PRIME INSURANCE CO. LTD. vs. JOSEPH BENJAMIN TAYLOR [2015]DLHC8227

Date	2015-05-12
Suit No.	SUIT NO. C2/34/14
Citation No.	[2015]DLHC8227

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE JACOB B. BOON

PETER KWASI DADZIE FOR THE PLAINTIFF

VICTOR WALENKAKI FOR THE DEFENDANT

[2015]DLHC8227
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >PRIME
INSURANCE CO. LTD.<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>JOSEPH
BENJAMIN TAYLOR<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[HIGH
COURT, KUMASI]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

SUIT
NO. C2/34/14&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; DATE:
12TH MAY, 2015<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>PETER
KWASI DADZIE FOR THE PLAINTIFF <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

VICTOR
WALENKAKI FOR THE DEFENDANT <o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

HIS
LORDSHIP JUSTICE JACOB B. BOON<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>The Plaintiff
in this action, Prime Insurance Company Limited, described itself as a limited
liability company incorporated under the laws of Ghana and engaged in the
business of insurance and other related matters, whilst the defendant is said
to be the Area Manager of GRIDCO, Kumasi &nbsp;and owns&nbsp;
Nissan Patrol vehicle with registration number GE 2200 W which got
involved in an accident on 12th December, 2009 with a Tata Safari
vehicle registered as GC 1926 Z and insured by the Plaintiff insurance company.
The owner of the Tata Safari vehicle is one Lawrence Oteng Larbi who is the
policy holder of the motor insurance with Plaintiff. The policy is in evidence
as exhibit ‘A’. It is what is referred to as “Comprehensive” insurance, dated
27th November, 2009, renewable on 26th November, 2010. It
is noted that the accident occurred on the fifteenth day after the policy was
taken. The implication then is that the Tata vehicle was covered by a valid
insurance policy at the time of the accident. In paragraph 4 of the statement
of claim, an incident of the policy was stated as follows:<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>4. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Plaintiff further avers that the insurance policy entered
into with the said Lawrence Oteng Larbi included the principle of subrogation
same been a general principle in insurance allowing insurance companies take
action against a third party who is responsible for any accident against its
insured.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The principle
of subrogation as applies in insurance is explained in Black’s Law Dictionary
(9th ed) at page 1564 thus:<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The principle under which an insurer that has paid
a loss under an insurance policy is entitled to all the rights and remedies
belonging to the insured against a third party with respect to any loss covered
by the policy.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>In exhibit
‘A’ (the insurance policy) provision is made for the principle in Part G,
section 3 in the following terms:<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>When the insurance company pays a policy-holder for
a loss, the insurer has a right to subrogate against any person or persons
responsible for the loss.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>In effect,
for the principle to be effected, the insurance company must have paid a claim
to its policy holder, the claim having arisen from a loss or damage caused by a
third party who will then be liable to indemnify the insurance company for the
claim paid. It is therefore the case of the Plaintiff that the accident, which
occurred on the Accra-Tema motorway, was investigated by the Ghana Police
Service, Ashiama, which concluded that the defendant was the cause of it which
completely damaged the vehicle of its insured. The Police acciden</main>