Western Life Indemnity Co. v. Couch

123 N.E. 11, 70 Ind. App. 684, 1919 Ind. App. LEXIS 75
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 18, 1919
DocketNo. 9,739
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 123 N.E. 11 (Western Life Indemnity Co. v. Couch) 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
Western Life Indemnity Co. v. Couch, 123 N.E. 11, 70 Ind. App. 684, 1919 Ind. App. LEXIS 75 (Ind. Ct. App. 1919).

Opinion

McMahan, J.

This is an action to recover on a

life insurance policy issued by the appellant on the life of Orlando H. Couch.

The first paragraph of the complaint alleged that on October 1,191.3, the appellant issued to Orlando H. Couch its policy of insurance for $5,000, payable at death; that said Orlando H. Couch complied with all the requirements of the policy, and afterwards died; and that the appellee made all necessary proofs of death, but that appellant refused to pay the policy, and demanding judgment.

The second paragraph of the complaint alleged that on September 28, 1911, the Monarch Life Indemnity Company of Evansville, Indiana, issued and delivered to Orlando H. Couch and .the appellee a joint policy of insurance in the amount of $5,000, payable to the survivor on death of either of said parties; that a receiver was thereafter appointed for the Monarch [688]*688company, who sold the business of said company to the appellant, and that a written contract of the sale was entered into between the receiver and the appellant, which, among other things, provided that the holders of policies in the Monarch company were given the right to continue the payment of the annual premiums which they had formerly paid to the Monarch company and receive from appellant such an amount of insurance as such premiums would pay for, under a rate set out in said contract; that said contract also provided that holders of policies like that issued to appellee and Orlando H. Couch should, by making written application therefor within one year from the date of said contract, receive, free of expense from appellant, a choice of three designated policies, provided that on said new policy the member should pay the premium rate of said Western company applicable to the member’s age at the time of acceptance by the Monarch company; that on September 29, 1913, Orlando H. Couch and appellee, in accordance with said contract, made application to appellant for a new policy of insurance in the sum of $5,000, and that the appellant company issued to them a “cooperative dual life policy” payable to the survivor of them; that Orlando H. Couch died April 30, 1914; that the appellant failed to pay the policy, and demanding judgment.

The appellant filed an amended answer admitting all the material allegations of the complaint, and assumed the burden of proving a defense.

The answer set out the reinsurance contract mentioned in the complaint, and, after setting out the provisions thereof as alleged in the second paragraph of complaint, alleged that when the policy-holders in [689]*689the Monarch company made application for insurance they were required to furnish satisfactory evidence of insurability at the time of making such application; that appellant company in said contract reserved the same rights of defense against any liability as could have been exercised by the Monarch company in the absence of said agreement.

It was also alleged that, after the execution of said reinsurance contract, Orlando H. Couch and appellee did not elect to carry their joint life policy, for the reason that the premiums theretofore paid by them would only pay for an insurance of $2,000.99; that they elected to apply to appellant for the cooperative dual life policy upon their lives for $5,000; and that they made application for such new insurance on forms prescribed by appellant, a copy of which application is set out; that with their said application said parties furnished and delivered to appellant certain written statements, which were intended by the parties as satisfactory evidence of the insurability of said parties at the time of making such application, said written statement of Orlando H. Couch being also set out in full; that the policy of insurance sued upon was issued by appellant by reason of the foregoing facts, and not otherwise, and that the insurance policy theretofore held by said parties in the Monarch company was surrendered and canceled; that said policy of insurance so issued by appellant company was issued in consideration of and in full reliance upon certain statements and warranties contained in the said applicátion made and signed by said Orlando H. Couch, September 29, 1913, and delivered by him to appellant prior to the execution by it of the policy sued upon; that as a part of said application Orlando [690]*690H. Couch delivered therein a “health certificate,” which was signed by him and which was as follows:

“1 hereby apply to the Western Life Indemnity Company for a dual life policy of $5,000 on my life, in substitution for policy No. 804 now held by me, which latter policy shall be void upon acceptance of this application by said company. * * * And as a basis of and consideration for said new policy, I hereby submit and warrant that I am now in sound health, that there is no cause in connection with my physical condition that would be a bar to my securing life insurance or in any way shorten my life; that I am not afflicted with any physical or mental defect or infirmity, that I have never suffered from * * * diseases of the liver or kidneys.”

It is then alleged that the'statements in said health certificate were false and untrue, in that the said Orlando H. Couch was not in sound health September 29, 1913, and at the time the policy sued upon was issued; that at said time his health and physical condition were such that they would be a bar to his securing life insurance, and were such as to shorten his life; that he was at said time afflicted with a physical defect or infirmity, was suffering from a disease of the liver and kidneys, and other named diseases, which continued to exist and afterwards caused his death; that on several occasions prior to September 29, 1913, and also prior to September 21, 1911, said Orlando H. Couch had had physical examinations made by reputable physicians, in which examinations his urine was tested, and it was discovered that there was present in the urine albumen; that said condition [691]*691of the urme indicated the existence, or the approach, of the diseased condition of said Orlando H. Couch hereinbefore described; that Orlando H. Couch was informed of the existence of said condition, and, for the purpose of obtaining the insurance policy sued upon, fraudulently concealed said information from, appellant, although he knew at the time that appellant would not issue said policy of insurance or assume said insurance risk if it knew- of the existence of said condition, and that he also fraudulently concealed said information from the Monarch company for the same purpose, knowing that, if it possessed said knowledge and information, it would not issue its policy of insurance; that all of said conditions existed prior to September 21, 1911, and Orlando H. Couch, for the purpose of obtaining the insurance at the time of making his application to said Monarch company, fraudulently concealed said information from said Monarch company, and never thereafter disclosed such facts to either the Monarch company or to the appellant company; that Orlando H. Couch, on September 21, 1911, and. on September 29, 1913, knew that said conditions existed.

It is then alleged that the application made to the appellant company for the policy sued upon contained the following provisions:

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Automobile Underwriters, Inc. v. Tite
85 N.E.2d 365 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1949)
Merchants & Bankers Guaranty Co. v. Downs
175 So. 704 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1937)
Linn Grove Light & Power Co. v. Fennig
154 N.E. 877 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1927)
Remington v. Edwards
138 N.E. 824 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1923)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
123 N.E. 11, 70 Ind. App. 684, 1919 Ind. App. LEXIS 75, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/western-life-indemnity-co-v-couch-indctapp-1919.