Cox v. National Life and Accident Insurance Company

420 S.W.2d 213, 1967 Tex. App. LEXIS 2675
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedOctober 4, 1967
Docket5900
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 420 S.W.2d 213 (Cox v. National Life and Accident Insurance Company) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cox v. National Life and Accident Insurance Company, 420 S.W.2d 213, 1967 Tex. App. LEXIS 2675 (Tex. Ct. App. 1967).

Opinion

OPINION

CLAYTON, Justice.

This is a suit to recover under an insurance policy issued by appellee, defendant below, on the life of Donald G. Cox, deceased, filed by his widow, appellant Patricia M. Cox, Individually and as Executrix under the Will of the Deceased. Trial was to a jury which found all issues favorably to appellee and on which verdict judgment was rendered for the insurance company. Appellant gave notice of appeal and filed her affidavit in forma pauperis in lieu of cost bond, which was contested by appel-lee and such contest sustained by the court. The appeal comes to us, however, on the Transcript and an Agreed Statement of Facts.

The appellant presents five points of error. Nos. I and II relate to the court’s having overruled her special exception to Paragraph II of appellee’s Amended Original Answer in which appellee states that the application for the insurance is a part of the contract of insurance and a condition precedent to the contract of insurance, that the insured was to be in “good health” at the time of the delivery of the policy, which application appellee states was attached to the answer as “Exhibit A”. The Agreed Statement of Facts stipulates that appellee was allowed to read this paragraph to the jury, over the exception of appellant, and presented no evidence as to whether the application was attached to the policy at the time of its issuance, nor was it attached to the policy when the policy was intro *215 duced by appellant, the only evidence on the point being that of appellant that the policy was in the same condition as when received by her from the Military Police shortly after the death of her husband. Nevertheless, Point of Error No. II relates that appellee was allowed to introduce the application in evidence over appellant’s timely objection. The jury found in answer to Special Issue No. 1, that the deceased was not in sound health on October S, 1964, the date the policy was issued, and, in answer to Special Issue No. 2, that the deceased answered “No” in the application, that he had not consulted or been treated by a doctor, other practitioner, or dispensary or clinic within the past five years. Also, in answer to Special Issues Nos. 3 through 8, that he answered “No”, as to whether or not he had been treated for high blood pressure; that these answers to Special Issues 2 and 3 were false; they were given for the purpose of inducing the insurance company to issue the policy; they were relied upon by the company, which would not have issued the policy had the true physical condition of applicant been known to it; and that no money was due to compensate appellant’s attorney for services rendered appellant. Appellant claims that these jury findings were influenced by introduction of the application.

As to the introduction of the application for insurance, the stipulated Statement of Facts provides:

“V.
“There was sufficient evidence of probative weight and value to support the jury’s finding to Special Issue No. 1 as contained in the Court’s charge and the Judgment of the Court to the effect that the deceased, Donald G. Cox, was not of sound health at the time of the issuance of the insurance in question and such evidence was wholly unrelated to the application or any extrinsic evidence relating to that application. Prior medical records of the deceased, Donald G. Cox, from William Beaumont Hospital, covering a period of time of one year prior to the death of the decedent, Donald G. Cox, was properly introduced into evidence and the defense witness, Dr. Ralph Homan read and interpreted such medical and hospital reports on the witness stand and testified that the condition reflected by those reports and records was a serious physical condition known as high blood pressure; which was in its advanced stages; and which, in the doctor’s opinion, was of a substantial nature and materially affected the general healthfulness and soundness of the deceased. In the doctor’s opinion, the deceased, Donald G. Cox, was not in good health or in sound health at the time the policy was issued. The doctor further testified that the condition was an increasing abnormality which had become substantially worse within a few months prior to the issuance of the contract of insurance in question and which would continue to be an abnormality. The condition was not known by the insurer at the time of or prior to the issuance of the policy of insurance in question.
“Defense witnesses Dr. Ralph Homan, C. H. Bar and the Plaintiff’s witness, Mr. Merance, testified to facts which establish that the condition of the decedent, Donald G. Cox, prior to the issuance of the contract of insurance in question, substantially increased the risk to be assumed by the insurer.
“Pursuant to the evidence introduced in this case, the jury could have believed and answered Question No. 1 in the Court’s charge as they did, upon a preponderance of the evidence in this case, without consideration of any evidence relating to the application or the application itself.
“The policy of insurance in question was introduced into evidence in this case by the Plaintiff and contained, among other things, a provision to the effect that the life to be insured had to be *216 sound health on the date of the issuance of the contract of insurance or, otherwise, the contract of insurance would be void and of no force and effect.”

As to the law on the matter of introduction of the application for insurance, appellant cites us to Article 21.24, V.A.T.R. C.S., Insurance Code, providing:

“Every policy of insurance issued or delivered within this State by any life insurance company doing business within this State shall contain the entire contract between the parties, and the application therefor may be made a part thereof. Acts 1951, 52nd Leg., ch. 491.”

and to National Life & Accident Ins. Co. v. Love, 282 S.W. 829 (Tex.Civ.App., 1926; wr.dism.) in which the appeals court says:

“ * * * Neither the application for said policy nor any of the questions asked and answers given thereto in reference to her physical condition were indorsed upon said policy or attached thereto, as required by statute, and, this being true, neither of said instruments was any part of the insurance contract, and neither was admissible for any purpose.” (Citing cases).

Also, Harris v. Allstate Insurance Company, 249 S.W.2d 669, 671 (Tex.Civ.App., 1952; ref.), reciting:

“No written, photographic or printed copy of the application, nor a copy of the questions asked and answers given thereto, were attached to the policy, and, therefore could form no part of the insurance policy and was not admissible in evidence.” (Citing cases). “Notwithstanding the admission of the application in evidence and the submission of several issues in the charge based upon the application, the trial court in its judgment states: ‘the court having fully considered such verdict of the jury is of the opinion and finds that Special Issues Nos.

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Bluebook (online)
420 S.W.2d 213, 1967 Tex. App. LEXIS 2675, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cox-v-national-life-and-accident-insurance-company-texapp-1967.