BROWN, Judge.
Empire Fire and Marine Insurance Company ("Empire") appeals from the trial court's order denying its motion for summary judgment in favor of Charlene Frierson and Roderick Frierson (collectively, the "Friersons") and the denial of its motion to correct error. Empire raises three issues, one of which we find dispositive and which we revise and restate as whether the court erred in denying Empire's motion for summary judgment. We reverse.
On April 25, 2011 Charlene Frierson was involved in an automobile accident with Ashley Talsma. At the time, Talsma was insured under an automobile liability insurance policy issued by Allstate which provided bodily injury liability coverage in the amount of $25,000 for each person and $50,000 for each occurrence. Before trial, Talsma's carrier tendered $25,000 in policy liability limits to the Friersons. Charlene was insured under a separate automobile policy issued by Allstate, and the Friersons sought Underinsured Motorist ("UIM") benefits from Allstate, which also tendered $25,000 of UIM coverage after setting off Talsma's liability limits.
Charlene was operating an automobile that she had rented from Enterprise. She completed a rental agreement with Enterprise under which she purchased optional Supplemental Liability Protection ("SEP"). The rental agreement (the "Rental Agreement") provided in part:
Appellant's Appendix at 43.
In addition, the Rental Agreement in Paragraph 17, titled "Optional Supplemental Liability Protection," contained a summary of the optional SLP product. Paragraph 17 first states: "THIS IS A SUMMARY ONLY AND IS SUBJECT TO ALL PROVISIONS, LIMITATIONS, EXCEPTIONS AND EXCLUSIONS OF THE SLP POLICY. UPON REQUEST, A COPY OF THE POLICY IS AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW. . . ." Id. Paragraph 17 further states that when a renter elects to purchase SLP, the renter is provided with "minimum financial responsibility limits (at no charge to Renter) as outlined in the applicable motor vehicle financial responsibility laws of the state where the Vehicle is operated AND excess Insurance provided by the Insurance policy. . ." Id. Also, under the heading "SLP Exclusions." it states: "For all exclusions, see the SLP policy issued by Empire Fire and Marine Insurance Company. Here are a few key exclusions: . . . (d) Liability arising out of or benefits payable under any uninsured or underinsured motorist law, in any state. . . ." Id. The SLP purchased by Charlene was provided through Empire (the "Empire Policy"). The designated evidence does not indicate that Charlene requested a copy of the Empire Policy, and she was not provided with a copy of such policy. Id. at 45.
Enterprise Holdings, Inc. ("Enterprise") is the policyholder under the Empire Policy, which covers all of Enterprise's rental vehicles, including the automobile rented by Charlene. The Empire Policy states that it provides "excess auto liability insurance," id. at 95, and it contains language excluding
Id. at 96. By endorsement, Empire provided UM and UIM coverage in five specified states, but Indiana is not on the list.
On November 7, 2011, the Friersons filed a complaint for damages against Talsma, which they later amended on January 24, 2013 to include Empire.
On January 9, 2013, a hearing was held on Empire's motion, and on January 15, 2013, the court entered an order summarily denying the motion.
A trial was held on November 5 and 6, 2014, and ultimately the jury returned a verdict in favor of the Friersons in the amount of $185,000 which was subsequently reduced to a net verdict of $129,500 based on comparative fault. On December 9, 2014, Empire filed a Consolidated Motion for Set-off and a motion to correct error, and on January 28, 2015, the court held a hearing on the consolidated motions. On February 3, 2015, the court entered an order denying Empire's motion to correct error but granting in part its request for set off against the verdict, reducing the judgment against Empire to $79,500 after setting off the $50,000 received by the Friersons from Talsma and Allstate.
The dispositive issue is whether the court erred in denying Empire's motion for summary judgment. We review an order for summary judgment de novo, applying the same standard as the trial court. Hughley v. State, 15 N.E.3d 1000, 1003 (Ind.2014). The moving party bears the initial burden of making a prima facie showing that there are no genuine issues of material fact and that it is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Manley v. Sherer, 992 N.E.2d 670, 673 (Ind.2013). Summary judgment is improper if the moving party fails to carry its burden, but if it succeeds, then the nonmoving party must come forward with evidence establishing the existence of a genuine issue of material fact. Id. We construe all factual inferences in favor of the nonmoving party and resolve all doubts as to the existence of a material issue against the moving party. Id.
The construction of a contract is particularly well-suited for de novo appellate review, because it generally presents questions purely of law. Holiday Hospitality Franchising, Inc. v. AMCO Ins. Co., 983 N.E.2d 574, 577 (Ind.2013) (citing Colonial Penn Ins. Co. v. Guzorek,
Where contractual language is ambiguous, we generally resolve those ambiguities in favor of the insured, but will not do so if such an interpretation fails to harmonize the provisions of the contract as a whole. Id. at 578. However, the failure to define a contractual term does not necessarily make that term ambiguous, nor does a simple disagreement about the term's meaning. Id. "Rather, an ambiguity exists where the provision is susceptible to more than one reasonable interpretation." Id.
This court has observed that "[i]nsurance companies are free to limit their liability, so long as they do so in a manner consistent with public policy as reflected by case or statutory law." Gheae v. Founders Ins. Co., 854 N.E.2d 419, 423 (Ind.Ct.App.2006). Also, "[a]n insurance policy that is unambiguous must be enforced according to its terms, even those terms that limit an insurer's liability." Haag v. Castro, 959 N.E.2d 819, 823 (Ind. 2012). Where an ambiguity exists, the policy is generally construed in favor of the insured. USA Life One Ins. Co. of Ind. v. Nuckolls, 682 N.E.2d 534, 538 (Ind. 1997). This is particularly the case where a policy excludes coverage. Id.; Am. States Ins. Co. v. Kiger, 662 N.E.2d 945 (Ind.1996), reh'g denied. However, when a case involves a dispute between a third party and an insurer, the court does not construe it strictly against the insurer, but determines the general intent of the contract from a neutral stance. Burkett v. Am. Family Ins. Grp., 737 N.E.2d 447, 452 (Ind.Ct.App.2000); Ind. Lumbermens Mut. Ins. Co. v. Statesman Ins. Co., 260 Ind. 32, 34, 291 N.E.2d 897, 899 (1973). In addition, an ambiguity does not exist simply because an insured and an insurer disagree about the meaning of a provision, but only if reasonable people could disagree about the meaning of the contract's terms. Beam v. Wausau Ins. Co., 765 N.E.2d 524, 528 (Ind.2002), reh'g denied; Bosecker v. Westfield Ins. Co., 724 N.E.2d 241, 244 (Ind.2000) ("An ambiguity exists where a provision is susceptible to more than one interpretation and reasonable persons would differ as to its meaning.").
Empire argues that its policy clearly and unambiguously excluded UM and UIM coverage except in five states, none of which are Indiana, and that Enterprise accordingly paid no premium for UIM coverage for vehicles rented and operated in Indiana. It argues that in 2009 subsection (d) was added to Ind.Code § 27-7-5-2, which specifically addresses the issue presented, and was a direct response by the legislature to the Indiana Supreme Court's holding in United Nat'l Ins. Co. v. DePrizio, 705 N.E.2d 455 (Ind. 1999), "that a commercial umbrella policy providing excess automobile liability coverage qualified as `an automobile liability policy or motor vehicle liability policy' and insurers were to provide UM and UIM coverage under" Ind.Code § 27-7-5-2(a). Appellant's Brief at 10. Empire also directs our attention to a United States Federal District Court case, Ohio Cas. Ins. Co. v. Herring-Jenkins, 830 F.Supp.2d 566 (N.D.Ind.2011), interpreting subsection (d), as well as another state court case finding that the policy issued in that case, which
The Friersons assert that Charlene averred in a designated affidavit that she "asked the Enterprise salesman for `full coverage' to insure" the vehicle, and that the Rental Agreement was "in very small print and very difficult to read." Appellees' Brief at 11. They argue that this court has previously held that "if an insurance carrier desires to exclude coverage, this should be spelled out for the policyholder in clear and unmistakable language with conspicuous and plain positioning," and that "[t]here is nothing clear or unmistakable about any claimed exclusion of UM/UIM coverage in the only partly legible fine print." Id. (quoting Nat'l Mut. Ins. Co. v. Curtis, 867 N.E.2d 631, 637 (Ind.Ct.App.2007)). The Friersons assert that Empire did not establish that the policy at issue in Collins is the same as the Empire Policy, and they direct our attention to a case from the Arizona Supreme Court discussing "the realities of purchasing insurance in connection with a rental car transaction. . . ." Id. at 12 (citing Philadelphia Indem. Ins. Co. v. Barerra, 200 Ariz. 9,21 P.3d 395 (2001)).
At the time of the accident, Ind. Code § 27-7-5-2, titled "Coverage for bodily injury or death; required provisions; rejection," provided in relevant part:
(Subsequently amended by Pub. L. No. 116-2011, § 2 (eff. July 1, 2011); Pub. L. No. 125-2012, § 403 (eff. July 1, 2012); Pub. L. No. 148-2013, § 1 (eff. July 1, 2013)).
We find that the Empire Policy is indeed an excess liability policy under Ind.Code § 27-7-5-2(d). In Section I, Paragraph A, Subparagraph 1 of the Empire Policy, located on the first page of the policy, states unequivocally: "This policy provides excess auto liability insurance. . . ." Appellant's Appendix at 95. It also states, under the heading "
The crux of the Friersons' claims on appeal is that the exclusion of UM/UIM coverage was not spelled out for Charlene in clear and unmistakable language with conspicuous and plain positioning in the Rental Agreement, relying on this court's statements in Curtis. In Curtis, this court examined whether a homeowner's policy issued by National Mutual to the Curtises provided coverage against a claim by Justin Beaulieu for personal injury liability for injuries arising out of the ownership or use of a trampoline. 867 N.E.2d at 632. The court held that the placement of the trampoline exclusion in the policy was inconspicuous and amounted to an ambiguity in the policy. Id. at 637. In so holding, the court stated that "only a very hardy soul would have plowed through all of the fine print and separate sections in an effort to understand the many terms and conditions listed in the main policy and the convoluted additions thereto," noting that "[o]n reaching the main policy's fifteenth page, a reading of the liability coverage and its exclusions would have furnished reassurance of coverage in the event of personal injuries incurred in the use of the trampoline." Id. at 636. The court stated that "[f]urther investigation of the main policy would not have divulged anything to the contrary," and that "[n]owhere was there any straightforward and unconditional statement that the policy was not intended to protect the homeowners in this situation." Id. It noted that "[i]t is not until fourteen pages of long, fine print later, in a section misleadingly entitled Supplemental Extensions, that — almost as an afterthought — National Mutual excludes personal injuries arising out of the ownership, maintenance, and use of a trampoline," and further that "[u]nlike the different sections of the main policy, the Supplemental Extensions two-page form does not employ any significant bolding, capitalization, or interlineations to clarify and set apart the separate exclusions." Id. at 636-637.
The court also discussed the "scant Indiana case law establishing that the structural complexity of a policy can result in an ambiguity." The court first discussed Hessler v. Fed. Cas. Co. of Detroit, Mich., 190 Ind. 68, 129 N.E. 325 (1921), in which the Indiana Supreme Court "refused to enforce an exclusion of coverage that contradicted statements made elsewhere in the insurance policy." Id. at 635. The Court observed that the fire insurance policy at issue "prominently proclaimed broad accident coverage and then, further along in the policy `printed in small type, without any further headlines' was an exclusion of certain coverage." Id. (quoting Hessler, 129 N.E. at 326). The Court "refused to enforce the exclusion `hidden away in small type, in clause (m) following, without headlines, other clauses. . .' and instead enforced the `unequivocal statement on the back of the policy, presented in a manner as to catch the eye of the insured.'" Id. (quoting Hessler, 129 N.E. at 327).
The Curtis court also discussed the case of Redar v. Allstate Ins. Co., 497 N.E.2d 566 (Ind.Ct.App.1985), wherein appellant Redar argued "that the exclusionary clauses of the policy were not conspicuously placed in the contract since they were inserted on pages two and three, after the omnibus clause." Id. (citing Redar, 497 N.E.2d at 567). We disagreed, holding that although "the exclusionary clause followed the omnibus clause by one page, we do not believe this creates any
We find Curtis to be distinguishable. First, to the extent that the Friersons assert that the Rental Agreement was comprised of fine print which was difficult to read, we note that such fine print is only two and one-half pages in length. The Rental Agreement states in Paragraph 7 that Enterprise "does not extend any of its motor vehicle financial responsibility or provide insurance coverage to Renter," and in Paragraph 9, titled "Personal Injury Protection and Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Protection." that Enterprise "does not provide Personal Injury Protection, No Fault Benefits or Medical Payment Coverage (collectively `PIP') or Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Protection (`UM/UIM') through this Agreement." Appellant's Appendix at 43. Unlike in Hessler, neither the Empire Policy nor the Rental Agreement purports to provide broad coverage only to further down the policy list certain exclusions. In fact, the top of the Rental Agreement's discussion of the SLP in Paragraph 17 contains language in all caps that the SLP is "SUBJECT TO ALL PROVISIONS, LIMITATIONS, EXCEPTIONS AND EXCLUSIONS OF THE SLP POLICY." Id. That same paragraph notes specifically, under the heading "SLP Exclusions." that "[l]iability arising out of or benefits payable under any uninsured or underinsured motorist law, in any state" is excluded from coverage. Id. We further note that the Empire Policy itself contains easily-readable typeface, is six pages in length, and states on the second page of the policy, under the heading "
The Empire Policy purchased by the Friersons for SLP coverage did not provide UIM coverage to the Friersons. Accordingly, we conclude that the court erred when it denied Empire's motion for summary judgment.
For the foregoing reasons, we grant Empire's motion for summary judgment.
Reversed.
RILEY, J., and ALTICE, J., concur.