Gantt v. Mutual Benefit Health & Accident Ass'n

176 S.E. 721, 174 S.C. 125, 1934 S.C. LEXIS 178
CourtSupreme Court of South Carolina
DecidedOctober 15, 1934
Docket13924
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 176 S.E. 721 (Gantt v. Mutual Benefit Health & Accident Ass'n) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of South Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gantt v. Mutual Benefit Health & Accident Ass'n, 176 S.E. 721, 174 S.C. 125, 1934 S.C. LEXIS 178 (S.C. 1934).

Opinion

The opinion of the Court was delivered by

Mr. Justice Carter.

This action by Mrs. Mabel. Gantt, as committee of Waldo Douglas Gantt, was commenced in the Qourt of Common Pleas for Allendale County, March 18, 1932, against the defendant, Mutual Benefit Plealth & Accident Association, for the recovery of $1,100.00 alleged to be owing and due from March 20, 1931, to February 20, 1932, on account of alleged disability of the said Waldo Douglas Gantt, under a policy of health and accident insurance issued by the defendant, October 20, 1930. The defendant filed an answer denying liability. Thereafter, September 4, 1932, the said Waldo Douglas Gantt died intestate and the said Mrs. Mabel' Gantt was appointed administratrix .of his estate. Subsequently, by order of the Court, duly consented to by counsel for the defendant, the plaintiff was allowed to file a supplemental complaint. The said order also provided that the answer of the defendant previously filed should stand as the de *127 fendant’s answer to the supplemental complaint. The plaintiff, in the said supplemental complaint, alleged, in addition to the allegations in the complaint as filed, that the plaintiff, as administratrix of the estate of Waldo Douglas Gantt, was entitled to recover the disability payments alleged to be under the policy sued on from March 20, 1931, to the date of the death of the said Waldo Douglas Gantt, September 4, 1932, which amounted to $1,750.00. Issues being joined, the case was tried at the April, 1933, term of the said Court before his Honor, Judge G. D. Oxner, and a jury, resulting in a verdict for the plaintiff in the sum of $1,750.00. Defendant’s motion for a new trial being refused, from judgment entered on the verdict, the defendant has appealed to this Court.

The allegations of error imputed to the trial Judge are set forth under seven exceptions, but in appellant’s brief it is stated that the following are the questions involved in the appeal :

“1. Was plaintiff entitled to have the case submitted to the jury as to disability resulting from melancholia in the face of the provision of the policy that it does not cover disability resulting from insanity?
“2. Was plaintiff entitled to have the case submitted to the jury as disability resulting from any other alleged disease than melancholia, such being the only ailment for which insured was ever, visited or attended by a physician, in the face of the policy provision that it does not cover disability while the insured was not under the professional care and regular attendance, at least once a week, beginning with the first treatment, of a licensed physician or surgeon other than himself, and the provision requiring regular visits to the insured indoors of a legally qualified physician?
“3. Was defendant entitled to have the jury charged that the only disability for which defendant was responsible was melancholia or mental disorder, in view of the policy provision that the policy does not cover disability while the insured was not continuously under the professional care *128 and regular attendance, at least once a week, beginning with the first treatment, of a licensed physician or surgeon, other than himself, and in view of the fact that melancholia or mental disorder was the only disease or ailment for which insured was ever visited or treated by a physician, under the evidence?
“4. Did the trial Judge err in charging the jury as to plaintiff’s right to recover if insured’s disability did not result from insanity, without including the requirement stated in the policy that it does not cover disability while insured was not continuously under the professional care and regular attendance, at least once a week, beginning with the first treatment, of a licensed physician or surgeon, other than himself ?”

As suggested by counsel for appellant, the questions stated alleged error in refusing defendant’s motion for a nonsuit and a directed verdict and also error in the charge to the jury, and we shall consider the appeal with these questions in mind.

For the purpose of a clear understanding of these questions, we quote herewith the following pertinent allegations of the plaintiff’s supplemental complaint:

“3. That on the 20th day of October, 1930, the defendant issued and delivered unto the said Waldo Douglas Gantt its policy of insurance, No. 36 — 93507, whereby in consideration of the premiums therein required to be paid, the defendant agreed to pay unto the said Waldo Douglas Gantt the sum of One Hundred ($100.00) Dollars per month on account of disability resulting from disease, not resulting from insanity, the cause of which originates more than thirty days after the date of said policy, and which confines the insured continuously within doors and requires regular visits therein by legally qualified physicians, provided the said disease necessitates total disability and total loss of time.
*129 “4. That on the 20th day of January, 1931, the said Waldo Douglas Gantt became ill of a disease, the nature of which is unknown, but which did not result from insanity, and on the 20th day of March, 1931, as a result of the said disease, which originated more than thirty days after the date of the said policy, became confined continuously within doors and that the said disease thereafter required regular visits to the said Waldo Douglas Gantt, within doors, by a legally qualified physician; and that the said disease has resulted in total disability of the said insured and total loss of time up to and including the 4th day of September, 1932, at which time the said Waldo Douglas Gantt died.
“5. That the said insured has performed all conditions imposed upon him by the said contract, and has paid all premiums due by him to the defendant on the said contract and has done and performed all other acts and complied with all other promises made by him in the said contract, has demanded payment to him of the disability benefits provided for in this contract and that the defendant has failed and refused to pay the same.” (Italics ours.)

Based on the foregoing allegations, as stated at the outset, the plaintiff alleges that the defendant is due to the plaintiff the sum of $100.00 per month from the 20th day of March, 1931, to the 4th day of September, 1932, both inclusive, amounting to $1,750.00.

In its answer the defendant admitted its corporate existence and that it was licensed to do business in this State, and, also, admitted the death of the said Waldo Douglas Gantt and that the plaintiff is the duly appointed administra-trix of his estate. Defendant further admitted the issuance and delivery to the said Waldo Douglas Gantt policy dated October 20, 1930, No. 36 — 93507, and craves reference thereto as to its terms, conditions, coverage, restrictions, and limitations. The defendant, in its answer, specifically denies the allegations of Paragraph 4 of the complaint, quoted above, and on the contrary, alleges that the total disability *130

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
176 S.E. 721, 174 S.C. 125, 1934 S.C. LEXIS 178, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gantt-v-mutual-benefit-health-accident-assn-sc-1934.