FINMAN GENERAL ASSURANCE CORPORATION, petitioner, vs. THE HONORABLE HONORABLE COURT COURT OF APPEALS and ULIA ULIA SURPOSA, respondents.
A!"ino and Asso#iates $or petitioner.
P"%&i# Attorne'(s O)#e $or private respondent.
Ponente* NOCON
FACTS*
+Petitioner -&ed tis petition a&&e/in/ /rove a%"se o$ dis#retion on te part o$ te appe&&ate #o"rt in app&'in/ te prin#ip&e o$ 0e1presso "ni"s e1#&"sio a&teri"s2 in a persona& a##ident ins"ran#e po&i#' sin#e deat res"&tin/ $ro3 3"rder and4or assa"&t are i3p&ied&' e1#&"ded in said ins"ran#e po&i#' #onsiderin/ tat te #a"se o$ deat o$ te ins"red 5as not a##identa& %"t rater a de&i%erate and intentiona& a#t o$ te assai&ant in 6i&&in/ te $or3er as indi#ated %' te &o#ation o$ te &one sta% 5o"nd on te ins"red. Tere$ore, said deat 5as #o33itted 5it de&i%erate intent 5i#, %' te ver' nat"re o$ a persona& a##ident ins"ran#e po&i#', #annot %e inde3ni-ed.
ISSUE*
7eter or not deat petitioner is #orre#t tat res"&ts $ro3 assa"&t or 3"rder dee3ed are not in#&"ded in te ter3s 0a##ident2 and 0a##identa&2.
HEL8*
NO. Petition Petition $or #ertiorari 5it restrainin/ order and pre&i3inar' in9"n#tion 5as denied $or &a#6 o$ 3erit.
RATIO*
Te ter3s 0a##ident2 and 0a##identa&2 as "sed in ins"ran#e #ontra#ts ave not a#!"ired an' te#ni#a& 3eanin/, and are #onstr"ed %' te #o"rts in teir ordinar' and #o33on a##eptation. T"s, te ter3s ave %een ta6en to 3ean tat 5i# appen %' #an#e or $ort"ito"s&', 5ito"t intention and desi/n, and 5i# is "ne1pe#ted, "n"s"a&, and "n$oreseen. An a##ident is an event tat ta6es p&a#e 5ito"t one(s $oresi/t or e1pe#tation : an event tat pro#eeds $ro3 an "n6no5n #a"se, or is an "n"s"a& e;e#t o$ a 6no5n #a"se and, tere$ore, not e1pe#ted.
+It is 5e&& sett&ed tat #ontra#ts o$ ins"ran#e are to %e #onstr"ed &i%era&&' in $avor o$ te ins"red and stri#t&' a/ainst te ins"rer. T"s a3%i/"it' in te 5ords o$ an ins"ran#e #ontra#t so"&d %e interpreted in $avor o$ its %ene-#iar'.
