Equitable Life Assurance Society v. Felton

71 S.W.2d 1049, 189 Ark. 318, 1934 Ark. LEXIS 193
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedMay 28, 1934
Docket4-3475
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 71 S.W.2d 1049 (Equitable Life Assurance Society v. Felton) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Equitable Life Assurance Society v. Felton, 71 S.W.2d 1049, 189 Ark. 318, 1934 Ark. LEXIS 193 (Ark. 1934).

Opinion

Johnson, C. J.

On the threshold of this case we are confronted with the contention, advanced by appellee, that appellant’s contentions, as evidenced in the motion for new trial, cannot here be considered for the reason that said motion was filed without the time given by § 1314, Crawford & Moses’ Digest, of the laws of Arkansas. Although this contention presents a very serious question, it relates to this case only. Therefore we pretermit consideration or determination thereof, because the case must be affirmed on its merits.

In 1924 appellant issued and delivered its contract of insurance to one William F. Felton, by the terms of which it agreed to pay the sum of $5,000 in the event of death and, in addition thereto, agreed:

“Total and Permanent Disability
“(1) Disability benefits before age 60 shall be effective upon receipt of due proof, before default in the payment of premium, that the insured became totally and permanently disabled by bodily injury or disease, after this policy became effective and before its anniversary upon which the insured’s age at nearest birthday is 60 years, in which event the society will grant the following benefits :
“ (a) Waive payment of all premiums payable upon this policy falling due after receipt of such proof and during the continuance of such total and permanent disability; and
.“(b) Pay to the insured a monthly disability-annuity, as stated on the face hereof; the first payment to be payable upon receipt of due proof of such disability and subsequent payments monthly thereafter during the continuance of such total and permanent disability, provided, that, if this policy is continued under the endowment conversion option, the disability-annuity shall continue only during such total and permanent disability until the maturity of the endowment.”

The insured died on March 19, 1933, and the death benefit, as provided in said contract, has been paid. The controversy here arises under the total and permanent disability clauses heretofore quoted.

It is admitted by appellant that William F. Felton, the insured, became totally and permanently disabled, in the purview of the contract of insurance, in May, 1930. Therefore there is no contention of no liability on this account.

However, it is earnestly contended by appellant that liability should be restricted to the sum of $48.06, same being the amount which accrued after the filing of proof of total and permanent disability, which occurred on March 10, 1933, and the death of the insured.

By invitation of the plaintiff in the court below, and appellee here, the case was tried upon the theory that the insured became mentally incompetent or insane in May, 1930, upon the occurrence of total and permanent disability, and was therefore excused from giving notice or filing proof of such disability with the insurer during the period of such disability. Much evidence was adduced upon this branch of the case. Even so, appellant contended below and contends here that the< evidence offered was not sufficient to warrant submission to the jury of the issue of insured’s mental condition. The evidence tended to establish the following facts:

That prior to May, 1930, insured was strong and alert in body and of robust health; that he was mentally sound and alert; that suddenly he was beset with vertigo, blindness, dizzy spells and frequent lapses of consciousness which continued up to his death; that he ignored advice of attending physicians to desist from all labor, and, on the contrary, continued his efforts though resulting in a waste of time and energy; that he assumed an attitude of coolness and indifference towards his family which had not existed prior to May, 1930; that he advised his son that his mind was impaired and directed him to remove and hide the firearms from their accustomed places; that he could not carry on an intelligent conversation, in that he would suddenly leave the subject and jump to another; that he seriously objected to his son submitting his policies of insurance to an attorney for legal advice because he feared that it might destroy his insurance. The attending physician testified, in effect, that during the period from May, 1930, up to the death of the insured his mind was confused, and when asked: “Q. Would you say from your association with Mr. Felton, and your treatment and observation of bim, that the mental impairment was such that he conld not transact the ordinary affairs of life? ’’ stated: ‘£A. I don’t believe. I conld answer that question yes or no, because the question of his judgment and the question of his reason would come into it; he could transact it but he might transact it wrong.”

On the evidence thus adduced, appellant requested a directed verdict in its behalf, which was refused by the trial court, and thereupon the cause was submitted to the jury under the following instructions. For appellee, request No. 2, as follows: “If you find from a'preponderance of. the evidence that during the period between May, 1930, and the date on which the said William F. Felton died, he was, by reason of disease and illness, mentally impaired to the extent that he was incapable of carrying on the ordinary affairs of life; and was incapable mentally of such sustained effort as would enable him to comprehend such affairs as needed his attention, then you are instructed that his failure to give the defendant notice of such disability would not bar the right of the plaintiff to recover in this action.”

For appellant, the following requests:

“No. 3A. You are instructed that proof of the inability to perform the ordinary affairs of life, does not entitle the plaintiff to recover. In order to recover more than the amount admitted to be due, the plaintiff must show that the insured did not have mentality enough to understand the ordinary things and affairs of life.
“No. 4. If you find from the evidence that in May, 1930, the insured, William F. Felton, became disabled by physical disease, but that his mind was not continuously impaired from that date until the time of his death, but on the contrary he had during a substantial portion of that time sufficient mental capacity to understand the ordinary affairs of his life, then he would not be entitled to recover disability benefits except for the month which intervened between the receipt of the proofs of disability and his death.
“No. 5. You are instructed that an intermittent inability to comprehend the ordinary affairs of life would not excuse the insured from furnishing proofs of disability. If at intervals he had control of his faculties for considerable periods to such an extent that he could understand the ordinary affairs of life, then the plaintiff would be entitled to recover only for the period which commenced with the time when he became continuously unable to comprehend the ordinary affairs of life.
“No. 7. You are instructed that the plaintiff would not be entitled to recover the disability benefits for the period during which he Avas capable of exercising the sustained mental effort which Avould enable him to understand and comprehend the ordinary affairs of life.

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Bluebook (online)
71 S.W.2d 1049, 189 Ark. 318, 1934 Ark. LEXIS 193, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/equitable-life-assurance-society-v-felton-ark-1934.