Tobel v. Travelers Ins. Co

In Tobel v. Travelers Ins. Co., 195 Ariz. 363,39-40, n.5, 988 P.2d 148, 155-56, 155 n.5 (App. 1999), the underinsured claimant was an employee of a traffic barricade company who was away from his truck carrying a barricade to another location when he was hit. Id.3, 7. The court found the truck was equipped with specialized safety equipment, was intended as a safety device, and the driver was using it as such. Id.31. Therefore, the driver was covered by the policy's UIM provision. Id.1, 32. A school bus is equipped with flashing safety lights and a stop sign in order to allow school children to board or exit the bus safely and cross the street. It is intended not only to transport students but also to allow them to navigate the streets safely before and after riding the bus. Therefore, a school bus is a specialized vehicle. See id. n.4, 988 P.2d at 154 n.4. Furthermore, when a vehicle is "intended to be used as more than a means of transportation," it is a specialized vehicle and its use may depend on the nature of the owner's business and "the specialized nature and function of the vehicle involved." Tobel, 195 Ariz. 363,20, 31, 988 P.2d at 152, 154.