties | Jessica L. SIEBERT, by her Guardian ad Litem, D.J. Weis and Lynette A. Siebert, Plaintiffs-Appellants,Steve Albrecht, Jr., by his Guardian ad Litem, Thomas W. Kyle, Steven Albrecht, Sr., Kari Sosnowski, by her Guardian ad Litem, Thomas W. Kyle and Cyndi Anderson, Intervening-Plaintiffs,Oneida County Department of Social Services, Involuntary-Plaintiff,v.WISCONSIN AMERICAN MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY, Defendant-Respondent,Interstate Brands Corporation, ACE American Insurance Company and Ryan Friberg, Defendants. |
| Court | Wisconsin Court of Appeals |
On behalf of the plaintiffs-appellants, the cause was submitted on the briefs of D.J. Weis and Rhonda L. Lanford of Habush Habush & Rottier S.C., Rhinelander.
On behalf of the defendant-respondent, the cause was submitted on the brief of John M. Swietlik, Jr. and Michael D. Aiken of Kasdorf, Lewis & Swietlik, S.C., Milwaukee.
Before HOOVER, P.J., PETERSON and BRUNNER, JJ.
¶ 1 Jessica Siebert appeals a summary judgment in favor of Wisconsin American Mutual Insurance Company declaring there is no coverage for her negligent entrustment claim against Jessica Koehler. The circuit court concluded that, because there was no coverage for the driver's negligent operation of a vehicle, there was also no coverage for Koehler's negligent entrustment of the vehicle to the driver. We disagree. We therefore reverse and remand.
¶ 2 Koehler lent her father's car to Jesse Raddatz to run an errand. Raddatz instead used the car to pick up Siebert and go to a party. On the way to the party, Raddatz got into an accident, injuring Siebert. Siebert sued Koehler's father's insurer, Wisconsin American, alleging its automobile liability policy covered Raddatz's negligence. Under the policy, Raddatz's negligence would be covered if he was an insured person. In this situation, that meant he must have had permission to operate the vehicle and did not exceed the scope of that permission. A jury concluded Raddatz exceeded the scope of permission.
¶ 3 The court then permitted Siebert to amend her complaint to assert a claim that Koehler negligently entrusted the car to Raddatz. Wisconsin American moved for summary judgment, arguing the independent concurrent cause rule barred coverage for this claim. It contended that Siebert's negligent entrustment claim against Koehler depended on Raddatz's negligent driving. Based on the jury verdict, there was no coverage for Raddatz's driving. Therefore, Wisconsin American argued it follows that there is also no coverage for Koehler's negligent entrustment. Wisconsin American also contended issue preclusion prevented Siebert from proving negligent entrustment: because the jury found Raddatz exceeded the scope of Koehler's permission, Siebert could not prove Koehler permitted Raddatz to use the car the way he did.
¶ 4 The circuit court did not address the latter argument. But it agreed with Wisconsin American that Siebert's negligent entrustment claim was barred by the independent concurrent cause rule:
The alleged negligence of Raddatz is not covered under the policy pursuant to the jury's finding ... [he] exceeded the scope of permission. And so Raddatz's negligent operation of the vehicle is an excluded risk. And because the negligent entrustment claim against Koehler requires the occurrence of Raddatz's negligence and because a claim for Raddatz's negligence is excluded under the policy, the alleged negligent entrustment by Koehler is not an independent concurrent cause.
The court therefore granted summary judgment in favor of Wisconsin American.
¶ 5 Whether a circuit court properly granted summary judgment is a question of law we review independently. Torgerson v. Journal/Sentinel, Inc., 210 Wis.2d 524, 536, 563 N.W.2d 472 (1997). Summary judgment is proper when there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Wis. Stat. § 802.08(2).1
¶ 6 “The independent concurrent cause rule operates to extend coverage to a loss caused by the insured risk even though the excluded risk is a contributory cause, where a policy expressly insures against loss by one risk but excludes loss caused by another risk.” Estate of Jones v. Smith, 2009 WI App 88, ¶ 5, 320 Wis.2d 470, 768 N.W.2d 245 (citation and internal punctuation omitted). “The independent concurrent cause must provide the basis for a cause of action in and of itself and must not require the occurrence of the excluded risk to make it actionable.” Id. (citation omitted).
¶ 7 Siebert argues the independent concurrent cause rule does not apply here because her negligent entrustment claim does not implicate an excluded risk. We agree.
¶ 8 The circuit court concluded that because there was no coverage for Raddatz's negligence under the Wisconsin American policy, it was an “excluded risk.” However, this conclusion conflates lack of coverage with excluded risk. An excluded risk is a risk for which the insurance company did not receive a premium. See Lawver v. Boling, 71 Wis.2d 408, 422, 238 N.W.2d 514 (1976). For example, homeowner's policies do not insure against the risk of automobile accidents off the insured premises. Thus, an automobile accident off the premises is not an insured risk under a homeowner's policy. See Bankert v. Threshermen's Mut. Ins. Co., 110 Wis.2d 469, 329 N.W.2d 150 (1983) ().
¶ 9 Here, Raddatz was not an insured person under the Wisconsin American policy because he exceeded the scope of Koehler's permission. But that does not mean Koehler's policy excluded the risk that an individual entrusted with the insured car might cause bodily injury while using the car. The policy promises to “pay damages an insured person is legally liable for because of bodily injury and property damage due to the use of a car....” Individuals other than the driver can be insured persons: “[L]iability can arise when any person [negligently entrusts another with a vehicle].” Bankert, 110 Wis.2d at 475-76, 329 N.W.2d 150. There is no dispute Koehler was an insured person under the policy. The risk that Koehler could incur liability for lending her father's car to someone who then operated it negligently, then, was a risk the policy insured. Indeed, Wisconsin American's argument that Koehler's coverage depends on Raddatz's coverage implicitly concedes this. If...
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