National Life Accident Ins. Co. v. McGhee

191 So. 884, 238 Ala. 471, 1939 Ala. LEXIS 33
CourtSupreme Court of Alabama
DecidedOctober 12, 1939
Docket6 Div. 525.
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 191 So. 884 (National Life Accident Ins. Co. v. McGhee) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
National Life Accident Ins. Co. v. McGhee, 191 So. 884, 238 Ala. 471, 1939 Ala. LEXIS 33 (Ala. 1939).

Opinions

*474 THOMAS, Justice.

The suit was in two counts based on separate insurance contracts. Count 1 declared upon an alleged renewal of accident contract of insurance on application of insured for loss alleged to be due directly and independently of all causes from a bodily injury which was sustained while, it is alleged, said policy was in force, and which was affected accidently and through external and violent means, which resulted in death within ninety days from the date of said accident.

Count 2 was upon a contract based on an application for life insurance with benefits amounting to four hundred dollars in event of death and a binder receipt providing that the benefits in effect in event of death before delivery of policy should be paid after application had been approved in the home office.

The verdict was for plaintiff for amounts sued for under both counts of the complaint.

The case, under respective policies, is thus stated by appellee:

The appellant issued its accident policy to one Senior McGhee, deceased bearing date of February 22, 1937, for the sum of $175, being policy No. 16109245. There is some evidence, though disputed by the ap-pellee, that this policy lapsed for nonpayment of premiums on September 27, 1937. On November 20, 1937, Senior McGhee paid to the appellant $2.24 and made application for revival of this policy and was given a .revival receipt on the regular form of the company. “The $2.24 was arrived at as follows: 5 weekly premiums at 35 cents or $1.-75 to November 1, 1937, 20 per cent of two *475 •succeeding 35 cent premiums or 14 cents, and the next premium in full, totaling $2.24 and paying the premiums on this policy to November 22, 1937.” This amount was paid to the appellant’s agent P. P. Herring and P. P. Herring gave the insured the company’s official revival receipt as follows:

“Revival Receipt

“The National Life & Accident Insurance Company, Inc.

“Home Office, Nashville, Tenn.

“$2.24 11-20, 1937.

“Received of Senior McGhee 2 Dollars 24 cents.

“Being premium arrears on Policy No. - which is accepted only as 'a deposit on the following conditions which are acknowledged by the applicant by acceptance of this receipt, to-wit:

“(1) Except in case of Death, or Disablement resulting from 'Accident occurring between the date of this receipt and date of revival the Company assumes no liability whatever until the policy is revived on the books of the Company, this to be evidenced by endorsement on the policy.

“(2) That the statements contained in the application for revival are true.

“(3) If the revival application is not approved, the amount of this deposit shall be returned to the applicant.

“(Signed) P. P. Herring.

“Note. — If policy is not revived by the Company the amount deposited for such revival shall be returned upon surrender of this receipt.”

On this same date, November 20, 1937, Mr. Herring took Senior McGhee’s application for a policy of life insurance in the sum of $400 and issued the Company’s receipt therefor, in consideration of the further sum of eighty cents paid to him, as follows:

“National Life & Accident Insurance ' Company. Shields You.

“Received of Senior McGhee Date paid Month — 11 Day — 20 Year — 37 Premium Received 80 Signature of Representative P. P. Herring,

“For a premium deposit on account of application for insurance to The National Life and Accident Insurance Company, made this date, the weekly premium for which is to be 40 cents per week. If the application is accepted and a policy issued, this sum will be applied to the payment of the premium thereon. If the application is rejected the amount will be returned to the applicant. No obligation is incurred by said Company by reason of this deposit, unless and until a policy is issued upon said application and delivered, and unless at the date of the delivery of said policy the person proposed to be insured is alive and in sound health, except that if the person proposed to be insured is now alive and in sound health and the amount paid by or for such person at the time the application is written is not less than the amount of two weekly premiums, and this receipt covering said payment, is surrendered to the Company, the Company agrees, if the application is approved at the Home Office in Nashville, Tennessee, that should death occur prior to the issuance and or delivery of the policy or should applicant by reason of accident be totally disabled within the meaning of the policy applied for pri- or to the issuance and or delivery thereof, or should the applicant by reason of accident suffer dismemberment within the meaning of the policy applied for, or by reason of accident suffer the loss of sight of both eyes prior to the issuance and or delivery thereof, it will nevertheless pay such amounts as would have been due under the policy if issued and delivered, provided, however, such death or accident, resulting in any of said disabilities, occur within 'twenty-one (21) days of the date and signing of this application, otherwise, this receipt and the insurance granted hereunder shall be null and void, and the premium paid will be returned. No obligation is assumed by the Company unless the application is so approved, and the person proposed for insurance is now alive and in sound health. ■

“Disability benefits for illness, if provided for in the policy applied for, are payable only if such disability begins or occurs after the date of delivery of the policy.

“Be Careful of This Receipt, It Is Valuable.

“If the holder of this receipt does not receive a Policy of Insurance or the return of the money herein receipted for, within three weeks, write, stating name of Agent and particulars, to The National Life & Accident Insurance Company, 301 Seventh Avenue, North, Nashville, Tennessee.”

*476 The evidence shows that on November 20, 1937 (Saturday), Mr. Herring took Senior McGhee’s application; that on the following Wednesday Senior McGhee left his home in Jefferson County, stating that he was going to Georgia for a hunting trip over Thanksgiving and November 24, 1937, was the last day that the appellee, who is his wife, saw him alive. Thanksgiving day in 1937 was on November 25th, and, as usual, was on a Thursday. The appellee .next saw her husband on November 27, 1937, and he was then dead, and when she saw him on the 27th some men were bringing him out of the creek near their home.

Mr. Herring testified that he received notice after Senior McGhee’s death that the accident policy for $175 was revived. As to this the agent testified as follows:

“This is the .revival receipt (indicating) that I gave him. I can’t recall which one I gave that receipt to, but this is the receipt I written out there. It shows receipt of $2.24. I figured, that $2.24 as five weeks in full arrears, which would be $1.75, and 20 per cent of the remaining weeks up until the date it is supposed to be revived, and then one advance week.

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Bluebook (online)
191 So. 884, 238 Ala. 471, 1939 Ala. LEXIS 33, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/national-life-accident-ins-co-v-mcghee-ala-1939.