United Services Automobile Ass'n v. Shell

PITTMAN, Justice,

for the Court:

¶ 1. Aaron Shell, Jr., was murdered by a hitchhiker he picked up on July 8,1991. The Franklin County Chancery Court found that his estate was entitled to benefits from an Uninsured Motorist (UM) policy issued by United Services Automobile Association. We find, however, that Shell’s assailant was not the “owner or operator” of an uninsured motor vehicle as contemplated by the USAA policy or Miss.Code Ann. § 83-11-101 (1991). Accordingly, the judgment of the chancery court is reversed and rendered.

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¶ 2. Aaron Shell, Jr., was killed when Murray “Bobo” Crawford…