Bergerson v. General Insurance Co. of America

148 S.W.2d 812, 235 Mo. App. 806, 1941 Mo. App. LEXIS 30
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 6, 1941
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 148 S.W.2d 812 (Bergerson v. General Insurance Co. of America) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bergerson v. General Insurance Co. of America, 148 S.W.2d 812, 235 Mo. App. 806, 1941 Mo. App. LEXIS 30 (Mo. Ct. App. 1941).

Opinion

*810 SHAIN, P. J.

This is an action for loss by fire of goods and chattels belonging to Frank N. Eddy and Hallie D. Eddy, to whom the defendant had duly issued its policy of insurance while situate in a frame shingle-roofed building at 1206 Swift Avenue, North Kansas City, Clay County, Missouri. The amount of insurance is stated at $3000, and premium of $32.40 was duly paid to defendant and the insurance took effect February 9, 1933.

Prior to the destruction of the property by fire, to-wit, October 10, 1933, the property bad been removed from 1206 Swift Avenue, aforesaid, to a frame building one-half mile north of Martin City, Missouri.

The plaintiff herein is an assignee of the Eddy’s. Plaintiff alleges that the policy was in full force and effect at the time the property was destroyed by fire.

The defendant denies that the policy was in effeet at the time of its destruction for the reason that under the terms of its policy, the *811 property was insured “while located and contained as described herein, and not elsewhere, to-wit: while said property is situated in the shingle-roofed building at 1206 Swift Avenue, North Kansas City, Clay County, Missouri.”

The plaintiff contends that defendant agreed to insure the goods in the new location and the defendant denies that any such agreement to that effect was ever had or made, and therein lies the principal issue herein.

This cause was once before reviewed by this court and in our opinion, 105 S. W. (2d) 1015, this court held that the question of liability was one of fact to be determined by’ the jury. However, the judgment for plaintiff in the former trial was reversed and remanded for error in instruction.

Upon a retrial in the circuit court, a jury verdict for plaintiff was returned as follows:

“We the jury, find the issues for the plaintiff and do assess his damages on the policy at $2,700.00 with interest thereon of $895.00 and we do further find that defendant’s refusal to pay was vexatious and do assess a penalty of $270.00, and an attorney fee of $750.00

“Charles A. Boyd,

“Foreman.”

Judgment was duly entered in accord with verdict and defendant duly appealed. We will continue to refer to respondent as plaintiff and to appellant as defendant.

The defendant’s assignments of error are voluminous in number and argumentative in reasons. Twenty-six assignments are made covering fourteen pages of closely printed matter. However, under points and authorities defendant has consolidated its complaints under eighteen specific points.

Defendant’s first assignment is based upon evidence given by plaintiff’s witness, Mrs. Eddy, as follows:

“Q. Mrs. Eddy, state what your conversation was with Mr. Ducate ?

“Mr. Westmoreland: I object to that question. It is the same question he asked.

“The Court: I think you opened that up.

“Mr. Westmoreland: Not any statement or conversation.

“The Court: You asked if the adjuster didn’t tell her certain things. She said he didn’t. Now she can tell what was said.

“To which action, order and ruling of the court, the defendant then and there at the time excepted, and still excepts.

“A. Mr. Ducate came out the second time. The first time we were living in a tent and I said, ‘Mr. Ducate, we will go over to where we had the loss’ and he said — ‘No need. I have been over there and I will tell the world it was a total loss. ’

*812 “Q. Tell anything else! A. He said— ‘I will be back’ and he said — ‘Mrs. Eddy, will you take five or six hundred dollars — ’

“Q. (Interrupting): Leave out that part of it.”

The defendant makes claim that the above “remarks, statements and evidence made by plaintiff’s witness, Hallie D. Eddy, in the presence and hearing of the jury concerning an alleged offer of compromise and settlement were prejudicially erroneous and prevented the defendant from having a fair and impartial trial.”

As to said statement of the witness, the defendant duly objected and asked some be stricken and that court declare a mistrial. The court in response stated to the jury as follows:

“The Court: Plaintiff’s request that the court instruct the jury to disregard the impartial answer of the witness. Gentlemen of the jury you will not regard the statement as to the five or six hundred dollars. Motion to declare a mistrial and discharge the jury is by the court refused.”

In the former trial of this ease, Mrs. Eddy was permitted to state as to a purported offer of settlement. In the opinion of this court, 105 S. W. (2d), supra, admonition was given wherein it is stated “plaintiff should scrupulously avoid getting before the jury the question of an offer of settlement on the part of defendant.”

The injectment into the case of the language used by the witness is unfortunate. However, the trial court pulled out the nail and puttied up the hole as best he could and we conclude that the showing is not sufficient within itself to justify a reversal.

From a careful consideration of points presented by defendant, we find that quite a number of same were before us in the former appeal. It follows, that as to these points, our former opinion is the law of the case unless on such issues there is presented herein a material change in the testimony from that presented in the former trial.

In point two of its brief, the defendant urges that it was error to refuse its offered peremptory instructions in the nature of demurrer to the evidence.

The evidence as to the issue of liability for loss by fire, we find, is practically the same as in the former trial wherein this court held there was presented an issue of fact for the jury. [See 105 S. W. (2d) 1017-1018.]

There is, however, evidence in the trial herein under review that did not appear before and we conclude that our conclusion will be better understood by including herein testimony that was given in this hearing. However, before doing so we call attention to the fact that there is shown some confusion in the trial of this case due to the fact that the insurance was purchased through a broker. • It can clearly be inferred from the evidence that the insured was not aware of the limitation of authority of the broker; in other *813 words, that the broker was agent of defendant only in respect to delivery of policy and collection of premiums and, with limited knowledge as to the situation, the insured continued to deal direct with the broker and on a previous occasion by communication with the broker alone had secured a desired endorsement upon the policy.

In the trial now before us for review, the defendant called Mr. Miller, the broker, as a witness and his testimony clarifies the situation to some extent.

In the direct examination of Mr. Miller, the following questions and answers appear:

“Q.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

City of Kansas City v. Johnston
778 S.W.2d 321 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1989)
Citicorp Industrial Credit, Inc. v. Federal Insurance
672 F. Supp. 1105 (N.D. Illinois, 1987)
Vanskike v. ACF Industries, Inc.
665 F.2d 188 (Eighth Circuit, 1981)
Stephens v. Bi-State Development Agency
439 S.W.2d 252 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1969)
Flynn v. Union National Bank of Springfield
378 S.W.2d 1 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1964)
Still v. Travelers Indemnity Company
374 S.W.2d 95 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1963)
Oriole Paper Box Co. v. Reliance Insurance
257 F.2d 707 (Fourth Circuit, 1958)
Gillmore v. Atwell
283 S.W.2d 636 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1955)
Stallcup v. Williamson
235 S.W.2d 318 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1950)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
148 S.W.2d 812, 235 Mo. App. 806, 1941 Mo. App. LEXIS 30, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bergerson-v-general-insurance-co-of-america-moctapp-1941.