Dailey v. Preferred Masonic Mutual Accident Ass'n of America

57 N.W. 184, 102 Mich. 289, 1894 Mich. LEXIS 1031
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 5, 1894
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 57 N.W. 184 (Dailey v. Preferred Masonic Mutual Accident Ass'n of America) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dailey v. Preferred Masonic Mutual Accident Ass'n of America, 57 N.W. 184, 102 Mich. 289, 1894 Mich. LEXIS 1031 (Mich. 1894).

Opinions

Long, J.

This action is brought upon a benefit and indemnity certificate of $5,000$ issued by the defendant upon the life of Arthur H. Dailey, a conductor on the Michigan Central Railroad, and a brother of the plaintiff, who was named as beneficiary therein. The maximum indemnity in case of injury was $25 per week. The cause was tried before a jury, resulting in a verdict and judgment for plaintiff for the amount of the policy and interest.

The record shows that the deceased made an application for the insurance in writing on January 16, 1891. It was filled out by Mr. McBride, a solicitor for the defendant, upon a blank form provided and furnished for that purpose. In answer to the question contained in the application: “Have you other accident insurance covering weekly indemnity? If so, give names of companies, and amount of weekly indemnity in each,” — McBride filled in the answer, “No.” And in answer to the question: “ Does the weekly indemnity you now carry, and the amount you hereby apply for, exceed your weekly salary, wages, or income? If so, how much? Answer fully,”— McBride filled in the answer, “No.” The testimony tends to show that, at the time of signing the application, Dailey explained to McBride that he had other insurance, which, with that proposed to be taken in the defendant company, would make the weekly indemnity exceed his wages; that McBride induced him to agree to drop this other insurance when it should expire, upon the 1st of March following, and assured him that the statements in the application would make no difference as to the validity [292]*292of the insurance he would give him; and that he agreed also to give Dailey credit for the premium until February 1. Mr. McBride testified that Mr. Miller, the secretary of the* company, was advised of the fact that Dailey had other insurance, and that he did not desire to pay until the end of the month. January 19, Mr. Miller, as secretary, indorsed an acceptance upon the application. January 24 a policy was filled out, and properly executed by the president and secretary, under the seal of the company, and mailed to Dailey. The same date, about two or three hours after the policy was mailed to him, Dailey was run over by his train, and injured, so that he died the following day. He never saw the policy, which was delivered at his residence in the regular course of mail. The premium required by the company was afterwards tendered and refused.

Mr. McBride testified on the trial that he informed Miller, the secretary, of all of the facts, and that Miller agreed to charge him with the premium, and issue the policy at once. McBride says:

I had told Miller that Dailey was going to let his other insurance run out, and he had promised to let me write him up as soon as his other insurance ran out. Miller said: ‘ You get it as soon as you can. We want it. He may not see you when it runs out, and get another year’s insurance in some other company.’”

Mr. Miller does not deny that he was informed of the other insurance, and of Dailey’s wish not to pay the premium at once. He says, however, that he did not agree to issue the policy and give credit for the premium. He did fill out the policy, however, and dated it back to the date of the application, January 16, but claims that he instructed his cashier not to deliver it until March 1, when the premium would be collected.

1. The defense claims that the policy was not operative [293]*293at the time of Dailey’s death, for the reason that it had not been delivered; that it was sent to applicant’s house by mistake; that the advance premium had not been paid; and that it was agreed that it should not become operative until March 1, 1891.-

The court instructed the jury substantially that if the policy was filled out by the secretary with intent to have it take immediate effect, he knowing of the other insurance and of the agreement to give credit for the premium, and it was mailed to the deceased with intent to. have it take immediate effect, the plaintiff could recover; but, on the other hand, if the secretary indorsed it to take effect on the 1st of March, when the other policy expired, and the secretary did not agree to extend credit for the premium, and the policy was mailed to the deceased by mistake of the cashier, and against the instructions of the secretary, the plaintiff would not be entitled to recover. The court further charged the jury that if they believed that the statements as to the other insurance, contained in the application, were made under the direction of McBride after he had been fully informed of the facts, and that the answers were written in by McBride after being so informed, the defendant would be bound by the acts of McBride, as he was the agent of the company.

We think there was testimony in the case to sustain these instructions. McBride says he knew of the other insurance, and the amount of it, and when it. would expire. He testifies that he advised the secretary of it, and in fact solicited the insurance under the advice of the secretary. If so, then, notwithstanding the answers in the application were not truthfully made, the company could not avoid the policy. The knowledge of McBride and the secretary was the knowledge of the company, and the company must be held to have waived the right to insist upon the other insurance as a forfeiture. Under such [294]*294circumstances it is not in a position to assert that the answers are untrue. Pudritzky v. Lodge, 76 Mich. 428.

The court was not in error in the charge as to* the extension of time to pay the premium, and the delivery of the policy, to take immediate effect. If the secretary, knowing all the facts, filled out the policy with intent to have it take immediate effect, and caused it to be mailed to the deceased as of force and effect at that time, the company cannot now be heard to say that there was no delivery, though it did not reach its destination until after the death of the insured. If these facts were true, the beneficiary could have enforced a deliverj' of the policy if delivery had been refused. The contract was complete when the application was accepted and credit given for the premium. May, Ins. § 46.

It is contended that the court was in error in directing the jury that Mr. McBride ivas the agent of the company, and that the company would be bound by his acts in writing in the answers to the questions in the application. We think the court was not in error in this part of the charge. Mr. McBride was given authority to take the application, and it appears that he was sent by the secretary for the very purpose of obtaining the application, the secretary knowing at that time that Dailey had other insurance.

2. Another question in the case relates to a certain condition in the policy. The policy recites:

“The conditions under which this certificate is issued, and to which the insured, by his acceptance hereof, agrees, are as follows: • * * * Standing or walking on the roadbed or bridge of any railway, or attempting to enter or leave moving conveyances using steam, electricity, water, or compressed air as a motive power, are hazards not contemplated or covered by this insurance, and no sum will be paid for injuries "or death in consequence of such exposure, or while the insured is thus exposed.”

[295]*295The application upon which this policy was issued is set out, in the record, and is entitled—

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Bluebook (online)
57 N.W. 184, 102 Mich. 289, 1894 Mich. LEXIS 1031, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dailey-v-preferred-masonic-mutual-accident-assn-of-america-mich-1894.