Jensvold v. Provident Life & Accident Insurance

253 N.W. 535, 191 Minn. 122, 1934 Minn. LEXIS 740
CourtSupreme Court of Minnesota
DecidedMarch 2, 1934
DocketNo. 29,766.
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 253 N.W. 535 (Jensvold v. Provident Life & Accident Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jensvold v. Provident Life & Accident Insurance, 253 N.W. 535, 191 Minn. 122, 1934 Minn. LEXIS 740 (Mich. 1934).

Opinion

HILTON, Justice.

Action on a limited accident insurance policy to recover damages for the loss of the sight of an eye. The defendant appeals from an order denying its motion in the alternative for judgment notwithstanding the verdict or for a new trial.

*123 The policy was written by the Southern Surety Company and later assigned to and assumed by the defendant here. Among other things it insured plaintiff against:

“The effects resulting exclusively of all other causes from bodily injury sustained by the insured during the life of this policy, solely through external, violent and accidental means, and which bodily injury is sustained by the insured while driving, riding in or on, demonstrating, adjusting or cranking an automobile, or in consequence of being struck, run down or run over by an automobile, or caused by the burning or explosion of an automobile, said bodily injury so sustained being hereinafter referred to as 'such injury’ -X* -X* * V

The policy further provided, under the heading of “Specific Losses,” as follows:

“Loss of entire sight of one eye: (h) The company will pay fifteen hundred dollars ($1,500.00), in lieu of all other indemnity, if 'such injury’ within thirty days from the date of the accident shall result in the irrecoverable loss of the sight of one eye.”

Also:

“Written notice of injury on which claim may be based must be given to the company within twenty days after the date of the accident causing such injury. * * ~:i”

The complaint alleged that on May 7, 1932, plaintiff, while adjusting his automobile and solely by reason thereof and through and by external violence and accidental means, suffered and sustained an accident and injury to his left eye, and that as a result thereof he had irrecoverably lost the sight of said eye; that plaintiff had in all respects complied with the conditions named in the policy. The answer denied that plaintiff had sustained an accident or received any injury to his eye. It also declared that if plaintiff did suffer an accident as claimed the same did not come within the provisions of the policy; that plaintiff’s alleged injury was a bodily infirmity which existed prior to the time the policy was issued; and that *124 plaintiff had not given notice of the accident within 20 days thereafter.

The case was tried to a jury. When plaintiff rested defendant moved for a directed verdict, which was denied. At the close of all the evidence each party moved for a directed verdict. Both motions were denied. The court submitted only one question of fact to the jury, viz:

“Did the plaintiff, while adjusting a nut on his automobile, receive an injury to his eye, by the slipping of the wrench, which injury resulted in the loss of the entire and irrecoverable sight of his left eye, within thirty days from the date of the injury?”

The jury answered this question in the affirmative. The court stated to the jury that the only question of fact for its determination was embodied in the above quoted question and that the other issues were questions of law and would be determined by the court. The record discloses that the court then asked counsel: “Does that cover the question of fact?” The attorney: “I think so.” The court made findings of fact, in the preamble of which it is stated:

“At the close of the evidence both parties moved for a directed verdict. The court then announced that in its opinion there was one question only to submit to the jury, to-wit: [the question hereinbefore quoted].
“That the court without objection from either party proceeded to instruct the jury and submit to them the hereinbefore set forth interrogation, that the jury deliberated on the question and answered the question ‘Yes’; that at the close of the trial and upon the retiring of the jury no objection was made by either party to the procedure hereinbefore set forth, nor at the bringing in of the verdict was any objection made by either party.”

The court then found, in effect, the same facts as contained in the question submitted to the jury, and in addition, among other things, found that on May 7, 1932, plaintiff, while making an adjustment on his automobile, suffered an accidental injury to the cornea of his left eye; that the injury was not of such gravity as to cause him any alarm; that plaintiff thereafter gave the injury personal atten *125 tion by bathing but continued with his work as a salesman; “that about ten days after the accident hereinbefore mentioned the injury to said left eye healed, causing scar tissue to form, which resulted in the irrecoverable loss of the sight of plaintiff’s left eye”; that on June 3, 1932, plaintiff notified defendant of the loss on a form furnished to him by an agent of defendant; and that said notice set out the facts surrounding the injury and its result.

As conclusions of law the court found that plaintiff was entitled to judgment against defendant for $1,500, with interest, together with costs and disbursements,'and ordered judgment therefor.

Appellant assigns as error the court’s denial of its motions for a directed verdict; the court’s submission to the jury of only the one question, hereinbefore quoted; and that it erred in making findings of fact and conclusions of law. The claim is that appellant was entitled to have all the questions of fact determined by the jury. That right, however, may be waived. On the record we must hold that such right was waived. The appeal to this court was perfected August 24, 1933; the court’s certificate settling the case Avas made September 13, 1933. The case so settled included the findings of fact and conclusions of Iuav. By means of three affidavits (one by each of the three attorneys who appeared for defendant) dated, respectively, September 15, 1933, October 13, 1933, and October 16, 1933, an attempt is here made to shoAV that the transcript of the proceedings as settled does not correctly disclose what actually occurred in so far as the hereinbefore first quoted statement of the court and the consent thereto by the attorneys is concerned. The settled case is all that Ave have before us. Its correctness cannot be here questioned in the manner attempted. We are bound by it. Olesen v. Noren, 161 Minn. 113, 201 N. W. 296; Feely v. Kane, 178 Minn. 141, 226 N. W. 404.

We will therefore consider Avhether the findings and verdict were sufficiently supported by the evidence.

Plaintiff was a traveling salesman for the Kunz Oil Company. He testified that on May 7, 1932, after his arrival home at Granite Falls, he jacked up his car and did some Avork in fastening a spring on its brake which had become loose. He then noticed that the *126 plug to the oil pan ivas moist. Thinking that oil was leaking out of the crank case, he took a wrench and as he was endeavoring to tighten the plug the wrench slipped and struck his left eye. He immediately got out from under the car, let down the front end thereof, and went into the house and bathed his eye with cold water. The eye was somewhat inflamed and painful.

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Georgia Life & Health Insurance v. Sewell
148 S.E.2d 447 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1966)
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257 N.W. 86 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1934)

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Bluebook (online)
253 N.W. 535, 191 Minn. 122, 1934 Minn. LEXIS 740, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jensvold-v-provident-life-accident-insurance-minn-1934.