Mrs. Emma G. Barnes v. United States

307 F.2d 655, 113 U.S. App. D.C. 318, 1962 U.S. App. LEXIS 5020
CourtCourt of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
DecidedMay 24, 1962
Docket16539_1
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 307 F.2d 655 (Mrs. Emma G. Barnes v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mrs. Emma G. Barnes v. United States, 307 F.2d 655, 113 U.S. App. D.C. 318, 1962 U.S. App. LEXIS 5020 (D.C. Cir. 1962).

Opinions

DANAHER, Circuit Judge.

Appellant in the District Court asserted in detail which we will mention, that certain sums became due from the [656]*656Government to her upon the death of her late husband, a former Government employee. Her claims allegedly were derived under a group life insurance contract which had been entered into between Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and the United States Civil Service Commission, and from provisions of the “Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance Act of 1954.”1 The Government filed its answer, pleading in essence, that appellant’s husband was not insured at the date of his death and that the United States had not consented to the suit. The District Court denied appellant’s motion for summary judgment and granted the Government’s cross motion which was based upon the certified record of the Civil Service Commission, the pleadings and sworn answers to interrogatories. This appeal followed.

Appellant is the widow of the late Warren W. Barnes who died October 9, 1959 in the District of Columbia. In the first count of her complaint, she alleged that: her late husband had had more than twelve years’ creditable service as a Government employee; the decedent at the time of his death was insured in the amount of#$ll,000 under a group insurance policy “procured by the United States Civil Service Commission” in accordance with the Act; after notice of death had been given and request for payment had been made to the Government, the Government had refused to make payment of the claimed death benefit; and judgment for $11,000 was prayed.

In a second count appellant alleged that: her deceased husband after employment of many years had been separated from Government service on April 4, 1959; he then was insured in the amount of $11,000 payable at his death to his widow “by a group insurance policy procured” by the Civil Service Commission under the Act which “required” the insurance to be paid to appellant; the Act “required” that the insurance policy on such an employee must provide that the insurance should cease upon his separation from service, and thereupon provide for conversion to an individual policy; the Act had given Barnes the privilege of converting his insurance to an individual policy in the amount of $2,-250; appellant’s decedent was physically and mentally disabled on April 4, 1959 and continuously thereafter until his death the following October; after April 4, 1959, Barnes had been incapable of making any decision, election or application for the conversion of his insurance; the Government had “failed to inform” appellant’s decedent of “the privilege to convert the insurance to an individual policy”; on or about May 5, 1959, the Government had “terminated, cancelled and forfeited said insurance” and had failed to make payment to the appellant as beneficiary of the sum of $2,250 for which judgment was asked.

Neither count cites reference to any statute authorizing the action. Simply in conclusory terms as may be seen above, the first count alleges that Barnes was insured at the time of death “by” a policy procured “in accordance with” the Act, and that the Government after notification of the death and service of a demand by appellant, had refused to pay her $11,000.

The second count recognizes that whatever insurance Barnes had up to April 4, 1959, when he retired, thereupon “should cease.” Liberally construing the remaining allegations, the pleader says that the Act made provision for conversion of which advantage was not taken for the reasons outlined. Appellant thus seems to be saying she intended to spell out a duty upon the Government to see to it that Barnes would be and should have been covered, but was not.

Following argument here, respective counsel were asked by the court, sua sponte, to respond to certain inquiries. The Government for the first time thereupon asserted in its memorandum of re[657]*657ply that the District Court had lacked jurisdiction “because this is an uncon-sented suit against the United States.” It thereupon prayed that the judgment of the District Court be vacated and the case be remanded with the direction that the complaint be dismissed without prejudice. We turn first to the jurisdictional question thus posed.

Read as pertaining to times here critical, the Act in terms is clearly intended to apply to such Government employees as may by regulation prescribed by the Civil Service Commission “come within the purview of this [Act].” 5 U.S.C.A. § 2091. Each employee to whom the Act applies “shall be eligible to be insured” for group life insurance in amounts set forth in a governing table plus an equal amount of group accidental death and dismemberment insurance. 5 U.S.C.A. § 2092(a). It is provided that the diminishing amounts of insurance in force as to employee after age 65 should become not less than 25% of the otherwise applicable amounts. 5 U.S. C.A. § 2092(d). The Act spells out the order of precedence with respect to the payment of death benefits. 5 U.S.C.A. § 2093.

The Act authorized the Civil Service Commission to purchase “a policy or policies of group life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance to provide the benefits specified in this [Act].” 5 U.S.C.A. § 2096(a). Each employee “insured under such policy” is to receive a certificate setting forth certain required information. 5 U.S.C.A. § 2098. The Commission was authorized, additionally, “to promulgate such regulations as may be necessary and proper to give effect to the intent, purposes, and provisions of this [Act].” 5 U.S.C.A. § 2100.

Section 2103 of the Act specifically provides that “The district courts of the United States shall have original jurisdiction, concurrent with the Court of Claims, of any civil action or claim against the United States founded upon this [Act].” 2

We think it clear that the United States has consented to be sued for any breach of legal duty owed by it under the Act. Regardless of whether or not any such suit might have been predicated upon the provisions of the Tucker Act,3 Congress recognized that questions of coverage and other substantive issues in varying situations and circumstances, might involve amounts ranging from $10,000 to $20,000, obviously in excess of the Tucker Act limitation. The Senate Committee on Post Office and Civil Service stated in its report that

“Sec. 14 (5 U.S.C. § 2103) would clarify the rights of claimants who may wish to make the United States a party to a court action involving a claim under the program. This section would extend the jurisdiction of United States District Courts above the $10,000 limitation now in effect.” S.Rep.No.1654, 83d Cong., 2d Sess. 4-5 (1954), U.S.Code Cong. & Admin.News 1954, p. 3052.

Thus, irrespective of amount, the District Courts were granted jurisdiction over civil actions or claims “founded upon” the Act. The United States has consented to be sued, we conclude, to the extent that any such civil action or claim can be shown to involve some right created by this Act and a breach by the [658]*658Government of some duty with respect thereto.

To say that in proper circumstances the Government has consented to be sued is a]] well enough. There still remains the very real problem of substantive liability, granting that suit has been permitted. With this aspect in mind, we have carefully examined the record.

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Mrs. Emma G. Barnes v. United States
307 F.2d 655 (D.C. Circuit, 1962)

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Bluebook (online)
307 F.2d 655, 113 U.S. App. D.C. 318, 1962 U.S. App. LEXIS 5020, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mrs-emma-g-barnes-v-united-states-cadc-1962.