Loftis v. Pacific Mutual Life Insurance

114 P. 134, 38 Utah 532, 1911 Utah LEXIS 21
CourtUtah Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 18, 1911
DocketNo. 2126
StatusPublished
Cited by31 cases

This text of 114 P. 134 (Loftis v. Pacific Mutual Life Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Utah Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Loftis v. Pacific Mutual Life Insurance, 114 P. 134, 38 Utah 532, 1911 Utah LEXIS 21 (Utah 1911).

Opinions

FEICK, C. J.

This is an action to recover on an accident policy issued by tbe appellant to one- Thomas J. Loftis, hereafter called the “insured,” whose death was caused by an accident contemplated by the terms of the policy. The action was brought by respondent, as administratrix of the estate of the insured, for the benefit of herself, as the beneficiary named in the policy. In her complaint she in substance alleged the issuance of the policy, the accidental death of the insured, and that all conditions of the policy had been performed by him. The principal defense interposed by appellant, and the only one material now, was to the effect that the conditions of the policy with regard to the payment of the premium had not been complied with, and that hence the rights of the insured thereunder had lapsed or were forfeited at the time of the accident causing his death. The application, which was made a part of the policy, after stating the name and place of residence of the insured, recited that he was employed by the Eio Grande Western Eailway Company as locomotive engineer; the amount of the monthly wages earned by him; the amount of insurance covered by the policy, to wit, two thousand dollars; and the amount of the premium to be paid. It also contained the following provisions: “All premiums to be paid by equal monthly installments from my wages for the months of June, July, August, September, 1908, in general manner and form as shown by printed blank form of order on the back of this application. ... I understand that no alteration or waiver of the conditions or provisions of any policy is valid unless made in writing at the company’s home office and signed by the president or vice-president and also secretary or assistant secretary, and that no notice to or knowledge of any agent or any other person of anything not written in this application is to be held to effect a waiver or estoppel upon the company or affect the provisions of any policy. Policy dated Helper, the 28th day of May, 1908.”

The material portions of the order referred to are as follows:

[544]*544“For value received I hereby .authorize my employer . to pay to the Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Company of California or its authorized general agent, as follows:
First premium,.dollars, to be paid and deducted from my wages for the month of.19_
Second premium, . dollars, to he paid and deducted from my wages for the month of.19_
Third premium,.dollars, to he paid and deducted from my wages for the month of.19_
Fourth premium,.dollars, to he paid and deducted from my wages for the month of.19_
The first premium shall be the premium for two months, the first insurance period under policy of insurance issued or to be issued to me by said insurance company and hearing even date and number herewith; the second premium shall he the premium for two months, the second insurance period under said policy; the third premium shall he the premium for three months, the third insurance period under said policy; the fourth premium shall he for five months, the fourth insurance period under said policy, and each premium is to apply only to its corresponding insurance period.
No claim shall arise for any effect of any injury received or illness commencing during the second or third or fourth insurance period, for which the respective premium has not been actually paid. . . .
Failure by said employer from any cause to make any deduction as above provided is at my risk, and if any deduction is not made as above provided, said policy shall, without notice of any kind, be void as respects the corresponding and all subsequent insurance periods.
I will not revoke, cancel or annul this order.”

Tbe policy also contained tbe following stipulations:

“No alteration or waiver of the conditions or provisions of this policy or said application shall be valid unless made in writing at the company’s home office and signed by the president or vice-president and also secretary or assistant secretary; nor shall notice to or knowledge of any person of anything not written in said application be held to effect a waiver or estoppel upon the company or affect the provisions of this contract.
Failure on part of the insured or any one claiming under this policy to comply with any of the foregoing agreements will render this policy void.”

Tbe parties to tbe action in substance stipulated that tbe first installment of tbe premium of eleven dollars and seventy [545]*545cents was deducted from tbe wages earned by the insured for the month of June, 1908, and was paid to appellant; that a similar amount was deducted and paid out of his wages for the month of July as payment for the second installment of the premium; that the insured did not earn any wages for the month of August, and no premium was paid for that month; that in the month of September, 1908, the insured earned only eight dollars and ninety-eight cents, which was paid to him by the railroad company; that during the month of October, 1908, the insured earned in excess of the amount due on the defaulted installments, of which earnings twenty-three dollars and forty cents was, by the railroad company, deducted and remitted to the appellant, which was the amount then due on the policy. We remark that the foregoing amount was paid after the insured was accidentally killed. It was further made to appear from the evidence that the insured was killed on the 14th day of October, 1908; that the first insurance period under the policy commenced May 28, 1908, and ended on July 28th following; that the second insurance period ended on the 28th day of September, 1908; that the insured was killed during the third insurance period for which the premium had not been paid when it became due and payable nor during the lifetime of the insured. Counsel for appellant therefore insists that pursuant to the terms of the contract all insurance and rights under the policy had lapsed or were forfeited at the time of the insured’s death, while counsel for respondent contended that appellant by reason of its conduct, presently to be noted, had elected to continue the policy in force and hence waived the forfeiture provided for therein.

The facts upon which respondent’s counsel rely, in substance, are: That it was agreed between appellant and the insured that the premium due on the policy was to be paid in installments as follows: “Eleven dollars ■ and seventy cents to be paid and deducted from my wages for the month of June;” that a similar amount was to be deducted and paid in the same manner for the months of July, August, [546]*546and September, 1908; that for the purpose of collecting the installments of the premium as aforesaid appellant forwarded to the railroad company, the employer of the insured, what is called a “paymaster’s list,” on which the names and the amounts due from each of the employees of the railroad company who had policies similar to the insured were entered; that such a list was forwarded each month to the railroad company prior to its regular monthly pay day, which occurred about the 10th day of each month, at which time the wages earned during the preceding month were paid; that the lists forwarded for June and July, 1908, among others, contained the name of the insured and the amount to be deducted from his wages.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Barnett v. State Automobile & Casualty Underwriters
487 P.2d 311 (Utah Supreme Court, 1971)
Pearce v. Shurtz
270 P.2d 442 (Utah Supreme Court, 1954)
United Pac. Ins. Co. v. Northwestern Nat. Ins. Co.
185 F.2d 443 (Tenth Circuit, 1950)
Calhoun v. Universal Credit Co.
146 P.2d 284 (Utah Supreme Court, 1944)
Hanson v. Fidelity Mutual Benefit Corp.
13 A.2d 456 (Superior Court of Delaware, 1940)
Commercial Standard Insurance v. Remay
72 P.2d 859 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1937)
Sullivan v. Beneficial Life Ins. Co.
64 P.2d 351 (Utah Supreme Court, 1937)
Parker v. California State Life Ins. Co.
40 P.2d 175 (Utah Supreme Court, 1935)
Sentinel Fire Insurance v. McRoberts
179 S.E. 256 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1934)
Kallauner v. Central Mutual Insurance
70 S.W.2d 134 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1934)
Ballard v. Beneficial Life Ins. Co.
21 P.2d 847 (Utah Supreme Court, 1933)
Union Trust Co. v. Chicago National Life Insurance
267 Ill. App. 470 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1932)
Shields v. Supreme Council
173 N.E. 731 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1930)
Miller v. Modern Motor Co.
290 P. 122 (California Court of Appeal, 1930)
Gaffney v. Virgin Islands Products Corp.
1 V.I. 283 (Virgin Islands, 1930)
Vogel v. Equitable Life Assurance Society
261 P. 106 (Washington Supreme Court, 1927)
Jones v. New York Life Ins. Co.
253 P. 200 (Utah Supreme Court, 1926)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
114 P. 134, 38 Utah 532, 1911 Utah LEXIS 21, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/loftis-v-pacific-mutual-life-insurance-utah-1911.