Ciarelli v. Commercial Union Insurance

The dispositive issue in this appeal is whether, in the case of an accident involving only one tortfeasor vehicle, an injured party is required to exhaust the liability limits of the insurance policies of both the owner and the operator of that vehicle in order to trigger underinsured motorist benefits. The plaintiff, Florence A. Ciarelli, appeals from the judgment of the trial court confirming an arbitration panel’s denial of underinsured motorist benefits that the plaintiff sought pursuant to her insurance policy with the defendant, the Commercial Union Insurance Companies. The trial court…