Reid-Smith v. Globe Life and Accident Insurance Company

Filing 27

MEMORANDUM OPINION. Signed by Judge Samuel G. Wilson on 12/7/12. (eot)

CLERKS OFFI U, . ST O URT
CE S DI .
AT ROANOKE,
VA
FI
LED

I TH E U NI ED STA TE S D I RI T C O U RT
N
T
ST C

DEC 2ï 2 1
22

FOR THE W ESTERN DI
STRI OF VI NI J t C.
CT
RGI A UtA q.
R O A N O K E D I ISIO N
V
M IN N ET R EID -SM IT H ,

B oep '
Y:

. RK
U
E

Ci lA ct on N o.7:
vi
i
12:v00393

Pl nt f
ai i f,

M EM ORAN/UM OPI O N
NI

V.

G LO BE L I A N D A C CI EN T
FE
D
I SU R AN CE C O M PAN Y ,
N
By:Sam uelG .W ison
l
U ni ed St esD i ri Judge
t
at
st ct

D efendant.

Thi i a aci byMi tRei smih(ç s Smih' a i tdee ntGl Liea
s s n ton
nne d- t $ . t ' gans fnda obe f nd
M
)
Ac i n l urnc Co ny(( obe't rcove da esf Gl sr us t pa acam
cde t ns a e mpa $
G1 ' o e r mag or obe' ef alo y li
)
unde alf i ur ncepolc on he hus nd f lwi hi de t fom pa r a i ca e . Gl
r ie ns a
iy
r ba olo ng s a h r
nc e tc nc r obe

rmo dt c efom t Cic tCour oft CiyofRoa purua t 28U. C.j1
e ve he as r he rui
t he t
noke s nt o
S. 441

a t sc ur' dv riyj rs ito lTh c s i n w b fr t ec u t nGlb ' moi nfr
nd hi o ts iest u id cin. e a e s o eo e h o r o o e s to o
j d me to tepla ig p rua tt Fe R. v P.1 () Glb c ne d t a M s S t s
u g n n h e dn s u s n o d. Ci. 2 c . o e o tn s h t . mi
h'
co ant a t documen sat c t t tc
mpli , nd he
t ta hed o ha ompl nt s
ai , how t ti ha arg t r ci t
ha t d i ht o es nd he
lf i ur nc polc ba e on m a e i ly f s a we si t a i a i f c r ge. The co t
ie ns a e i y s d
t r a l al e ns r n he pplc ton or ove a
ur
a e s a gr nt Gl be' m oton.
gr e nd a s o s
i
1.

Ac di t l e ca r or ata he t M s Sr t sc n ai , a l s Aprl27,
cor ng o ' di l ec ds ' c d o . nih' orpl nt by t ea t i
n
t
2007,M r .Sm ih' hus nd,La r nc Sm ih, d be n di nos d w ih s a I pa r a i
s
t s ba
w e e
t ha e ag e t t ge V nc e tc

c nc r wih e de et ti hadm easa iedt M r Sm ih' lve whih wa û e e t bl '
a e , t vi nc ha t
t t sz o . t s i r c
s s s c a e.
unr
'
1M s Sm ih i aciienofNew Yor andG l i aNe akac por to wih isprncpa plceof
.
t s tz
k
obe s
br s or ain t t i i l a

busne si Oklhoma M s Smih i s ki $55, i c
i s n a
. . t s ee ng
000 n ompe aor da gesf rbr ac ofconta ta $1 000
ns t y ma o e h
r c nd 50,
i punii da
n
tve magesba edon Gl salege i e e sa ne i i si ton'anddei r e
s
obe' l d û ckls nd glgent nve tgai '
r
lbeat

mirp ee tto s Aco dngy,h rq ie nsfrdv ri j rs ito p ru n t 28U. C. 1 3 ae
se rsnain . c r i l te e urme t o iest u idcin u sa to
y
S. j 3 2 r
s ts i d.
a i fe

.

( mpl2 -3 , No. - . Ac od n t teatc e BleRi eCa c rCaer c r s o
Co . 9 0 ECF 1 1) c r i g o h ta h d u dg n e r e o d , n
M a 1 2007,M r Sm ih' a t ndi phys c a d a l ng dicus i w ih bot t pa i n a
y 8,
. t s te ng
ii n '
had o
s son t
h he te t nd
hi w ie ' i l ng t f tt tt nc e tc m a i na i s i vi t lve a e us ly not
s f ,' nc udi he ac ha d r a i lg nc e nvol ng he i r r ua l
pa

c a e. (
urbl ' Compl29 ECF No.1 1) l Se e r2007,M s Smiha idt Gl f
'
. -30,
- . n ptmbe
. t pple o obe or
tr lf i ur ebe ft ont lf ofhe hus nd i t amoun of$5 00 Thea i to
e m ie ns anc ne is he ie
r ba n he
t
0, 0.
pplcai n

a k d:d t ep s 3y as h stePr p s dl u e h do b e te tdf r ()Ca c r. o a y
s e (n h a t e r, a h o o e ns rd a r e n rae o : a n e .. r n
l
die eoft . lve .'(
sas he..i r' Compl22,ECFNo.1 1, Ms Smiha weedC ' OnOcobe 5,
.
- ) . t ns r k '
no.
t r
2007,ba ed on t r pr s nt t o m ade i t a i ton,G l is d a polc o he hus nd
s
he e e e a i ns
n he pplca i
obe s ue
i y n r ba

it a
n he mountof$50, and o J nua y 5, ,i a o d a a tona $5 0 i co a
000,
n a r 2008 t ppr ve n ddii l 00 n ver ge.
On Aug t15,2009, s Smih' hus nd di d,a i Oc obe ,M s Sm ih s
us
M . t s ba
e nd n t r . t ough t r ove
t o ec r
unde hi lf i ur ncepolc
r s ie ns a
iy.On M a c 1 201 Gl bede e hercai a r s i d t
r h , 0, o
nid
l m nd e cnde he
polc ba e on he m ir pr s t tons co di t Gl ha M s Smih dic os her
iy s d
r se e en a i .Ac r ng o obe, d . t s l ed
h ba s t sor ofpanc ea i c nc r' nd ot rm e ca c tons i E oul ha be n
us nd' t t y
hi
r tc a e ' a
he di l ondii , t t d ve e
w

una et a o hi f c r geunde ghe polc ' (
bl o pprve m or ove a
r t ) iy. Compl25 ECFNo.1 1)
'
. -26,
-.
l
l.

Gl c t ndst tM s Sm ih' c
obe on e
ha . t s ompl i a at c d e biss
ant nd ta he xhi t how m ae il
tra

mirp e e tto ta e ttei t j d me t ntep e dn sp ru n t Rul 1 () Thec u t
se rs nains h t n il t o u g n o h la ig u s a t o e 2 c .
or
a e s a gr nt G l sm o i n.
gr e nd a s obe' t o

C amoinf r ud me to t ep e dn sma ep ru n t Rue 1 () o l te
k
on
to o j g n n h la ig d u s a t o l 2 c, ny h
pla ngsa e c i r d,' S. l Co.v.Bat Typoar phi a Uni n No.1 338F. 1 0,
e di
r onsde e 'A. Abel
l.
a cl o
2,
2d 9

1 ( hCi.1 , t co tmus drw a1ra o bl f li e e esi fvoroft
93 4t r 964) and he ur
t a l e s na e adua nfr nc n a
he
nonmovi pa t Se Edwadsv.CivofGol bor 1 F. 231 243- ( h Ci.1 )
ng ry. e
r
t
ds o, 78 3d , 44 4t r 999
(ppl ngt s mesa r i rvi ngaRul 1 c motona iwoul aRul 1 b)6
a yi he a tndad n e ewi
e 2() i s t d
e 2( ()

2

moi .I t r or cla l de nsrt t tflesae nt weema ona a iai fr
ton) f he ec d e ry mo taes ha as ttme s r de n pplc ton o
i ur nce t c r m ay r s ve t m ir pr e t ton i s asa m a t rofl w . Banne Lie l .
ns a , he ou t
e ol he s e es n a i s ue
te
a
r f ns

Co. Noe,861F.Supp.2d701 a 71 -1l( D. 201 .I t a e eofa iain
v. l
, t 0 E. Va. 2) n he bs nc
pplc to
l ngua r qui i a dif r ntc us on,a i tr e c pa ne d notde onsr t t t
a
ge e rng f e e oncl i
n ns lanc om ny e
m t a e hat he
i ur k i gl m a a f l e r e e a i i hi orhe a i a i orr l t doc e st
ns ed now n y de a s epr s nt ton n s
r pplc ton e a ed um nt o
r c nd a polcy, m us onl de onsr t by c ea pr t tt a i a i c ai d a f l e
es i
i but
t y m ta e
l r oof ha he pplc ton ont ne a s
st em ent
at
.

Mi La r M u .ns Co. Ha oc 6 F.Supp. 7 707( D. 2009 .
nn. wve s t l . v. nc k, 00
2d 02, E. Va. )2

M s Sm ih' exhi t s
. t s
bis how a l a tt ta ofAprl27,
t e s ha s
i 2007, rhus
he
bandha be n
d e

dig edwihpa r tcc e t twa t
a nos t nceai anc r ha s hough t bei ur bl (ndi dha measasze
t o nc a e a ndee d t t i d
t hi lve) t tt polcya iai a rque tf i r s dc r co ee ltrt t
o s i r,ha he i pplc ton nd e s or ncea e oveage mpltd ae ha
ye ras d w he he he had be n t e t d f c nc o an di e s ordi or roft lve w ihi
a ke
t r
e r a e or a er r y s a e
s de
he i r t n
t pas t e yea s t tM s Sm ih i r e l a w e ed t the ha notbe n, t tGl
he t hr e r , ha
. t nco r cty ns r ha
d
e and ha obe

wo d no ha i s d t polc ha i known oft dignoss Unde t cic sa e ,i
ul t ve s ue he iy d t
he a
i.
r he r um t nc s t

ce ry a pe r ta Glb i e t ldt j d me t ntepla i g .
lal p as h t o e s ni e o u g n o h e d n s
t
1
11.

l a c da e w ih t m e or
n c or nc t he m andu o ni e e ed on t sda ...t'* c t ilgr nt
m pi on nt r
hi y,,..he our w l a
e
..
e*

v.
H'

.

Glb ' moinf r u g n o tep e dng .
o es t o j d me t n h la i s
o
EN TER : e m be 7,201
D ce r
2.
.'

,.

UNI
TED STATES DI
STRI J
CT UDGE

2Be us net rt e olm e a i ton,no t rques f a to lcove a conti d apr son
ca e ihe he nr l nt pplcai
r he e t or ddiina
r ge, ane
ovii
t c d q iyM s Smih' a ia i r pons sa tu t t be tofhe knowl ,Gl ma r ci t
hat oul ualf . t s pplc ton es e s r e o he s
r
edge obe y es nd he
polc i he sae en swe em e eyf le asoppos dt kno i y fle Se Stri l .Co.v.Da e 1 V a
iy f r ttm t r r l as ,
e o w ngl as . e e lna ns
ns v, 95 .

9 3(95 )(ftep o sdi u e ipe itdt q aiyhsa pl ainrs o s sa ben tu o l t teb so
3 1 4 i h rpo e nsrd s nnt o u l i p i to ep n e s ig re ny o h et f
e
f
c
hi orherknow l ge t bur i i ea e a t r ponssmus beknowi yf lei or rf t i urrt
s
ed , he den s ncr s d nd he es e
t
ngl as n de or he ns e o

r s idt ep lc ) Gl b n e o l et b ih t a h rsae n sweei c r e t a d mae il ot ec mp n '
e cn h o iy . o e e d n y sa l h t e ttme t r n o r c , n t ra t h o a y s
s
de i i n t i s a polc
c s o o s ue
i y.

3