Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co v. Hatfield

On September 23, 1997, in Montgomery City, Missouri, a vehicle owned and occupied by C. Gay Hatfield and his wife, Elouise W. Hatfield, was struck by a fire truck owned by Montgomery City, a municipality, and operated by its employee, Karl J. Rodieck. Mr. Hatfield sustained personal injuries; Mrs. Hatfield was killed. Under Missouri law, Montgomery City was cloaked with sovereign immunity subject to a partial waiver up to a maximum, at that time, of $100,000 per person and $1,000,000 per accident. Mo.Rev.Stat. §§ 537.600.1(1), 537.610.2;1 Thompson v. City of West Plains, 935 S.W.2d 334, 335…