O'Donnell v. Financial American Life Insurance

171 F. Supp. 3d 711, 2016 WL 1090966, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 36154
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Ohio
DecidedMarch 21, 2016
DocketCase No. 2:14-cv-1071
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 171 F. Supp. 3d 711 (O'Donnell v. Financial American Life Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
O'Donnell v. Financial American Life Insurance, 171 F. Supp. 3d 711, 2016 WL 1090966, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 36154 (S.D. Ohio 2016).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

GREGORY L. FROST, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

This matter is before the Court for consideration of Defendant’s motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 36), Plaintiffs response in opposition (ECF No. 51), and Defendant’s reply memorandum (ECF No. 55). For the reasons that follow, the Court DENIES the motion.

I. BACKGROUND

A. The Parties

Defendant Financial American Life Insurance Co. offers credit life insurance policies. Such policies, available to consumers financing. credit transactions, offer payments to the consumer’s lender in the event the consumer dies or becomes disabled. Defendant offers its policies exclusively at automobile dealerships, where Defendant trains the dealership’s employees how to offer the policies to customers. Tri-County Chrysler Dodge Jeep in Health, Ohio (“Tri-County”) was one of these dealerships.

On February 10, 2102, Plaintiff Sheela K. O’Donnell and her late husband, Daniel O’Donnell, Sr., purchased a new automobile from Tri-County. The O’Donnells financed the automobile purchase through Wells Fargo Dealer Service (“Wells Fargo”).

In connection with the purchase, a TriCounty agent solicited the O’Donnells to purchase one of Defendant’s policies. The agent told the O’Donnells that it would benefit them to purchase credit life insurance since they were both in their sixties. The agent then presented the O’Donnells with an application for credit life insurance (the “Policy”). The agent did not inform the O’Donnells of any restrictions on their ability to purchase the insurance or otherwise discuss the O’Donnells’ suitability for the insurance. The agent similarly did not ask any questions about the O’Donnells’ health history.

B. The Policy and its Terms

The parties highlight several of the Policy’s provisions. The following provisions relate to the O’Donnells’ eligibility for the Policy:

THE FOLLOWING ARE MY REPRESENTATIONS AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF INSURABILITY REQUIREMENTS ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT:
1. I am not eligible for any insurance if I now have, or during the past two (2) years have been seen, diagnosed or treated (including medication) by a doctor or member of the medical profession for: (a) a disease or disorder of the: Brain, Heart, Lung, Liver, Kidney, Respiratory System, Circulatory System, Digestive System, Neurological/Muscular System; (b) Cancer; High Blood Pressure (prescribed and/or taking more than one medication); Edema; Stroke; Diabetes; Alcoholism; Drug Abuse; Morbid Obesity (and/or complications directly related to); or a Psychological or Psychiatric Illness; (c) an HIV Positive test result; or (d) weight reduction surgery (had or recommended to have).
YOUR CERTIFICATE MAY NOT BE IN FORCE WHEN YOU HAVE A CLAIM! PLEASE READ!
Your certificate is issued based on the information entered in this Application. If, to the best of your knowledge and belief, there is any misstatement in this [715]*715Application or if any information concerning the medical history of any insured person has been omitted, you should advise the Company, otherwise your Certificate may not be a valid contract.
My signature below acknowledges that I have read and understand the above In-surability Requirements and represent that I meet both the Eligibility Requirements and the Statement of Insurability and am eligible for the coverage as requested in the Schedule. I further understand and agree that I am insured only if I have signed below and I agree to pay the premiums for this insurance ....

(ECF No. 37-1, at PAGEID # 386.)

Below that clause, the O’Donnells both signed the Policy: .

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(Id.)

Plaintiff testified that neither she nor Mr. O’Donnell read the Policy before signing it. The Tri-County agent did not instruct the O’Donnells not to read the Application or obstruct the O’Donnells from doing so. Plaintiff testified that she and Mr. O’Donnell had signed other applications for credit life insurance in the past without reading them.

Following the Policy’s Eligibility section is a section entitled CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE. This section states:

We certify that, if we have been paid the premium shown in the Application, you are insured for the coverage shown in the Application, subject to the terms of the Group Policy issued to the Creditor and acceptance by us. Our acceptance will be in accordance with our procedures and practices. Under no circumstances will acceptance occur before sixty (60) days of the receipt of the Application... .All benefit payments are made to the Creditor shown in the Application to pay off or reduce your debt. If benefit payments are more than the balance of your loan, we will pay the difference to you or to a named Second Beneficiary....

The PAYMENT OF A DEATH BENEFIT section below the CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE SECTION states:

If you or the insured Co-Borrower dies while insured, we will pay the amount of insurance then in force after we receive proof of death. Only one death benefit is payable under this Certificate. Payment of a death benefit terminates all insurance coverage under this Certificate. We will not pay more than the decreasing insurance balance of the initial amount of life insurance.

(Id. at PAGEID # 387.)

It is undisputed that the O’Donnells paid a premium of $1,429.56 at the time they signed the Policy. This premium, according to Plaintiff, purchased $30,629.93 worth of credit life insurance over a period of 75 months, payable to Wells Fargo in the event the O’Donnells died or became disabled. Defendant accepted the premium payment, meaning that the O’Donnells became “insured for the coverage shown in the Application, subject to the terms of the Group Policy issued to the Creditor.” (Id.) Defendant therefore became obligated to “pay the amount of insurance then in force after we receive proof of death” in the event that either of the O’Donnells died while insured. (Id.)

[716]*716The Policy also contains a GENERAL PROVISIONS section. That section contains the following incontestability provision:

INCONTESTABILITY: We will not contest this insurance: (a) except for non-payment of a premium, after it has been in force two (2) years during the Insured Borrower’s lifetime... or (b) during the first two (2) years it is in force unless the contest is based on a written statement signed by the Insured Borrower and furnished to the Insured Borrower or the beneficiary. All statements made by you and your insured Co-Borrower, in the absence of fraud, are deemed representations and not warranties.

(Id at PAGEID # 388.)

The Policy later contains the following MISSTATED TERMS clause:

. MISSTATED TERMS: If we provided an incorrect amount of insurance to you because we were given wrong information, we will amend your coverage to provide the correct amount. Any excess premium will be refunded to the person entitled to it. If we do not refund the excess premium within ninety (90) days of receipt of your initial premium, your coverage will remain in force as submitted,

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
171 F. Supp. 3d 711, 2016 WL 1090966, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 36154, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/odonnell-v-financial-american-life-insurance-ohsd-2016.