United States v. Ingalls

114 F.2d 839, 72 App. D.C. 383, 1940 U.S. App. LEXIS 3224
CourtCourt of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
DecidedAugust 5, 1940
DocketNo. 7451
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 114 F.2d 839 (United States v. Ingalls) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Ingalls, 114 F.2d 839, 72 App. D.C. 383, 1940 U.S. App. LEXIS 3224 (D.C. Cir. 1940).

Opinion

STEPHENS, Associate Justice.

This is an appeal by the Government from a judgment of the District Court of the United States for the District of Columbia entered in favor of the appellee, hereafter referred to as plaintiff, on two policies of insurance: one a Government policy of ordinary life insurance, converted from war risk insurance, covering total permanent disability; the other, a “rider” policy issued under the provisions of Section 311 of the World War Veterans’ Act as amended July 3, 1930, 38 U.S.C.A. § 512b, covering total disability.

The plaintiff filed claims with the Veterans’ Administration for benefits under the two policies, but they were disallowed. The present suit was then instituted. At the trial it was stipulated by counsel that the only questions in the case were whether on August 31, 1934. the plaintiff was totally and permanently disabled within the meaning of that phrase under the converted policy, and totally disabled within the meaning of those words under the rider policy. In the converted policy total permanent disability was defined as “any impairment of mind or body which continuously renders it impossible for the disabled person to follow any substantially gainful occupation and which is founded upon conditions which render it reasonably certain that it will continue throughout the life of the person suffering from it.” Under the rider policy total disability was defined as “any impairment of mind or body which continuously renders it impossible for the disabled person to follow any substantially gainful occupation.”

A jury trial was waived. At the close of the evidence for the plaintiff — none being introduced for the Government — the [840]*840plaintiff moved for judgment on the ground that the greater weight of the evidence supported his case; to the contrary, the Government moved for judgment in its own behalf. The plaintiff’s motion was granted. On both the issue of total permanent disability under the converted policy and the issue of total disability under the rider policy, findings of fact in favor of the plaintiff were made by the court, followed by appropriate conclusions of law, and judgment in the plaintiff’s favor. A motion for a new trial made by the Government was denied.

The sole question for us to determine is whether there was substantial evidence to support the findings in the plaintiff’s favor. In 'answering that question we must take as true all facts which the plaintiff’s evidence tends to establish and draw in his favor all inferences fairly deducible from such facts. Lumbra v. United States, 1934, 290 U.S. 551, 553, 54 S.Ct. 272, 78 L.Ed. 492; Gunning v. Cooley, 1930, 281 U.S. 90, 94, 50 S.Ct. 231, 74 L.Ed. 720.

We think the record discloses ample evidence to support the findings for the plaintiff. It would serve no useful purpose to state all of the evidence. It is sufficient to point out that there was evidence to the following effect: From' 1911 until his retirement on August 31, 1934, the plaintiff, Colonel Raymond Eugene Ingalls, was a dental surgeon in the United States Army. In September 1917 while he was in military service overseas, he was admitted to a field hospital in France Under observation for a mental disease described in the hospital records as “psychasthenia.” About a month later he was admitted to a base hospital in France for “psychosis, manic depressive, in line of duty.” In November of the same year he was transferred to St. Mary’s Hospital, Hoboken, New Jersey, the cause of admission being described as “neurasthenia (sexual), manifested by mental depression.” From that time until the date of his retirement the plaintiff was admitted to and treated at Fort Sheridan Station Hospital; Walter Reed General Hospital, Washington, D. C.; Sternberg General Hospital, Manila, Philippine Islands; General Dispensary, Chicago, Illinois; and Fitzsimons General Hospital, Denver, Colorado — all military hospitals. At these institutions his condition was variously described as “psychoneurosis, ' neurasthenia, severe”; “neurasthenia”; “depression and insomnia, moderately severe”; “neurasthenia, secondary to eye strain, caused by continuous work with eyes”; “psychoneurosis, neurasthenia”; “ocular muscle imbalance, bilateral; migraine, severe, cause undetermined; astigmatism, compound, hyperopic bilateral, vision 20/200 bilateral”; and he was treated for these conditions. In September 1926 the plaintiff’s clinical record at Headquarters, Corps Area, Chicago, indicated that in the opinion of the doctors:

. . the patient had had, at least since 1916, all the typical symptoms of a severe neurasthenia, with apparently a neurotic tendency for even a longer time, which was exaccerbated and brought to a focus in 1916 by the hard work and great responsibility on the Mexican Border, and that the World War with its excitements, increased responsibilities, and advanced rank still further increased the severity of his illness, such that when things did quiet down, it was too late and permanent damage done to the central nervous system, the sympathetic nervous system, and the endocrine system. Thorough and repeated examinations at numerous places only confirmed the diagnosis of neurasthenia and eliminated all other suspicious and possible diagnoses. The chief complaint is referable to the eyes — fatigability after a few minutes’ reading, eye muscles get tired and head pains as though from eye-strain. Even moderate mental or physical exertion brings on a marked exhaustion and patient says he is always tired. Insomnia is constant and severe. . . ♦”

A progress note in the same clinical record, under date of September 9, 1926, shows:

. . that a tentative diagnosis was made of severe neurasthenia with the probability that the eye symptoms are due to same, based on history and symptoms of fatigability, mental depression, insomnia, and nervous repression, and findings of a marked asthenia — weak, flabby muscles, weak, flabby heart, pallor, subnormal temperature, bradycardia, and absence of other pathology. Opinion was expressed, following the complete eye examination with the diagnosis of a compound hyperopic astigmatism, presbyopia, spasma of accommodation following close work, that the eye condition was a local manifestation of his general condition of neurasthenia. The opinion was expressed that the eye examinations show the eye symptoms are due to the general constitutional ailment and form part of the picture of a typical psychoneurosis, psychasthenia, and neurasthenia, manifest[841]*841ed by fatigability — mental, physical, and ocular — insomnia, anorexia, repression of normal impulses, etc. . . .”

On March 5, 1934, in the Fitzsimons General Hospital in Denver, Colorado, the diagnosis was “psychoneurosis, neurasthenic type, severe.” On April 21, 1934, the plaintiffs medical card at the same hospital showed: “Final disposition: To home to await retirement on the War Department orders dated April 12, 1934. Degree of disability of 100%.”

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Bluebook (online)
114 F.2d 839, 72 App. D.C. 383, 1940 U.S. App. LEXIS 3224, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-ingalls-cadc-1940.