United States Health & Accident Insurance v. Clark

83 N.E. 760, 41 Ind. App. 345, 1908 Ind. App. LEXIS 168
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 28, 1908
DocketNo. 6,079
StatusPublished
Cited by29 cases

This text of 83 N.E. 760 (United States Health & Accident Insurance v. Clark) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States Health & Accident Insurance v. Clark, 83 N.E. 760, 41 Ind. App. 345, 1908 Ind. App. LEXIS 168 (Ind. Ct. App. 1908).

Opinion

Myeks, J.

Appellee, as sole beneficiary under an accident insurance policy executed by appellant to her husband, William E. Clark, brought this action against appellant to recover on that policy. Appellant sought to abate this action by an answer in two paragraphs. The first, on the ground that the court did not have jurisdiction of appellant, the second, upon the theory that the court did. not have jurisdiction over the subject-matter of the action. On motion the first of these paragraphs was stricken out. A demurrer to the second was overruled, and a reply in general denial filed. The issue thus formed was tried by the court and determined in favor of appellee. Appellant answered the complaint in seven paragraphs.; the first being in deniál. A demurrer was sustained to the fifth and sixth paragraphs and overruled to the second, third, fourth and seventh. Appellee replied by a verified general denial, and by a second paragraph directed to the fourth paragraph of appellant’s answer. The issues thus joined on the merits of the contro[348]*348versy were submitted to a jury for trial, resulting in a verdict in favor of appellee, and with the verdict the jury returned answers to eighty-one interrogatories. Appellant’s motion for judgment on the answers to interrogatories and its motion for a new trial were overruled, and judgment rendered for $672.60.

The errors relied on are: (1) The court has no jurisdiction of the subject-matter of the action; (2) the court erred in sustaining the demurrer to the fifth and sixth paragraphs of answer; (3) the court erred in overruling appellant’s motion for judgment on the answers to interrogatories notwithstanding the general verdict; (4) the court erred in overruling appellant’s motion for a new trial.

1. Appellant, in support of its first assignment, relies upon propositions, in effect, that courts of this state obtain jurisdiction over foreign insurance companies and the subject-matter of the action by virtue of special laws applicable to such companies only, and that the laws relative to foreign companies and corporations regarding service of process do not apply; that, in order to give the courts of this State jurisdiction over the subject-matter of an action, it must appear that the liability for which suit is brought took place in and grew out of the special business to be transacted by such companies doing business in this State.

2. Under this assignment the question of jurisdiction over appellant is not presented. The question is: did the trial court have jurisdiction over the subject-matter of this action? “By jurisdiction of the subject-matter is meant jurisdiction of the class of cases to which the particular case belongs.” Chicago, etc., R. Co. v. Sutton (1892), 130 Ind. 405, 410. See, also, McCoy v. Able (1892), 131 Ind. 417. Upon the face of the complaint it appears that appellant, a foreign insurance company, on August 7, 1903, in consideration of a premium then received, executed to William E. Clark a policy of insurance on his life in the sum of $600; that appellee was the sole beneficiary named [349]*349in that policy; that appellant agreed to pay said sum in the event said William E. Clark should lose his life by violent, external or accidental means; that on August 15, 1903, said William E. Clark died as the result of injuries received by falling from a scaffold. It also appears that decedent in his lifetime performed all the conditions and stipulations of the contract on his part to be performed. Other allegations are found showing proof of death and a liability.from appellant to appellee.

3. The subject-matter of this action was one of contract, and belonged to a class within the jurisdiction of the court in which the action was brought; and, this being true, it follows that jurisdiction of the subject-matter will be presumed until the contrary is made to appear. By the plea in abatement, the jurisdiction of the court as to the subject-matter of the action was challenged, and on the issue thus raised, the trial court decided against appellant. On that issue no further steps were taken and no question saved for review.

4. A portion of appellent’s argument seems to be upon the theory that the court did not have jurisdiction of appellant. This argument is not applicable to the assignment, and, if it were, the filing of an answer to the merits of the cause amounted .to a general appearance and gave the court full jurisdiction over the person of appellant. American Mut. Life Ins. Co. v. Mason (1902), 159 Ind. 15, 20, and cases there cited; Williams v. State (1907), 169 Ind. 384.

5. The court having obtained jurisdiction of the parties to the action, and such action being founded upon a demand growing out of the business in which appellant was engaged, and of the class which the court had the right to hear and determine, the fact that the contract sued on was executed in another state will not affect the court’s jurisdiction over the subject-matter. By statute it was unnecessary that the claim of appellee should grow out of any business or transaction had by appellant in this State. §4798 Burns 1908, Acts 1901, p. 375. [350]*350Appellant has not pointed out any fact in the record, or statutes of this State governing foreign insurance companies, nor do we know of anything which prohibits a court of general jurisdiction, having jurisdiction of the parties, from adjudicating the merits presented by the issues in this cause.

The fifth and sixth paragraphs of answer count upon a breach of warranty as a defense to the action on the policy.’ The breach averred relates to certain statements of fact regarding the insured’s age, vision, medical and surgical treatment. The answer further alleges that appellant was ignorant of the facts so stated in the- insured’s application for insurance; that such facts were all peculiarly within the knowledge of the insured; that appellant relied upon such statements and was induced thereby to issue said policy; that said policy was issued in consideration of the premiums and of the statements and agreements in the schedule indorsed thereon and made a part thereof, which statements were warranted to be true; that the insured agreed that if any statements in the application were untrue the policy should be null and void; that said statements relative to age, vision, medical and surgical treatment, and so warranted to be true, were false, and known by said insured to be false at the time they were made, and averring wherein such answers were untrue. In addition to the facts common to both paragraphs, it is averred in the sixth paragraph that the insured misrepresented certain facts concerning himself, which were material to the risk; that as soon as appellant discovered that said answers and statements of fact had been misrepresented, and before the bringing of this action, it mailed to appellee a bill of exchange, payable at any bank, for the sum of $5, the same being the premiums paid by the insured on account'of said policy; that appellee refused to accept said bill of exchange, and returned the same to appellant. The application, which was made a part of each of these answers, contains many other statements and answers concerning the insured, and about which there is no complaint.

[351]*3516.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
83 N.E. 760, 41 Ind. App. 345, 1908 Ind. App. LEXIS 168, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-health-accident-insurance-v-clark-indctapp-1908.