Va. Farm Bureau Mut. Ins. Co. v. Hodges

1 Citing case

  1. Geico v. Fetisoff

    958 F.2d 1137 (D.C. Cir. 1992)   Cited 67 times
    Holding that while a spouse may have a legally independent claim for loss of consortium, it is nevertheless derivative of the "occurrence" under the policy language

    There are three potentially "interested" jurisdictions: the District of Columbia, where the Whitneys reside and where the automobile accident took place; Maryland, where GEICO is incorporated and has its principal place of business; and Virginia, where the Fetisoffs are domiciled. The law in each of these jurisdictions is the same with respect to the interpretation of insurance contracts — in all three, the plain meaning of the policy language controls, and any ambiguities are resolved in favor of the insured. See Meade v. Prudential Ins. Co. of America, 477 A.2d 726, 728 (D.C. 1984); Howell v. Harleysville Mut. Ins. Co., 305 Md. 435, 505 A.2d 109, 113 (1986); Virginia Farm Bureau Mut. Ins. Co. v. Hodges, 238 Va. 692, 385 S.E.2d 612, 614 (1989). Thus, there is no "true conflict" and we apply the law of the District of Columbia by default.