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Nodak Ins. Co. v. Farm Family Casualty Ins. Co., et al.

Docket No. 20220114
Oral Argument: Monday, October 3, 2022 1:30 PM

Docket Info

Title
Nodak Insurance Company, Plaintiff and Appellee
v.
Farm Family Casualty Insurance Company, Defendant and Appellant
and
Mountain West Farm Bureau Mutual
Insurance Company; Samuel Hamilton;
Gordon Williams, individually and as
parent and next friend of H.W., a minor;
and Dawn Hustad and Kris Meduna,
individually and as parents and next
friends of A.M., a deceased minor, Plaintiffs
Case Type
CIVIL APPEAL : INSURANCE
Appeal From
Case No. 2019-CV-01787
Northwest Judicial District, Williams County
Kirsten Marie Sjue
2023 ND 84990 N.W.2d 595
Oral Argument 10/3/2022

Highlight

Interpretation of an insurance policy is a question of law, fully reviewable on appeal.

If coverage hinges on an undefined term, the plain, ordinary meaning of the term applies in interpreting the contract.

While insurance policies are regarded as adhesion contracts and ambiguities are resolved in favor of the insured, a contract will not be rewritten to impose liability on an insurer if the policy unambiguously precludes coverage.

The phrase “similar insurance” used in an automatic termination or cessation provision means similar in type and in amount.


Briefs

Filing Date Description
07/26/2022 APPELLANT BRIEF View
08/24/2022 APPELLEE BRIEF (Nodak Ins. Co.) View
09/07/2022 REPLY BRIEF View

Counsel

Party Type Name
APPELLEE PRIVATE PRACTICE Scott Kenneth Porsborg - 04904
APPELLANT PRIVATE PRACTICE Joseph Michael Barnett - 07951
APPELLANT PRIVATE PRACTICE Not Licensed in ND - 00002
APPELLEE PRIVATE PRACTICE Austin Theodore Lafferty - 07833

(Note: Attachments may not be available for recently filed cases and/or confidential documents.)

Seq. # Filing Date Description Attachment
1 04/20/2022 NOTICE OF APPEAL : 04/20/2022
2 04/20/2022 ORDER FOR TRANSCRIPT : 04/27/2022 View
3 04/25/2022 Rec'd $125.00 Filing Fee
4 04/26/2022 Updated Affidavit from Klay C. Ahrens for pro hac vice appearance View
5 04/27/2022 NOT. OF FILING NOT. OF APPEAL AND PROOF OF SERV. View
6 04/27/2022 Notice Served on Joseph M. Barnett & Klay C. Ahrens, Scott K. Porsborg & Austin T. Lafferty
7 04/27/2022 Paul R. Sanderson & William J. Behrmann, Charles L. Neff, H. Patrick Weir Jordan B. Weir and
8 04/27/2022 Mackenzie L. Hertz
9 05/10/2022 ELEC. RECORD ON APPEAL DATED MAY 9, 2022 (ENTRY NOS.1-101) View
10 06/16/2022 All Transcripts Filed in Record
11 06/20/2022 1ST ELEC. SUPP. RECORD ON APPEAL DATED JUNE 17, 2022(ENTRY NOS. 102-106)
12 07/26/2022 APPELLANT BRIEF View
13 07/26/2022 Oral Argument Request by Appellant
14 07/29/2022 Rec'd 3 copies of ATB back from CD
15 08/24/2022 APPELLEE BRIEF (Nodak Ins. Co.) View
16 08/24/2022 Oral Argument Request by Appellee (Nodak Ins. Co.)
17 08/25/2022 Rec'd 3 copies of AEB (Nodak Ins. Co.)
18 09/07/2022 REPLY BRIEF View
19 09/09/2022 Rec'd 3 copies of RYB back from CD
20 09/12/2022 Rec'd Notice that Mt. West Farm Bureau Mutual Ins. Co. and Samuel Hamilton not participating
21 09/21/2022 NOTICE OF ORAL ARGUMENT SENT
22 10/03/2022 APPEARANCES: Joseph M. Barnett & Klay C. Ahrens, Scott K. Porsborg & Austin T. Lafferty
23 10/03/2022 ARGUED: Klay C. Ahrens and Scott K. Porsborg
24 10/03/2022 ORAL ARGUMENT WEBCAST
25 05/09/2023 DISPOSITION
26 05/09/2023 SPLIT OPINION : Bahr, Douglas Alan View
27 05/09/2023 DISSENT : Tufte, Jerod E.
28 05/09/2023 Judgment View
29 05/09/2023 Costs taxed in favor of Appellee
30 05/31/2023 MANDATE
31 07/19/2023 Corrected/Substitute Opinion Page - In Paragraph 5, Line 1 on Page 2, a (.) has been placed
32 07/19/2023 inbetween the A and W to read "A.W. occupied"
33 07/19/2023 Corrected/Substitute Opinion Page - In Footnotes 1, Page 7, Line 3, a (.) was placed behind the
34 07/19/2023 word Ins to read "Mecca v. Farmers Ins. Exch."