Commonwealth Life Ins. Co. v. Brandon

97 S.W.2d 2, 265 Ky. 434, 1936 Ky. LEXIS 508
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kentucky (pre-1976)
DecidedOctober 6, 1936
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 97 S.W.2d 2 (Commonwealth Life Ins. Co. v. Brandon) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kentucky (pre-1976) primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Commonwealth Life Ins. Co. v. Brandon, 97 S.W.2d 2, 265 Ky. 434, 1936 Ky. LEXIS 508 (Ky. 1936).

Opinion

Opinion op the Court by

Judge Richardson

— Affirming.

This is an appeal from a judgment for the payment of “Twenty-five ($25.00) Dollars per month, beginning June 27th, 1933, for each month thereafter,' and up to .and including July 27th, 1935,” with interest thereon, on the 27th day of each month, and the further sum of $239.28, a total of two paid premiums, with interest from the dates named in the judgment. ■

The cause was submitted to the court without a jury. In his finding of facts the court decided that Henry E. Brandon for “more than sixty (60) days prior to the filing of his proof of disability with the defendant, on January 18th, 1932, was totally and permanently, disabled so that he has been, is, and will be permanently, continuously, and wholly prevented thereby from performing any worli for compensation or profit, or from following any gainful occupation”; that the Commonwealth Life Insurance Company under the disability benefit clause of its policy herein, paid Brandon on account of his total and permanent disability $25 per month, beginning July 27, 1932, and had waived the payment of two premiums, and thereafter, on May 10, 1934, and May 10, 1935, Brandon had paid it two premiums of $134.64 each. The court further found that Brandon was totally and permanently disabled during the years 1.927, 1928, 1929, 1930, and 1931, and for six months of the year 1932, but had failed to furnish notice and proof of disability until in 1932, and that he recover nothing for the period beginning January 27, 1927, and ending January 27, 1932.

Brandon prayed an appeal from so much of the .judgment as denied his recovery for this period, and the insurance company from so much of the judgment as allowed Brandon to recover any sum.

Brandon prosecutes no cross-appeal; therefore, so much of the judgment from which he was granted an appeal will not be further considered.

The insurance company, as a basis of its argument for reversal, insists the court erred in overruling its *437 motion to continue the case, both before and after Brandon was permitted to file an amended petition; it erred in overruling its motion to requiré Brandon to submit to a physical examination by Dr. H. B.. Sights, at Paducah, Ky., and Dr. W. B. Mason, at Murray, Ky., and “the verdict is flagrantly against the evidence.”

After Brandon had announced ready for trial, the insurance company entered a motion for a continuance,, supported by the affidavits of its attorney, R. H. Hood, and Dr. W. L. Miller. Its motion was overruled on the condition that Hood’s affidavit be read as a deposition of the absent witness, Dr. Louis Weber. It reserved an objection to this ruling. Brandon objected to the reading of the affidavit, because no diligence had been shown to obtain the deposition or presence of Dr. Weber. His. objection was overruled; thereupon, he consented that the affidavit might be read as the deposition of Weber. Hood’s affidavit for continuance states that Weber was-a licensed, practicing physician — the chief medical examiner of the Commonwealth Life Insurance Company —skilled in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the human body; that he “has access to all the correspondence between the claimant,” (Brandon) and the company, and that in January, 1932, Brandon had presented to the insurance company a claim for disability, supported by the report of a physician, and it believing the same were true, approved his claim and waived the payment of the premium due May 13, 1932, commenced the payment of a monthly income in July of that year, and continued to pay the same through May, 1933, the premium due May 10, 1933, being waived. But in May, 1933, the insurance. company received information that Brandon’s claim was not bona fide, and Weber went to-Murray, Ky., called in person on Brandon and found him plowing’ in the field, doing heavy, manual labor-;, that Brandon had then stated to him that he had never' stopped work on account of any illness, though occasionally he would have slight attacks of indigestion; that, he had done all the usual and ordinary work on the. farm; his son had built a barn on the farm and put a. steep roof on it and he (Brandon) worked on this roof as a carpenter; that he was magistrate of Hazel district; had never missed a meeting of the fiscal court, or was prevented from going on any road project in the district or doing any duty whatsoever connected with his office. And on that occasion Weber had made a *438 thorough physical and clinical examination of Brandon. Following this statement, the affidavit contains an elaborate description of Weber’s examination of Brandon and of his findings concerning Brandon’s claimed ailments.

The record discloses that this action was filed March 30, 1934. Process was executed on that date. The trial occurred on the 14th day of August, the ninth day of the August term, 1935. On the 6th day of August, the second day of the August term, 1935, the insurance company requested the court to enter, and the court entered, an order requiring the personal attendance at the trial of Dr. W. B. Mason on the seventh day of the term. We find no order for the personal attendance, subpoena or other process for Dr. Weber, though the case had been pending for some time before it was called for trial and tried.

To avoid the general rule requiring a party asking the continuance to establish to the satisfaction of the court that he had exercised due diligence to procure an absent witness, the affidavit of Dr. W. L. Miller was filed, wherein he states, “that Dr. Weber is suffering from severe bruises * * * and is not in physical condition to attend court at Murray, Kentucky, on the coming Monday.” The record does not disclose the residence of Dr. Weber, other than it may be inferred that he resided in Jefferson county. It is true the affidavit of Hood states that the just and proper effect of Dr. Weber cannot be had unless he orally testified in court.

It is true section 556, Civil Code of Practice, provides that upon the affidavit of a party and the written statement of his attorney that the testimony of a witness is important and the just and proper effect of his testimony cannot in a reasonable degree be obtained without an oral examination in court, the court may, at its discretion, order the personal attendance of the witness. We have often construed this provision to mean that when a continuance is sought because of the absence of a witness whose personal attendance is desired, the granting the request is in the discretion of the court. Louisville & N. R. Co. v. Bishop, 89 S. W. 221, 28 Ky. Law Rep. 321; Holzhauer v. Sheeny, 127 Ky. 28, 104 S. W. 1034, 31 Ky. Law Rep. 1238; Crane v. Hall, 165 *439 Ky. 827, 178 S. W. 1096; Bolar v. Browning, 168 Ky. 273, 181 S. W. 1109.

We have ruled it was not error to refuse a postponement of the trial in order to procure the personal attendance of a witness where the movant had not complied with section 556 as to the necessity of the personal attendance of the witness. Crane v. Hall, supra.

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

Related

Metropolitan Life Ins. v. Pitcher
108 F.2d 621 (Fifth Circuit, 1939)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
97 S.W.2d 2, 265 Ky. 434, 1936 Ky. LEXIS 508, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commonwealth-life-ins-co-v-brandon-kyctapphigh-1936.