Prudential Insurance v. Hill

1935 OK 903, 49 P.2d 1067, 174 Okla. 33, 1935 Okla. LEXIS 1354
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedOctober 1, 1935
DocketNo. 25342.
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 1935 OK 903 (Prudential Insurance v. Hill) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Prudential Insurance v. Hill, 1935 OK 903, 49 P.2d 1067, 174 Okla. 33, 1935 Okla. LEXIS 1354 (Okla. 1935).

Opinion

CORN, J.

This action was originally brought in the county court of Ottawa county for the recovery of the sum of $540 on a life insurance policy. The defendant, the Prudential Life Insurance Company of America, defended on the alleged ground that the; applicant was not in sound health at the time the policy was issued, and that according to a provision in the policy rendering the same void if the applicant was not in sound health at the time; of its issuance, the policy never went into effect.

The trial court instructed a verdict as fol lows:

“Gentlemen of the jury, in this case plaintiff sues the defendant on an insurance policy in the sum of $540; the defendant denies all of the allegation — denies any liability by reason of the insurance policy, and bases its defense on the proposition that the insurance policy is based on the application and answers given therein. Under the laws of this state the insurance company is required to attach to the insurance policy a copy of the application and that unless that is done that cannot be interposed — that is the claim of false answers having been given in the application, cannot be interposed as a defense.
“Therefore, I will direct that the jury return a verdict in favor of the plaintiff for the amount sued on.’’

The defendant objected to the foregoing instruction and moved the court to.direct the jury to return a verdict in favor of the defendant as follows:

“Mr. Swanson: Let the record show that the defendant objects to the remarks of the court in that the court has misstated the defenses in this case — has not in any way indicated that the defense of. the sound health provision of the policy itself is considered in any way by the court in arriving at its conclusion. That the policy itself provides that the insured must be in sound health on the date of the policy, and that the evidence clearly shows that the insured on the date of the policy was suffering from tuberculosis and many other ailments. And now the defendant moves the court to direct the jury to return a verdict in favor of the defendant under the evidence in the case.”

The motion, was overruled and the defend ant saved its exception. The jury rendered its verdict accordingly, and the court rendered judgment for plaintiff according to the instructed verdict. The defendant insurance company brought this appeal for the reversal of said judgment, and the parties will be referred to herein as plaintiff and defendant in the same order as they appeared in the trial court.

The trial court refused to receive in evidence the application or any testimony as to the statements contained in the application, on the ground that the application was not attached to the policy and made a part of the contract. The court evidently based its ruling uf)on section 10519, O. S. 1931, which provides as follows:

“In any claim arising under a policy which has been issued in this state by any life insurance company, without previous medical examination or without the knowledge and consent of the insured, or in case said insured is a minor, without the consent of the parent, guardian, or other person having legal custody of said minor, the statements made in the application shall, in the absence of fraud, be deemed representations and not warranties; Provided, however, that the company shall not be debarred from proving as a defense to such claim that said statements are willfully false, fraudulent or misleading; and provided, further, that every policy which contains a reference to the ap-iplication of the insured, either as a part of the policy or as having any bearing thereon, must have attached thereto a correct copy of the application, and unless so attached the same shall not be considered a part of the policy or received in evidence.”

But the defendant contends that the policy in question is an industrial policy and is excelled from the provisions of the statute just ouoted by reason of section 10530, O. S. 1931, which provides in part, as follows:

“This article shall not apply to annuities, industrial policies, nor to associations operating on the fraternal plan, nor to farm mutual companies. * * *”

The question is raised as to whether the liolicy is actually an industrial policy, and entitled to be classified as insurance excepted from the provisions of section 10519, supra. We find no statute prescribing any particular form for an industrial policy, yet there must be certain characteristics to distinguish an industrial policy from other kinds of insurance. In this connection wo refer to an observation made by this court in the case of Prudential Insurance Company v. Howell, Adm’r, 14, 1 Okla. 160, 289 P. 734, which is stated in the following language:

“* * * From an examination of numerous *35 authorities on the question, it seems that industrial insurance in a general sense means policies issued in small amounts in consideration of weekly payments as distinguished from ordinary insurance which is usually in large amounts and maintained hy annual, semi-annual, or quarterly premiums. The underlying principle of the industrial policy is to provide a means whereby the laboring or more unfortunate masses may be able to carry small amounts of insurance upon the payments of a small proportion of weekly wages or earnings to meet such exigencies as may usually arise in case of death. The smallness of the amount and of the premium paid, together with the purposes for which it was designed, made it highly desirable that upon the death of the insured, payment be made promptly without expense in the form of litigation by claimants, proceedings for the appointment of a personal representative, and without unnecessary risk on the part of the insurer. In order to accomplish these results, the clause known as the ‘Facility of Payment’ clause has been somewhat universally adopted.”

We find from an examination of the policy as copied into the record that the premiums are payable weekly and that it contains the “Facility of Payment” clause, which provides as follows:

“Facility of Payment. — It is understood and agreed that the said company may make: any payment or grant any nonforfeiture provision provided for in this policy to any relative by blood or connection by marriage of the insured, or to any person appearing to said company to be equitably entitled to the same by reason of having incurred expense on behalf of the insured, for his or her burial, or for any other purpose, and the production by the company of a receipt signed by any or either of said persons or of other sufficient proof of such payment or grant of such provision to any or either of them shall be conclusive evidence that such payment or provision has been made or granted to the person or persons entitled thereto, and that all claims under this policy have been fully satisfied.”

We also find that the application signed by the insured bears upon its face the printed designation “Application for Industrial Insurance.” and that the policy provides that “the basis of the nonforfeiture values is the net reserve according to the Standard Industrial Mortality Table.” Also there is printed on the back of the policy under the name of the company the legend: “Founded by John F. Dryden, Pioneer of Industrial Insurance in America.”

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Bluebook (online)
1935 OK 903, 49 P.2d 1067, 174 Okla. 33, 1935 Okla. LEXIS 1354, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/prudential-insurance-v-hill-okla-1935.