Webb v. Bankers' Life Insurance

19 Colo. App. 456
CourtColorado Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 15, 1904
DocketNo. 2292
StatusPublished

This text of 19 Colo. App. 456 (Webb v. Bankers' Life Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Colorado Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Webb v. Bankers' Life Insurance, 19 Colo. App. 456 (Colo. Ct. App. 1904).

Opinion

Thomson, P. J.

This action was brought to recover the amount of a policy issued by The Bankers’ Life Insurance Company on the life of Elias EL Webb, deceased. The plaintiffs were the children of Webb, and were the beneficiaries named in the policy. The defense was that in his application for the policy he had made a number of untrue statements, among which was one that he had never been declined or postponed by any life insurance company or association; and. that as part of the application he had warranted all his statements to be true, and offered them to the company as a consideration for the contract. The plaintiffs did not question the making of the statement, but denied that it was untrue.

The application for the policy was made on the 16th day of April, 1897. Tn the application Mr: Webb stated, among other things, that he had never [458]*458been declined or postponed by any life insurance company or association. He concluded tbe application with the following agreement: “I also agree that all of the foregoing statements and answers, as well as those that I mate to the company’s medical examiner in continuation of this application, are by me warranted to be true, and are offered to the company as a consideration for the contract,. which I hereby agree, to accept as issued by the company iq. conformity with this application.” The only signature of the applicant to the application, follows this agreement. The following is all of the policy which requires notice: “Bankers’ Life Insurance Company of the City of New York, in consideration of the application for this policy, and all statements made therein and to the medical examiner, and of the stipulations and agreements on the back of this policy, all of which are made part of this contract * * * promises to pay to Mary Webb, wife of the insured, her executors, administrators or assigns, the sum of ten thousand dollars * * Mrs. Webb having died, upon the request of the insured, the policy was made payable to the plaintiffs-.

• It is clear that the agreement of warranty was part of the application. It speaks of the application as “this application,” and the signature to the application follows the agreement. Also, by the terms of the policy, the application and the statements it contained were made part of the contract. The agreement of warranty included in the application, was thus incorporated with the policy. — Holden v. Insurance Co., 42 N. Y. Supp. 310.

The agreement of warranty being therefore a constituent part of the contract, if the statement, the truth of which was warranted, was untrue, there can be no recovery on the policy. — May on Insurance, § 156; Clemans v. Supreme Assembly, 131 N. Y. 485; [459]*459Thomas v. Fame Ins. Co., 108 Ill. 91; Insurance Co. v. Lampkin, 5 Colo. App. 177.

Counsel for -the plaintiffs, however, argues that upon the facts disclosed by the evidence the statement was not untrue. He maintains its truth, not as-an independent fact, but as a deduction from facts. It will therefore be necessary to examine the facts from which counsel’s conclusion is drawn.

On the 23d day of January, 1897, Mr. Webb made a proposal to the agent in Denver of the Mutual Reserve Fund Life Association of New York, for a policy in that association. He signed a paper entitled “Part 1 of Application for Membership and Policy of Insurance,” which contained certain questions propounded to him by the agent and his answers thereto. This paper was thereupon delivered to the agent, who immediately forwarded it to the home office, where it was received on the 28th day of January, 1897. Having signed and delivered this paper, he subscribed another paper before Dr. McLauthlin, the medical examiner at Denver of the association, entitled, “Part II of Application and Policy of Insurance,” in which he answered all the questions propounded to him by the examiner. There was still another paper, entitled, “Part III of -Application for Membership and Policy of Insurance.” This was to be signed by the medical examiner only, and was to constitute his report to the company. It contained questions to be answered by him showing what his examination of the applicant disclosed, and called for his professional opinion of the applicant’s physical condition, and the desirability of the risk. With this paper the applicant had nothing to do. One of -those questions was, “Was urine voided in your presence?” to which the examiner answered, “Sample could not be obtained.” On the 13th day of February, 1897, Dr. McLauthlin wrote to Dr. Bow-[460]*460den, the medical director of the company in New York, as follows:

‘ ‘ Dear Doctor Bowden: On January 23 I examined Elias H. Webb, Denver, county sheriff ($10,000.00). At that time he could not furnish the sample of urine. Otherwise examination complete, with his signature. He then changed his mind and would not furnish urine, although agent is still hopeful. Since that time he has been, by report, quite ill, the disease being unknown to me. Shall I insist on complete re-examination if he still desires insurance ? Please advise. Also, shall I forward examination minus urine exam, if he refuses to consider the matter further?”

To the foregoing letter the following answer was returned by the assistant secretary of the company:

“Medical Department, Mutual Resérve Fund Life Association, Broadway, New York. Frederick A. Burnham, President, James W. Bowden, M. D., Medical Director, February 17,1897. ° '
“Dr. H. W. McLauthlin, Mack Blk., Denver, Colo.
“Dear Sir: Your esteemed favor of Feby. 13th at hand, and contents fully noted. Should Mr. Elias H. Webb reconsider his decision and wish to take out insurance, and if his reported illness be a fact, we would certainly insist upon a complete re-examination. In any event, will you kindly forward the record of the examination you have already made of this party, without the urinary examination, in case he refuses to take any further steps in the matter? Your kind attention will be highly appreciated. Yours very truly, Robert H. Jones, Assistant Secietary. ’ ’
. Dr. McLauthlin thereupon forwarded the papers (Parts II and III) to the home office, having appended to Part III the following statement: “Mutual Reserve Fund Life Association. Confidential [461]*461communication February 24, 1897. Mr. Webb declines to complete the examination by furnishing-sample of urine. He claims to have been misinformed of certain facts concerning company’s policy by the agent writing him. He has been sick since my examination, confined to house, but the disease is unknown to me. At the time of examination he seemed a first-class risk, although I failed to understand his long confinement in hospital in 1864 for hernia. I cannot recommend him without examination of urine; also on account of his recent illness.
“H. W. M.”

.The last named papers were received by the company March 1, 1897. On March 3, 1897, the application was declined by the company, and notice of the fact ordered sent to the applicant. Whether such notice was in fact sent, or whether any information of this action of the company was ever imparted to Mr. Webb, does not appear.

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Related

Edington v. . Aetna Life Ins. Co.
77 N.Y. 564 (New York Court of Appeals, 1879)
Clemans v. Supreme Assembly Royal Society of Good Fellows
30 N.E. 496 (New York Court of Appeals, 1892)
Holden v. Metropolitan Life Insurance
42 N.Y.S. 310 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1896)
Thomas v. Fame Insurance
108 Ill. 91 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1883)

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Bluebook (online)
19 Colo. App. 456, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/webb-v-bankers-life-insurance-coloctapp-1904.