Miller v. Insurance Co.

8 W. Va. 515, 1875 W. Va. LEXIS 28
CourtWest Virginia Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 23, 1875
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 8 W. Va. 515 (Miller v. Insurance Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering West Virginia Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Miller v. Insurance Co., 8 W. Va. 515, 1875 W. Va. LEXIS 28 (W. Va. 1875).

Opinion

Hayjiond, President :

The action in this case is trespass on the case in as-sumpsit, founded on a policy of insurance made by the defendant (the Insurance Company) to the plaintiff on account of the then owners of the steamboat Wash Sen-tell,” in the sum of $2,000, upon said steamboat from the 24th day of October, 1871, at noon, to noon of the 24th day of October, 1872, with permission to navigate the Mississippi and tributaries, except the Missouri and Arkansas rivers. The defendant appeared by its counsel at a circuit court of the count}1- of Ohio (in which the suit was brought and pending) on the 2d of November, 1872; and on motion of the defendant the judgment entered against it in the clerk’s office of said court was set aside, and for plea to the plaintiff’s action the defendant said it did not assume upon itself in manner and form as the plaintiff in his declaration against it hath alleged ; and upon this plea issue was duly made up and joined.

The defendant did not demur to the plaintiff’s declaration, or make any objection thereto for insufficiency in form or substance. And no exception is made or taken, before this Court, to the declaration for, any cause. The declaration, however, scorns to state and allege a legal cause of action by the plaintiff for the use of the owners of the said steamboat in the declaration mentioned against the defendant.

On the 22d day of May, 1873, a jury was duly elected, tried and sworn the truth to speak in the cause upon the issue joined; and, having heard the evidence, the defendant filed a demurrer to the evidence, and the plaintiff joined therein. And the jurors, by their verdict, said that, in ease judgment should be given for the plaintiff upon the evidence, then they assessed his damages, [530]*530by reason of the matters shown in evidence, at $.1,230.64, deducting from the loss claimed by the plaintiff $490.77 on account of premium due the defendant for insurance for said steamboat for the year expiring October 24, 1871, and $358.20 premium on the insurance alleged in the declaration for said boat for the year ending October 24, 1872; and in case judgment should be given for the defendant upon said demurrer, then they found for the defendant. ■ .

The record discloses the evidence given before the jury, to which the demurrer was filed. The circuit court, on the 15th day of December, 1873, rendered judgment upon the demurrer to the evidence in favor of the plaintiff against the defendant for $1,230.64, the damages assessed by the jury, with interest thereon from the 22d of May, 1873, together with plaintiff’s costs of suit. To this judgment the defendant obtained a writ of super-sedeas from one of the Judges of this Court iu vacation, and it is now to be ascertained and determined whether the circuit court erred in its judgment to the prejudice of the defendant.

The point chiefly relied upon and argued here by the counsel for the defendant is, that the policy of insurance described in the declaration never became a binding contract between the parties under the evidence and the law, and that for this reason the circuit court erred in its judgment.

The principal witnesses introduced in the cause by the plaintiff were L. E. Magee, the captain of the steamboat and P. A. Barker, an .insurance agent who acted in the matter, in some degree, as the agent of the defendant. It is clear to my mind that if full credit is given to the evidence of the witness Magee, as disclosed and stated in the demurrer to evidence, his evidence, in connection with the other evidence and the testimony of Barker not in conflict with the evidence of Magee, supports and justifies the verdict of the jury. But it is maintained and argued here by defendant’s counsel, that [531]*531the evidence of Barber contradicts and is in conflict with the evidence of Magee as to essential and material necessary to make out the plaintiff’s cause, and if credit is given to Barker’s evidence, so far as it conflicts with that of Magee, and Magee’s evidence disregarded, in so far as the conflict exists, the policy of insurancé in the declaration mentioned never became a binding contract under the evidence and law, because the policy was not accepted by the plaintiff, but rejected and refused. It is also argued by defendant’s counsel that as the witnesses Barker and Magee are the plaintiff’s witnesses, and their evidence is conflicting and contradictory as to essential and material facts necessary to make out the plaintiff’s case, these essential and material facts must be regarded, upon the demurrer, as not being sufficiently established by either of the said two witnesses; that the evidence of these witnesses, so far as they are in conflict as to any material fact must neutralize each other or be set off one against the other.

On the other hand the plaintiff’s counsel claims here that in truth and fact upon a fair and careful comparison and analysis of the evidence of Magee and Barker there is no necessary substantial and material conflict in their evidence as to any material or essential fact involved in the cause, but that in the main their evidence can be reasonably reconciled upon just and fair principles, but that if such conflict exists as argued by defendant’s counsel, that still under the law applicable to and governing demurrers to evidence this Court should affirm the judgment of the circuit court. The plaintiff’s counseHurther argues that upon the whole evidence in the cause the judgment of the circuit court is not erroneous.

To arrive at a correct conclusion in this case, it is necessary in the first place to ascertain the law relating to a demurrer to evidence, which should direct and govern this Court in reviewing the judgment of the court below. In Phillips Evidence, vol. 2, 3d ed. 467, it. is stated as law that, “as it is the peculiar province of the [532]*532julT to ascertain the truth of facts and the credibility of witnesses the party ought not to be allowed, by a de-miin’er to evidence, or any other means, to refer the trial of such questions to another tribunal. A demurrer, must, therefore, admit the truth of all facts, which the jury might find in favor of the other party upon the evidence laid before them, whatever the nature of that evidence may be, whether of record, or writing or by parol.” See also Gibson v. Hunter, 2 H. Bl. 209. “The practice of inserting in a demurrer to evidence the evidence on both sides, is proper and well established by .the authorities; In such case, the demurrant must be considered as admitting all that can reasonably be inferred by a jury, from the evidence given by the», other party ; and as waiving all the evidence on his part which contradicts that offered by the other party, or the credit of which is impeached ; and all inferences from his own evidence which do not necessarily flow from it.” Muhleman v. Franklin Ins. Co. 6 W. Va., 508. Under the English practice a demurrer to evidence is a proceeding by which the judges whoso province it is to determine questions of law are called upon to declare what the law is upon the facts in evidence. And it is analogous to the demurrer upon the facts alleged in pleading. Phil. Evidence vol. 2, 3d ed. 466. “The effect of a demurrer to evidence certainly does not substitute the court for the jury to pass upon disputed facts, conflicting evidence and the weight and credit of evidence, but to declare the inference of law upon the facts proved, in like manner as it does in a demurrer in law or to the declaration upon the facts stated or averred.

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Bluebook (online)
8 W. Va. 515, 1875 W. Va. LEXIS 28, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/miller-v-insurance-co-wva-1875.