Benefit Assoc. of Railway Employees v. Hulet

26 N.E.2d 548, 107 Ind. App. 633
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 15, 1940
DocketNo. 16,245.
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 26 N.E.2d 548 (Benefit Assoc. of Railway Employees v. Hulet) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Benefit Assoc. of Railway Employees v. Hulet, 26 N.E.2d 548, 107 Ind. App. 633 (Ind. Ct. App. 1940).

Opinion

Dudine, J.

This is an action instituted by appellee, Anna Hulet, as administratrix of the estate of Arthur Hulet, deceased, her husband, against appellant to recover on an accident and illness insurance policy issued by appellant to appellee’s decedent.

*635 The original complaint consisted of three paragraphs the first of which was dismissed by the plaintiff below. Recovery was sought in each of the second and third paragraphs of complaint on the accident features of the policy for disability suffered by said decedent which allegedly resulted from a sun-stroke. It was alleged however in each of said paragraphs of complaint that the full amount due appellee’s decedent under the illness features of the policy had been paid to decedent and was accepted by him for the same disability. The issues having been closed the cause was submitted to a jury for trial and the jury returned a verdict in the favor of appellee in the sum of $900.00 and judgment was rendered upon the verdict.

The errors assigned upon appeal and discussed in appellant’s brief are: (1) Claimed error in overruling a demurrer of appellant to the second paragraph of complaint; (2) Claimed error in overruling a motion of appellant to require appellee to separate the third paragraph of complaint into two or more paragraphs; (3) Claimed error in overruling a motion of appellant to strike out portions of the third paragraph of complaint; (4) Claimed error in overruling a demurrer of appellant to the third paragraph of complaint; (5) Claimed error in overruling a motion of appellant for new trial.

Appellant contends, in support of the claimed error in overruling the demurrer to the second paragraph of complaint, that said paragraph of complaint ‘ ‘ shows on its face that the sun-stroke alleged to have been suffered by appellee’s decedent did not result from an unexpected and accidental exposure to the rays of the sun. It was therefore not an accident within the meaning of the policy in suit, but was a disease.”

*636 The second paragraph of complaint alleged, among other facts, that appellee’s decedent had been employed as a freight brakeman and that on the “- day of June, 1931, the exact date of which is unknown to the plaintiff . . . plaintiff’s decedent received a violent personal injury by reason of a position in and about the train in the performance of his work as a brakeman on said train of cars and engine, plaintiff’s decedent was subjected to the direct and indirect rays of the sun and while so performing and attempting to perform said work in the course and scope of his employment ... said decedent suffered ... (a) sun-stroke whereby he was disabled from performing any and every kind of work or occupation for wages or profit, . . . and became and was . . . until his death, in fact totally and permanently disabled from performing any kind of work whatever . . . ”.

Said paragraph of complaint alleges further that at the time when appellee’s decedent received said sun-stroke he was covered by the insurance policy which had theretofore been issued by appellant to him. Said insurance policy was made part of the complaint. The policy provided an $80.00 monthly illness indemnity not exceeding fourteen months and an $80.00 monthly accident indemnity for the “continuous period” of total disability caused by accident.

The policy provided indemnity “for loss resulting directly and exclusively of all other causes from bodily injuries sustained at any time during the life of the policy solely through external, violent and accidental means . .

Appellant does not contend in its brief that the second paragraph of complaint shows on its face that that the sun-stroke allegedly suffered by decedent did not constitute “external” or “violent” means within the meaning of said terms *637 as used in the indemnity clause of the policy which we have just quoted, but appellant contends in effect that the alleged sun-stroke did not constitute “accidental?’ means within the meaning of that term as used in said clause.

We think the decision of our Supreme Court in Elsey v. Fidelity and Casualty Co. of New York (1918), 187 Ind. 447, 120 N.E. 42, followed in American Income Insurance Co. v. Kindlesparker (1936), 102 Ind. App. 445, 200 N.E. 432 is a complete answer to said contention of appellant, and said decision is adverse to such contention.

We note that the insurance policy involved in the Elsey case, supra, expressly provided that “sunstroke . . . shall be deemed a bodily injury within the meaning of the policy ”. We note further that the policy in the instant case does not contain such provision. It does not follow from that difference in the two policies that the Elsey case, supra, is not applicable here. The Supreme Court’s decision in that case is not basedupon said provision in the policy before them which we have just quoted. On authority of that case we hold that the bodily injuries alleged, in the second paragraph of complaint, to have been suffered by appellee’s decedent were allegedly sustained through “accidental means” within the meaning of that phrase as used in the indemnity clause of the policy involved in this case which clause we have quoted above.

Appellant contends further, in support of the claimed error in overruling the demurrer to the second • paragraph of complaint, that said paragraph shows on its face that appellee’s decedent “made claim (our italics) under the illness features of the policy for the same disability . . . for which recovery is now sought -under the accident features of the policy and was paid the sum of *638 $1120.00;” and appellant contends further that therefore appellee is estopped from recovering on the accident features of the policy. It is sufficient to say with reference to said contentions that the second paragraph of complaint does not allege that appellee “made claim” on the illness features of the policy.

Appellant contends in effect,in support of each of the claimed errors numbered 2, 3 and 4 above, that the third paragraph of complaint purports to state two separate and distinct causes of action, based on inconsistent theories, i.e., one on the theory that plaintiff’s decedent performed all of the terms and conditions of the policy to be performed by him before bringing the action, and the other being the theory that appellant waived performance, by the appellee’s decedent, of certain of the terms and conditions of the policy to be performed by appellee prior to the bringing of the action. It is sufficient to say with reference to said terms and conditions and to each of said claimed errors that the third paragraph of complaint did not allege two inconsistent theories as to the performance of conditions and terms of the policy by appellee’s decedent, but alleged performance of all of said conditions and terms, “except that if the decedent did fail to perform any of the conditions . . . the defendant waived its right to require the same . . . . ”

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Bluebook (online)
26 N.E.2d 548, 107 Ind. App. 633, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/benefit-assoc-of-railway-employees-v-hulet-indctapp-1940.