Crown Life Insurance Company v. Roger K.C. Stokes

794 F.2d 501, 1986 U.S. App. LEXIS 27012
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedJuly 14, 1986
Docket85-3887
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 794 F.2d 501 (Crown Life Insurance Company v. Roger K.C. Stokes) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Crown Life Insurance Company v. Roger K.C. Stokes, 794 F.2d 501, 1986 U.S. App. LEXIS 27012 (9th Cir. 1986).

Opinions

STEPHENS, District Judge.

On September 1, 1977, Crown Life Insurance Company, a Canadian corporation, entered into a written agreement with L. Ray Drake appointing him General Agent for Crown Life in Idaho for the purpose of selling insurance policies. Drake did business thereafter as Crown Associates of Idaho. On April 15, 1978, Crown Associates executed an agreement which authorized Roger K.C. Stokes the appellant, to solicit policies on its behalf. Stokes was licensed by the State of Idaho as a life and disability insurance agent.

On March 15, 1982, Stokes, accompanied by another insurance salesman, Bob Froe-lich, obtained life insurance applications for Crown Life policies from Max and Janis Christiansen. Pursuant to Crown Life’s underwriting requirements, the Christian-sens were informed that they either had to take a medical examination or submit an attending physician’s report (APR) before their applications would be complete. An APR can be submitted in lieu of an additional examination report if an applicant has undergone a physical examination within the six months preceding the application.

The Christiansens submitted a check for the first premium payment and agreed that April 1, 1982, would be the effective date for the policies. According to Stokes’ deposition, Crown Life's receipt for amount paid and Conditional Insurance Agreement was issued to them. This document provided life insurance coverage by Crown Life on the same terms as the policy applied for from the date of their applications until the policy applied for becomes effective, provided that the applications were complete and a medical examination or APR showed them to be insurable risks.

Max Christiansen proceeded to have a medical examination and his policy was issued. Janis Christiansen signed the authorization forms to make information from a recent medical examination available to Crown Life. On March 19, 1982, Crown Associates sent Janis’ physician, Dr. Cop-pin, the APR for his completion. On March 24,1982, Dr. Coppin filled out the APR and sent it to Crown Life. On April 8, Crown Associates was informed by Crown Life that Coppin’s APR was lacking necessary medical information and that a medical examination would be required. Crown Associates then informed Stokes that Janis’ application was not complete. Stokes contacted Janis Christiansen, who indicated that Dr. Coppin had the necessary information.

On May 20, 1982, Crown Life notified Crown Associates that underwriting on Janis’ policy would terminate because a complete APR had never been received. After communication with Stokes, Crown Associates sent a telex to Crown Life on May 27, stating that the necessary information was available and would be forthcoming, and that the file should not be closed. On May 31, 1982, Crown Life responded by telex, indicating that they agreed to an extension for receipt of the information to June 3, 1982. Stokes was informed of this extension by Crown Associates on June 1, 1982.

Janis Christiansen was examined by Dr. John W. Obray of Soda Springs, Idaho who diagnosed her condition as lymph gland cancer. On June 8, 1982, without knowing about this diagnosis, Crown Life rejected Janis’ application for insurance and refunded her first premium payment of $20.00, [503]*503for the reason that it had not received the requested medical information.

Max Christiansen immediately informed Bob Froelich that the policy rejection had been received, and also informed him that Janis had cancer. Froelich in turn informed Stokes of the cancer and the rejection apparently without stating a reason for this action. Stokes then made inquiry of Crown Associates as to the reason for the delay in issuing the policy. He did not divulge to Crown Associates that Janis had cancer. Stokes testified that he believed that the change in insurability suffered by Janis was irrelevant for purposes of delivering the policy since an insurance binder was in effect at the time of the diagnosis.

As a result of pressure put on Crown Life by Stokes through Crown Associates, Crown Life decided to ignore the rejection notice, to waive the APR requirement and issue Janis’ policy. Crown Life and Crown Associates were still unaware of Janis’ cancer at that point. The policy was forwarded to Crown Associates and on June 29, 1982, the policy, the policy invoice, and an amendment form were given to Stokes for delivery to Janis. The instructions issued to Stokes with the policy indicated that the policy would be issued upon completion of the amendment form, provided that there had not been a change in Janis Christian-sen’s insurability. The policy invoice itself included the following instruction: “If there has been a change in insurability, do not deliver this policy, but return it to the office with full particulars.” The agreement signed between Stokes and Crown Associates contained a similar provision describing his duties to Crown Life. Stokes had Janis sign the policy on July 8, 1982, and without mentioning the change in her condition, returned the amendment form to Crown Associates’ office, which forwarded it to Crown Life. Stokes assured Janis that she was insured.

Janis Christiansen died from the previously diagnosed cancer on December 24, 1982. Crown Associates was informed of Janis’ death on January 6, 1983. Crown Life initially decided not to pay the claim filed by Max Christiansen on the ground that there had been a change in insurability prior to delivery of the policy and that the change had not been noted on the application amendment form. After discovering that Stokes knew of Janis’ cancer and had nonetheless assured her that she was covered, and after being advised that agency law imputes an agent’s knowledge to the principal, Crown Life concluded that it was liable on the policy issued to Janis and paid the $200,000 policy limit to Max Christian-sen as beneficiary on August 11, 1983.

Crown Life filed suit against Stokes seeking indemnity for the $200,000 paid to Max Christiansen on November 30, 1983. The parties filed cross-motions for summary judgment in January of 1985 and the district court heard argument on the motions on March 28, 1985. Of course, each motion stood alone and unless there are no material facts in dispute, neither could be granted. On April 18, 1985, a Memorandum Opinion and Order was issued granting Crown Life's motion for summary judgment, concluding that “[h]ad Stokes informed Crown Life that Christiansen had been diagnosed as having cancer, Crown Life would not have been obliged to issue the policy and, therefore, would not have been liable for the $200,000 paid on her death.” An amended Memorandum Opinion was filed on May 22, 1985, which avoided reference to an intentional breach of duty by Roger Stokes. Stokes appealed the district court’s grant of summary judgment to Crown Life. This court has jurisdiction based on 28 U.S.C. Section 1291.

We review a district court’s grant of summary judgment de novo to determine whether any genuine issues of material fact remain in the case and if the moving party was entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Triangle Mining Co. v. Stauffer Chemical Co., 753 F.2d 734, 738 (9th Cir.1985). Stokes contends that there were genuine issues of fact regarding his status as Crown Life’s agent and his alleged breach of duty. The district court determined that “[t]he written agreement between Crown Life’s General Agent, Drake,

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Related

Crown Life Insurance Company v. Roger K.C. Stokes
794 F.2d 501 (Ninth Circuit, 1986)

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Bluebook (online)
794 F.2d 501, 1986 U.S. App. LEXIS 27012, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/crown-life-insurance-company-v-roger-kc-stokes-ca9-1986.