Next year will see the 100th anniversary of the accident that led to the Stowers doctrine and was litigated in G.A. Stowers Furniture Co. v. American Indem. Co., 15 S.W.2d 544 (Tex. Comm’n App. 1929, holding approved). This landmark case centered on a downtown Houston crash between a delivery truck owned by G.A. Stowers Furniture Co. and Mamie Bichon, who suffered severe injuries when her Ford coupe was overturned in the accident. She sued Stowers for $20,000.

American Indemnity, Stowers’ auto insurance carrier, provided $5,000 in coverage. Bichon offered to settle for $4,000, but American Indemnity refused. At trial, Bichon won $14,107.14 in damages.