Brigham v. Mutual Life Insurance Co.

163 P. 380, 95 Wash. 196, 1917 Wash. LEXIS 766
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 2, 1917
DocketNo. 13551
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 163 P. 380 (Brigham v. Mutual Life Insurance Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brigham v. Mutual Life Insurance Co., 163 P. 380, 95 Wash. 196, 1917 Wash. LEXIS 766 (Wash. 1917).

Opinion

Morris, J. —

Action on a life insurance policy brought by the wife of the deceased, beneficiary named in the policy. The lower court held that the action must fail because of misrepresentations made by deceased in the application upon which the policy was issued. Respondent pleaded and proved as an affirmative defense that, at the time of making the application for the policy on July 21, 1913, the insured made the following representations:

“(17) What illnesses, diseases, injuries, or surgical operations have you had since childhood? None.
[197]*197“(18) State every physician or practitioner who has prescribed for or treated you, or whom you have consulted in the past five years. None.
“(19) Have you stated in answer to question 17 all illnesses, diseases, injuries or surgical operations which you have had since childhood? (Ans. Yes or No.) Yes.
“(20) Have you stated in answer to question 17 every physician and practitioner consulted during the past five years and dates of consultation? (Ans. Yes or no.) Yes.”

The evidence shows that, in April, 1910, the insured fainted while at work. He was carried into a nearby house, and later went to his own home without assistance, though accompanied by his brother. A physician was called after the insured reached his home, and testified that he found him in bed but “perfectly himself, mentally and every other way.” The next morning this physician, Dr. Davis, made a more complete examination of the insured, including his urine, in which some albumin was found. Rest and a diet were prescribed. The examinations of the urine were continued for a period of two or three months,. though only the one professional call was made. The albumin gradually diminished until, in the last examination, it entirely disappeared. On January 17, 1911, the insured went to another physician, Dr. West, for a physical examination. He told Dr. West that Dr. Davis had treated him some time before for albuminuria. Dr. West examined the lungs and heart action and also the urine, subjecting it to the usual tests. The urine was found to be without albumin, though there were found to be some phosphates which the doctor testified indicated nothing more than a nervous state. He also testified that this examination indicated nothing in the nature of an organic disease, but as the urine was slightly discolored, other examinations were made on January SO, May 20, and June SO. As the result of these examinations, Dr. West found insured in practically normal health. In June, 1911, while on his way to Whidby Island, insured again fainted. He recovered in a few minutes and appeared perfectly normal [198]*198thereafter. No physician was called at this time. He was then on his way to take part in a Chautauqua, and fulfilled his engagement of one week in apparently good health. In August, 1911, the insured moved to Sumas. On September 6, 1911, Dr. Dalton, of Sumas, who was respondent’s medical examiner at that place, at insured’s request, made a physical examination of him, including his urine. Dr. Dalton continued his examinations of the insured for some time, and testified in regard to such examinations, in part as follows:

“I believe I made two or three physical examinations of Lew H. Brigham. These physical examinations together with the urine examinations were satisfactory to me as diagnoses of his condition. I believe I took his blood pressure at the time. The urine examinations were thorough as I remember. My habit is to give the urine a thorough examination, including microscopical. By the several diagnoses I have testified to I came to the conclusion that Brigham was in normal health. I reached that conclusion at the end of each diagnosis to which I have testified. After making each of these diagnoses I always told him that there was nothing the matter with him. The diagnoses were satisfactory.”

Some time thereafter, Dr. Dalton or his assistant, Dr. Thompson, recommended Brigham to respondent’s solicitor as a good insurance risk, and on July 21, l9l3, Brigham appeared before Dr. Dalton to take the medical examination. Dr. Dalton testified that, at this examination, he wrote the answers to questions 17 to 20, inclusive, as insured responded; that, at the time, he knew nothing of his condition which would lead him to believe the answers to these questions, or any of them, were incorrect. . When he wrote the answer, “None,” to question 18, he had not forgotten the numerous examinations, consultations and prescriptions to which he had referred in his previous testimony, but that he did not consider they affected the risk in any way. Upon these facts, the lower court sustained a challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence. Counsel for respondent now contend that the lower court affirmatively found in these answers an intent to de[199]*199ceive. This contention is not sustained by the record, which discloses that the lower court was of the opinion that, when it appeared that the answers were false, such falsity alone and of itself vitiated the policy. This is shown by the following observations of the lower court in ruling upon the admission of testimony and in sustaining the challenge to the sufficiency of the testimony:

“The only issue here is whether he correctly answered these questions and if so whether the insurance company shall be excused from paying the policy on that ground. . . .
“It seems to me these matters are vital. The applicant at the time he made his application for insurance did fail to disclose them. They are matters the company had the right to know. They were representations relied upon by the company and it was fraud to conceal them. . . .
“The question here is whether or not he answered truthfully these questions that were put to him in his application for insurance.”

These holdings of the lower court, to our mind, indicate a wrong view of the law, in the light of Rem. Code, § 6059-34, which provides in part as follows:

“No oral or written misrepresentation or warranty made in the negotiation of a contract or policy of insurance, by the assured or in his behalf, shall be deemed material or defeat or avoid the policy or prevent it attaching, unless such' misrepresentation or warranty is made with the intent to deceive.”

It is not enough under this statute to find that the representations were false. It must further be found that they were made with intent to deceive. Under the peculiar facts in this case, such question should have been submitted to the jury.

Another error shown by the record was in the exclusion of testimony offered by a brother-in-law of the insured, to the effect that, in July, 1911, just prior to the time when insured moved to Sumas, he called on Dr. Dalton, at the request of insured’s mother, and told the doctor of the in[200]*200cident which resulted in the calling of Dr. Davis in April, 1910. That he then told Dr. Dalton that the reason why he called upon him and disclosed this information was because it was the first time insured had lived away from home and his mother was anxious about him because of his previous physical condition and wanted him to be subjected to medical observation. The insured moved to Sumas in August, 1911, and his first consultation with Dr. Dalton was September 6, 1911.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
163 P. 380, 95 Wash. 196, 1917 Wash. LEXIS 766, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brigham-v-mutual-life-insurance-co-wash-1917.