Northwestern Benevolent Society v. Dudley

61 N.E. 207, 27 Ind. App. 327, 1901 Ind. App. LEXIS 59
Indiana Court of Appeals·Decided October 2, 1901·No. No. 3,478·Published·Cited by 6 cases

Opinion

Comstock, J.

The complaint is in one paragraph. It alleges the issuing of a policy to appellee (who was plaintiff below). The policy is made a part of the complaint. By its provisions appellee became entitled to certain indemnity in the event of total disability by reason of bodily injury effected solely through external, violent, and accidental means. That appellee did receive an injury while the policy was in force, occasioned by the biting of his thumb by another person without the fault of appellee; that the person who bit the thumb “was in a state of intoxication to such an extent that he did not know that he was inflicting such injury and by reason thereof said injury so inflicted * * * upon said plaintiff was not in any manner intentional, but was wholly unintended and accidental.” The application is by the terms of the policy made a part thereof. [329] It provides that the benefits of membership in the appellant society “shall not extend to nor cover disability or death resulting wholly or partly, directly or indirectly, voluntarily or involuntarily, accidentally or otherwise, from any of the following causes, to wit, * * * intentional injuries inflicted by the insured of any other persons (burglars and robbers excepted).”

The cause being at issue, it was submitted to the court. Upon proper request, a special finding of facts was made, conclusions of law stated thereon, and judgment rendered in favor of appellee for $180. The errors assigned are the action of the court in overruling appellant’s demurrer to the complaint; in overruling its motion for judgment on the special finding; in its conclusions of law on' the special finding; in overruling appellant’s motion for a new trial.

It is contended by appellant’s counsel that the special finding of facts is in several particulars not sustained by sufficient evidence. It is not necessary to consider all the questions raised.

In denying the sufficiency of the complaint, counsel for appellant admit that had the complaint charged that the injury was inflicted unintentionally, without stating the facts on which the statement was based, the pleading would have been good, but insist that the facts set out do not show the want of intention. Granting, as counsel claim, that the inference pleaded, of a want of intention, adds no strength to the pleading, yet the general averment remains that the infliction of the injury was unintentional. The rule for which counsel contend, that “every drunken man intends to do the thing he does at the time he performs it” is not supported by the authorities. While drunkenness is no excuse for crime, the law recognizes both in civil and criminal proceedings that one may become so intoxicated as to be incapable of having an intention. Aszman v. State, 123 Ind. 347. (See authorities collected in foot-notes to this case in 8 L. R. A., p. 34.) People v. Harris, 29 Cal. 678; [330] People v. Eastwood, 14 N. Y. 562. The complaint is sufficient.

In support of the second specification of error it is claimed that there is no finding that any verified and final proofs of ip jury or proofs of any kind were made by plaintiff or received by the defendant prior to the bringing of the suit, or at any time; that as one of the conditions on which the policy was issued was that any benefit for which the society may be liable shall not be payable “until after satisfactory, direct, verified, and final proofs upon blanks in use by the society have been received by the society in Duluth, Minnesota, it was a material fact to be proved and found. The court, however, does find that a “notice of said injury accompanied by the certificate of a physician, which said notice and certificate complied, in all things with the requirements of said policy, * * It is also' found that no further notice, certificate, or proofs of said injury was requested or required from said plaintiff on the part of the defendant.

It is contended that there is no finding to show the material allegation that the policy was issued to the plaintiff in consideration of the membership fee. There is a finding that appellant issued a policy which is set out, but there is no finding of the payment of any consideration therefor. There is evidence from which a finding of payment might have been made, but not a finding of payment. Payment was an ultimate fact which should have been found. State ex rel. v. Griffin, 16 Ind. App. 555, and authorities cited. But payment of the consideration seems from the record to have been treated as an admitted fact; and under Towell v. Hollweg, 81 Ind. 154, it was not essentially necessary for the court to make such a finding.

It is next contended that there is not a finding that the injury was unintentionally inflicted. Einding five is as follows: “That at the time the said O’Haver made the assault on the plaintiff, he, the said O’Haver was intoxicated [331] to such a degree that he did not know or realize the fact that he was assaulting or had assaulted the plaintiff, and did not know at the time he was doing so, that he was biting or had bitten the plaintiff’s thumb in the manner herein-before stated.” Knowledge is necessary to intention, and this finding is equivalent to a finding that the injury was committed unintentionally.

The court did not err in its conclusions of law on the findings. The action of the trial court in overruling the motion for a new trial remains to be considered. It presents the question whether the findings of the court are sustained by sufficient evidence. Upon this specification, the real controversy rests.

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Northwestern Benevolent Society v. Dudley, 61 N.E. 207, 27 Ind. App. 327, 1901 Ind. App. LEXIS 59 (Ind. Ct. App. 1901).

61 N.E. 207 (Northwestern Benevolent Society v. Dudley) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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