Recent Texas Case Concerning Uninsured Motorist Coverage

Here is a case that was originally filed in a State District Court in Dallas, Texas. The case was removed to Federal Court and promptly dismissed.
The style of the case is “Kenneth McQuinne v. American Home Assurance Company”. The only important issue in the case was whether or not a self insured vehicle was “uninsured” for purposes of the American Home Assurance Company policy argued about in this case.
The facts in this case are that McQuinne was involved in a wreck with a person named Sapkota. Sapkota was driving a vehicle owned by Enterprise Leasing. McQuinne reached a settlement with Sapkota’s insurance company for the policy limit of $50,000. McQuinne alleged that his damages exceeded that amount and consequently filed a claim with American seeking additional benefits under the policy American had issued on his employer, Turfgrass.
The American policy excluded uninsured motorist coverage for vehicles that were self-insured. The Enterprise vehicle was self-insured. McQuinne argued that since the Enterprise was self-insured that it was uninsured and thus American should be made to pay benefits under the uninsured portion of the policy.
American argued that the Enterprise was a self-insurer under the Texas Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Act. As such the car is expressly excluded from coverage under the policy.
The court got into an analysis of contracts, insurance policies, and the words used in the context of both. They decided that as a matter of law that American won the case.
This case points out the creative efforts of the attorney for McQuinne to try and obtain relief for his client. It also restated contract and insurance policy language that the courts are not going to change.