A Pennsylvania man may pursue an uninsured motorist claim against his employer’s insurer, the state Superior Court has ruled, deciding that a “jetter” attached to the claimant’s work van was an attached trailer and therefore a “motor vehicle.”
The decision, originally an unpublished memorandum opinion that became citable law after plaintiffs counsel moved for publication, reverses a Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas judge, who decided that plaintiff George Barnes was neither “occupying” the vehicle nor “vehicle-oriented” when he was struck by an unidentified driver. The judge granted summary judgment in favor of Westfield Insurance Co., Barnes’ employer’s insurer.
