Liberty National Life Insurance Co. v. White

797 So. 2d 452, 1999 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 393, 1999 WL 378495
CourtCourt of Civil Appeals of Alabama
DecidedJune 11, 1999
Docket2980255
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 797 So. 2d 452 (Liberty National Life Insurance Co. v. White) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Civil Appeals of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Liberty National Life Insurance Co. v. White, 797 So. 2d 452, 1999 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 393, 1999 WL 378495 (Ala. Ct. App. 1999).

Opinions

YATES, Judge.

In July 1995, Gertrude White sued Liberty National Life Insurance Company, alleging two counts of fraudulent misrepresentation and fraudulent suppression of information in the sale of life insurance policies covering her brother, Joseph Cunningham. In January 1997, an amended complaint was filed, which added to the text of the existing two counts, and in September 1997, a second amended com[453]*453plaint was filed, which added Joseph Cunningham as a party plaintiff and added a third claim for fraud. A trial was held in April 1998. After all the evidence was presented, Liberty National moved for a judgment as a matter of law (“JML”) on all three counts; the court entered a JML for the defendant on counts one and three; the second count, fraudulent suppression, was submitted to the jury. The jury returned a verdict for White, awarding her $1,350 in compensatory damages and $200,000 in punitive damages. Liberty National moved for a JML, or, in the alternative, for a new trial or remittitur. Following a hearing on Liberty National’s motion, the court denied the JML and the request for a new trial, and ordered a remittitur of punitive damages from $200,000 to $150,000. Liberty National appealed the final judgment to the supreme court; the appeal was transferred to this court, pursuant to § 12-2-7(6), Ala. Code 1975.

Liberty National argues: (1) that White did not carry her burden of proof and, therefore, that the court erred in not granting Liberty National a JML on the second fraud count; (2) that the compensatory- and punitive-damages awards were excessive; and (3) that the evidence did not support the jury’s verdict and Liberty National, therefore, is entitled to a new trial. White argues on cross appeal that Liberty National was not entitled to a JML on the third fraud count.

The record reveals the following pertinent facts: White began caring for her disabled brother, Joseph Cunningham, in 1989 and the two of them agreed that Cunningham should purchase a burial policy to cover any expenses incurred by White following his death. White met with a Liberty National insurance agent in April 1991 and purchased a $2,500 life insurance policy. Cunningham and White agreed that the premiums would be paid out of Cunningham’s Social Security benefits. Because Cunningham was illiterate, White transacted all of his business affairs, including completing the insurance application, which named Cunningham as the policyholder and White as the beneficiary. The $19.07 monthly premium was paid directly to the “home service” agent, who came to their residence to collect the payment each month and who provided a written receipt. These premiums were timely paid for approximately two years, until the agent stopped coming to collect the payments, in or around May 1993. White testified that she did not think about mailing in the payments after the agent had stopped coming to her home, although that option was available. White testified that she was visited by a Liberty National agent around July or August 1993 and that that agent told her that if she accepted a new policy she would not be delinquent in her payments and, further, that the new policy would provide the same coverage the previous policy had provided. She accepted that new policy (a $2,500 policy). In September 1993, White received an additional $1,000 policy by mail. When White inquired about this $1,000 policy, she was told that the company had given her this policy to compliment the existing $2,500 policy.

The evidence indicates that the two new policies, which, for reasons not apparent from the record, dated April 15, 1993, may have been issued without appropriate signatures or authorization from either White or Cunningham. The life insurance policy issued in 1991 and the two issued in 1993 provided a “graded death benefit,” i.e., a reduced death benefit for the first three years. The policy declaration reads: “If death occurs during the first 3 years that the policy is in force, and if death is due to an accident, as defined in this policy, the [454]*454death benefit will be the ultimate face amount.” The declaration further stated: “Reduced during first three years. During this time the death benefit is equal to the premiums paid increased by 10% per year.” Therefore, the full death benefits of $2,500 and $1,000 under the two new policies would not be payable until the fourth year of coverage, unless Cunningham had an “accidental death” earlier. White testified that she was not advised that she had the option of reinstating her old policy for a payment of $76.00, thereby providing the total $2,500 death benefit within less than a year. Rather, White received two new policies, with premiums of $20.19 and $8.82, respectively, which required a new three-year period, which, by the terms of the policies, were to commence May 1, 1993. The suppression of this information was the basis for White’s fraudulent-suppression claim and the basis for the jury’s compensatory- and punitive-damages awards.

Rule 50, Ala. R. Civ. P., as amended effective October 1, 1995, renamed the “motion for a directed verdict” and the “motion for a judgment notwithstanding the verdict” as a “motion for a judgment as a matter of law” and a “renewal of the motion for a judgment as a matter of law,” respectively. The standard of review for a motion for a judgment as a matter of law is the same as for a motion for a directed verdict and a motion for JNOV. See Montgomery Coca-Cola Bottling, Co., Ltd. v. Golson, 725 So.2d 996 (Ala.Civ.App.1998). Our supreme court has stated:

“When reviewing a ruling on a motion for a JML, this Court uses the same standard the trial court used initially in granting or denying a JML. Palm Harbor Homes, Inc. v. Craiuford, 689 So.2d 3 (Ala.1997). Regarding questions of fact, the ultimate question is whether the nonmovant has presented sufficient evidence to allow the case or the issue to be submitted to the jury for a factual resolution. Carter v. Henderson, 598 So.2d 1350 (Ala.1992). For actions filed after June 11, 1987, the nonmovant must present ‘substantial evidence’ in order to withstand a motion for a JML. See § 12-21-12, Ala.Code 1975; West v. Founders Life Assurance Co. of Florida, 547 So.2d 870, 871 (Ala.1989). A reviewing court must determine whether the party who bears the burden of proof has produced substantial evidence creating a factual dispute requiring resolution by the jury. Carter, 598 So.2d at 1353. In reviewing a ruling on a motion for a JML, this Court views the evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmov-ant and entertains such reasonable inferences as the jury would have been free to draw. Motion Industries v. Pate, 678 So.2d 724 (Ala.1996). Regarding a question of law, however, this Court indulges no presumption of correctness as to the trial court’s ruling. Ricwil, Inc. v. S.L. Pappas & Co., 599 So.2d 1126 (Ala.1992).

Delchamps, Inc. v. Bryant, 738 So.2d 824, 830-31 (Ala.1999).

Based on our review of the evidence, we conclude that the court correctly submitted the fraudulent-suppression claim to the jury. The evidence created a genuine issue of material fact as to whether Liberty National had suppressed information regarding the reinstatement of the 1991 life insurance policy as compared to the reissuance of two new policies in 1993. Therefore, we affirm that portion of the trial court’s ruling.

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Related

Ex Parte Liberty Nat'l Life Ins. Co.
797 So. 2d 457 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 2001)

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797 So. 2d 452, 1999 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 393, 1999 WL 378495, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/liberty-national-life-insurance-co-v-white-alacivapp-1999.