Groat v. Equity American Insurance

OPINION

GERBER, Judge.

In this appeal, we consider whether the trial court properly struck appellant Equity American Insurance Co.’s (“Equity”) answer to a writ of garnishment as a discovery sanction and entered a default judgment against Equity in the full amount of the underlying judgment. For the reasons which follow, we affirm the trial court’s rulings in both respects.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On October 23, 1987, appellee Tami Lyn Groat was injured when a car driven by Shawn Ray Howard collided head-on with her car. Just before the accident, Howard, then a minor, had been drinking beer…