Beard v. Indemnity Insurance Co.

64 S.E. 119, 65 W. Va. 283, 1909 W. Va. LEXIS 42
CourtWest Virginia Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 9, 1909
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 64 S.E. 119 (Beard v. Indemnity Insurance Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering West Virginia Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Beard v. Indemnity Insurance Co., 64 S.E. 119, 65 W. Va. 283, 1909 W. Va. LEXIS 42 (W. Va. 1909).

Opinion

Robinson, Judge:

On the trial of an action upon a policy of insurance against death resulting from bodily injuries caused by external, violent and accidental means, a verdict was rendered by the jury in favor off the beneficiary for the amount to be paid by the insurer upon the happening of such contingency. That amount was one thousand dollars. The verdict was set aside as contrary to law and the evidence and a new trial was awarded. To that action of the court below, this writ of error is prosecuted.

To justify the aforesaid action of the court, it must be found that errors were committed at the trial to the prejudice of' the defendant or that the verdict was contrary to law and the evidence. Robinson v. Kistler, 62 W. Va. 489. The defendant does [286]*286not complain that errors to its prejudice -were made at the trial _ of the case.' It relies upon the assertion that the verdict- was contrary to law and the evidence. Then, it is as to this assertion only that we are called upon to inquire.

. The real substance of the evidence is as follows: The insured was found, some time between 9 :30 and 10:30 o’clock at night, badly injured, at the foot of a high wall where 16th Street, in the City of Huntington, passes under the tracks of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. He was unconscious at the time, and died a few hours later in a hospital, never having regained consciousness. Just before he was found injured, insured was seen lying on a bench by the side of the telegraph office, which is situated at the top of this wall, very near its edge, and just above' the point at which he was found. The telegraph office is near the railway tracks, and on a level therewith, it seems. The wall is one necessary to the lowering of the street so as to ' make the street cross the railroad under grade. At the telegraph office it was not guarded 'by a railing. The night on which the injury occurred was dark, and the electric light at the intersection of 16th Street and the railroad was not burning. The insured was an extra locomotive fireman of the railway company. His run was from Russell, Kentucky, to Handley, West "Virginia. He frequently stajred with his brother, the beneficiary of the policy, who resided in Huntington; but he had not been there for several days. The road foreman of engines testifies that men making such run out of Russell but living in Huntington, frequently board trains at the telegraph office above designated to deadhead to Russell. There is no direct evidence, however, that the insured was ever at this telegraph office before. The yard-clerk, whose duties were at that place and whose office was located there, when asked if he had ever seen the insured come there to take a train, replied: “I don’t know whether I ever saw him; no sir.” Ho one knows just how the injured man came to fall from the wall. A hostler who was attending some engines there saw the insured lying on the bench as he passed into the office. The insured was still tying there when this hostler came out of the office and walked to the upper end of the railway bridge over the street. When he reached that part of the bridge, he heard an unusual noise. He at once returned toward the office, and noticed that the insured was not on the bench. An [287]*287investigation was immediately made, and insured was found below the wall as mentioned above. The yard-clerk testifies that he saw the insured sitting on this same bench near the same hour above named; that he addressed him in a friendly way; and that the insured answered. He did not know the insured personally. It was this yard-clerk and the hostler who found him at the bottom of the wall. Both testify that the3r observed no evidence of intoxication, either before or after they found him. By the police judge it was proved that two or three days before the accident, the insured had been brought into his court on a charge of drunkenness. Insured was comparatively sober at the time he was tried. He was not again seen by said official. The secretary of the insurance company testifies that he saw the insured the day before he was injured, and that he was then intoxicated. A policeman testifies that he saw him near a saloon some time after 'supper the evening on which the accident occurred; and adds that it was “between eight and half past ten o’clock. I can’t tell just exactly what time.” The policeman says the insured “looked like he was intoxicated right smartly when he came through.” It seems that the insured passed through the saloon. The policeman, however, says that he was not drunk enough to be arrested; that he was not disturbing the peace; that he did not smell insured’s breath; and that he. did not see him drink anything. He testifies that the saloon was crowded, but can name no other of the many people there; nor can he tell how the insured was dressed, what kind of hat he wore, or whether or not he had on his working clothes. The physician who attended the injured man, as a witness for plaintiff, described the extent of the injuries and the result thereof. This witness, though, was not examined by either party as to-whether or not any evidences or appearances of intoxication were manifest.

The policy provided that it did not cover any injury occasioned wholly or partty, directly or indirectly, by many things, among them being intoxication and voluntary or negligent exposure to unnecessary danger. And it also provided no insurance against injury received while the insured was on a railroad bridge or roadbed, except as to railway employes while on duty incident to their occupation.

• The insurance company defended under the general issue and [288]*288by three special pleas, relying upon the averments that the insured was intoxicated at the time of the injury to him; that such injury was due to voluntary or negligent exposure to unnecessary danger by insured; and that the injury was received while the insured was on a railroad bridge or roadbed at a time when he was not on duty incident to his occupation as a railway employe. These defenses, except the last named, were further availed of by three instructions asked and given on behalf of defendant. The first instruction was to the effect that the jury should find for the defendant if they believed from the evidence that the insured was in a state of intoxication at the time he received the injury which caused his death. The second instruction was that the jury should find for the defendant if they believed from the evidence that the insured voluntarily or negligently exposed him- ■ self to unnecessary danger which resulted in the injury that caused his death. The third was to the effect that the jury should find for the defendant if they believed from the evidence that at the time of the accident complained of the insured was intoxicated, and that by reason of such -intoxication he stepped or fell from the top of the east wall of the 16th Street under-grade crossing, receiving the injury which resulted in his death.

Thus, we: see, the issues submitted to the jury were plain. The plaintiff sought to establish injury, from which death resulted to the insured, by violent and accidental means. The defense sought to establish intoxication, voluntary or negligent exposure to unnecessary danger, or that the insured was on a railroad bridge or roadbed, at the time of the injury. The sufficiency of plaintiffs evidence was not challenged by defendant at the trial. The defendant rested the case with the jury, relying upon instructions given in its behalf, as we have noted. Plaintiff asked no instructions, relying solely on his evidence.

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Bluebook (online)
64 S.E. 119, 65 W. Va. 283, 1909 W. Va. LEXIS 42, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/beard-v-indemnity-insurance-co-wva-1909.