United States v. Kiles

70 F.2d 880, 1934 U.S. App. LEXIS 4343
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
DecidedApril 11, 1934
DocketNo. 9690
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 70 F.2d 880 (United States v. Kiles) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eighth 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. Kiles, 70 F.2d 880, 1934 U.S. App. LEXIS 4343 (8th Cir. 1934).

Opinion

GARDNER, Circuit Judge.

This is an action brought to recover on a contract of war risk insurance. Right of recovery is asserted on the ground that the [881]*881assured became permanently totally disabled November 1, 1928, during tbe life of tbe policy, and not on tbe ground that the insured died during the life of the policy. Insured died of pneumonia August 17, 1929. It is alleged that insured’s total permanent disability resulted from “extreme nervousness, insanity, organic and functional nervous diseases, arthritis, and general debility.” The answer is in the nature of a general denial.

At the close of all the testimony the government moved for a directed verdict on the grounds that “as a matter of law the plaintiff has not proved * ° insurance contract in force on the date alleged in the petition as amended, November 1, 1928, and * * as a matter of law, he has not proved a prima facie case of permanent total disability on that date.” This motion was denied and the ease was sent to the jury, resulting in a verdict in favor of plaintiff, and from the judgment entered thereon this appeal has been perfected.

It is here contended that (1) there was no substantial evidence that the insurance was in force November 1, 1928; (2) there was no evidence of a valid disagreement between the United States veterans’ bureau and the insured, or the person claiming under the contract of insurance; and (3) there was no substantial evidence of total permanent disability on November 1, 1928, or any other time while the contract of insurance was in effect.

It was conceded on the trial that thei insurance premiums had been paid until May, 1927. On June 27, 1927, the insured converted his war risk insurance into a government life insurance policy, the amount of the policy being reduced from $10,000 to $5,000. Appellant urges that certain receipts or other similar evidence or records of payment that plaintiff introduced were ambiguous. Payment of the premiums from August, 1927, to October, 1928, are admitted, but appellant contends that there is no evidence that the premium for the month of July, 1927, was paid within the thirty-day grace period. A receipt was produced by plaintiff from the United States veterans’ bureau, which bears the notation, “Payment received July 18, 1927, A. P. Carson, Insurance Cashier.” Plaintiff, who is a brother of the insured, testified that he made payment of the premium in the usual regular manner for July, and that he received the receipt above referred to in recognition of that payment. Therels no evidence in the record eontradieting his testimony, and the court submitted to the jury the question as to whether or not payments of premiums were made so as to prevent the lapse of the policy. The jury by its verdict necessarily found that such payments were made, and there is substantial evidence sustaining this finding of the jury, so that the defendant was not entitled to a directed verdict on the gTound that the policy was not in force at the time of the insured’s alleged total permanent disability.

It is earnestly asserted by appellant that there was no evidence of a disagreement between the bureau and the insured, or the person claiming under the contract of insurance. This action is governed by the Act of July 3,1930, § 4, amending section 19 of the World War Veterans’ Act 1924 (38 USCA § 445). Such a disagreement is a necessary condition precedent to the exercise of jurisdiction by the court. United States v. Collins (C. C. A. 4) 61 F.(2d) 1002; Manke v. United States (C. C. A. 9) 38 F.(2d) 624. The District Court, however, had general jurisdiction of the parties and of the subject-matter, but the right to relief was dependent upon the fact of the existence of a disagreement. A total want of jurisdiction of the subject-matter cannot, of course, be waived, but where the court has general jurisdiction of the subject-matter, and the jurisdiction of a particular ease is dependent upon the existence of certain facts, the jurisdiction may be waived by a failure to make timely and specific objections. United States v. Edwards (C. C. A. 8) 23 F.(2d) 477. Here, confessedly, the court had jurisdiction if a disagreement existed. In its motion for a directed verdict, the defendant specifically stated the grounds upon which it asked the court to direct a verdict in its favor. It did not urge in that motion that there was no evidence of sueh disagreement. Had it done so, the court might very properly have permitted plaintiff to reopen the ease to supply the necessary proof if sueh proof were lacking, and the question, not having been presented in the lower court, cannot now for the first time be raised in this court. Falvey v. Coats (C. C. A. 8) 47 F.(2d) 856, 89 A. L. R. 1; Adams v. Shirk (C. C. A. 7) 117 F. 801; Hill v. Walker (C. C. A. 8) 167 F. 241, 257.

In the last-cited ease, it was held that to justify a dismissal where jurisdiction is properly laid in the complaint, the question must be directly raised in the trial court and opposing counsel given an opportunity to rebut the evidence showing that the court was [882]*882without jurisdiction. In the course of the opinion it is said:

“Here the jurisdictional facts are properly alleged in the complaint, and there is no showing in the evidence which can create even a suspicion of fraud upon the jurisdiction of the court, and the objection is raised in an appellate court by a defeated party who presented the issue obscurely under a general denial and refrained from directly raising the question in the trial while he speculated upon the result of the litigation. Under such circumstances, surely, this court is not justified in reversing the judgment when there is a general finding supporting jurisdiction.”

It remains to consider the more serious question as to whether there was substantial evidence of total permanent disability at or prior to November 1, 1928. The insurance contract obligated the government to indemnify in the event of death or permanent total disability during the life of the policy. As the policy had lapsed before the death of the insured, it was incumbent upon plaintiff to establish total permanent disability before the lapse of the policy. The contract does not cover total temporary nor partial permanent disability. Eggen v. United States (C. C. A. 8) 58 F.(2d) 616; United States v. Pullig (C. C. A. 8) 63 F.(2d) 379; United States v. Hill (C. C. A. 8) 62 F.(2d) 1022; United States v. Nickle (C. C. A. 8) 70 F.(2d) 873; Lumbra v. United States, 290 U. S. 551, 54 S. Ct. 272, 78 L. Ed. 492.

The claim here is that insured was suffering from an impairment of mind, which totally and permanently disabled him. Lay witnesses testified to insured’s excitable nervous temperament, to conversations in which he laid elaim to great enterprises and undertakings, and claimed that his relatives were against him; that his conversation was rambling; that he did not adhere to one subject when he was conversing, but would pass from one subject to another; that he could not carry a chain of thought; that he could not stay at work any length of time, and that he was not right mentally; that he suffered from hallucinations; that he claimed to be a great orator and if his enemies would permit he would become a millionaire, but that he was prevented and impeded by others from carrying out his plans; that in the late winter and early spring of 1928, he complained of his head hurting him badly. Certain of these lay witnesses testified that insured was crazy, and that he was insane. One medical witness, a Dr. R. J.

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Bluebook (online)
70 F.2d 880, 1934 U.S. App. LEXIS 4343, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-kiles-ca8-1934.