Pennsylvania Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Household Exclusion and Stacking Issues Case

In the case of Gallagher v. Geico Indemnity, No. 87 WAL 2017 (Pa. Aug. 8, 2017), the Pennsylvania Supreme Court granted an appeal to address issues pertaining to a household exclusion and stacking issues.  The Court's Order granting the appeal reads, as follows:

AND NOW, this 8th day of August, 2017, the Petition for Allowance of Appeal is GRANTED. The issues, as stated by the Petitioner, are:

(1) Whether the "household vehicle exclusion" violates Section 1738 of the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law (MVFRL) where GEICO issued all household policies and unilaterally decided to issue two separate policies, when the insured desired stacking, elected stacking, paid additional premiums for stacking and never knowingly waived stacking of underinsured motorist benefits?

(2) Whether the "household vehicle exclusion" impermissibly narrows or conflicts with the statutory mandates of the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law and the evidence of record is that GEICO was fully aware of the risks of insuring a motorcycle in the same household as other family vehicles but unilaterally decided to write a separate motorcycle policy?

 

 

I send thanks to Attorney Scott Cooper of the Schmidt Kramer firm in Harrisburg, PA for bringing this Order to my attention.