Woodmen of World Life Ins. Co. v. Davenport

159 S.W.2d 913, 1941 Tex. App. LEXIS 1119
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 20, 1941
DocketNo. 2233
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 159 S.W.2d 913 (Woodmen of World Life Ins. Co. v. Davenport) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Woodmen of World Life Ins. Co. v. Davenport, 159 S.W.2d 913, 1941 Tex. App. LEXIS 1119 (Tex. Ct. App. 1941).

Opinion

CHILDERS, Special Chief Justice.

Relator seeks the issuance of a writ of mandamus against Hon. George L. Davenport, Judge of the 91st District Court of Eastland County, Texas, and Agnes D. Dickson, a widow, as respondents, ordering and directing Hon. George L. Davenport to enter a judgment for relator upon a verdict rendered in said court in Cause No. 17,019, styled Mrs. Agnes D. Dickson v. Sovereign Camp, Woodmen of the World. Sovereign Camp, Woodmen of the World, has changed its name to Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society. In said suit Mrs. Agnes D. Dickson sought to recover from relator on a $1,000 fraternal benefit certificate issued by relator, without medical examination, to Veo Lee Roy Dickson, her husband, wherein she was named the beneficiary. The parties will be hereafter referred to as they appeared in the trial court.

This case was before this court on a former appeal, and is reported in W. O. W. Life Ins. Soc. v. Dickson, 133 S.W.2d 243, opinion by Special Justice Ponder. We have been requested to consider the briefs filed by the parties upon the former appeal. The defendant has filed in this court a transcript, and three original exhibits, being a copy of the constitution and by-laws of defendant company, and photostatic copies of the original application executed by Veo Lee Roy Dickson, and the certificate sued upon. No statement of facts has been filed.

The application signed by Veo Lee Roy Dickson contained the following question (Number 8): “Have you within the past five years consulted or been attended by a physician for any disease or injury or undergone any surgical operation?” Applicant answered this question “No.”

Said application contained the following provisions:

“For the purpose of securing the beneficiary certificate herein applied for, I hereby warrant that I have not been sick, except as stated herein; * * * ”
“I hereby certify, agree and warrant that all the statements, representations and answers in this application are full, complete and true, * * * and I agree that any untrue statements or answers made by me. in this application * * * shall make my beneficiary certificate void.”

The application and all the provisions of the constitution and by-laws of the Association constitute the basis for and form a part of the beneficiary certificate issued by defendant to Dickson, and he agreed and consented to same when he executed the application.

The beneficiary certificate provides the following: “This certificate is issued in consideration of the representations, warranties and agreements made by the person named herein in his application to become a member, * * * ”

This case was submitted to the jury on special issues. The special issues and the answers of the jury are as follows:

“Special Issue No. 1: Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that Veo L. R. Dickson was not in ‘good health’, as [915]*915that term has been hereinbefore defined for you, at anytime from November 29, 1935, to January 4, 1936, both dates inclusive?
“You will answer, ‘He was in good health’ or ‘He was not in good health’, as you find from the preponderance of the evidence.
“Answer: -
“Special Issue No. 2: Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that Veo L. R. Dickson was not of ‘sound bodily health’, as that term has been hereinbefore defined for you, at any time from November 29, 1935, to January 4, 1936, both dates inclusive ?
“You will answer ‘He was of sound bodily health’, or ‘He was not of sound bodily health’, as you find from the preponderance of the evidence.
“Answer: -
“Special Issue No. 3: Do you find from the preponderance of the evidence that Veo L. R. Dickson had tuberculosis at anytime within ten (10) years next preceding January 4, 1936? You will answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’
“Answer: -
“Special Issue No. 4: If you have answered the next preceding special issue 'yes’ then answer this question:
“Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that such tuberculosis, if any he had, tended to shorten the life of the said Veo L. R. Dickson?
“Answer: -
“Special Issue No. 5: Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that Veo D. R. Dickson had nephritis at anytime within ten (10) years next preceding January 4, 1936? You will answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’
“Answer: No.
“Special Issue No. 6: If you have answered the next preceding special issue ‘Yes’ then answer this question:
“Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that such nephritis, if any he had, tended to shorten the life of the said Veo L. R. Dickson?
“Answer:-
“Special Issue No. 7: Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that Veo L. R. Dickson had Bright’s Disease at any time within the ten (10) years next preceding January 4, 1936? You will answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’
“Answer: No.
“Special Issue No. 8: If you have answered the next preceding special issue ‘Yes’ then answer this question:
“Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that such Bright’s Disease, if any he had, tended to shorten the life of the said Veo L. R. Dickson?
“Answer:-
“Special Issue No. 9: Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that Veo L. R. Dickson had heart trouble at anytime within ten (10) years next preceding January 4, 1936? You will answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’
“Answer:-
“Special Issue No. 10: If you have answered the next preceding special issue ‘Yes’ then answer this question:
“Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that such heart trouble, if any he had, tended to shorten the life of the said Veo L. R. Dickson?
“Answer:-
“Special Issue No. 11: Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that Veo L. R. Dickson had endocarditis at any time within the ten (10) years next preceding January 4, 1936? You will answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’
“Answer:-
“Special Issue No. 12: If you have answered the next preceding special issue ‘Yes’ then answer this question:
“Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that such endocarditis, if any he had, tended to shorten the life of the said Veo L. R. Dickson?
“Answer:-
“Special Issue No. 13: Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that a change of climate was advised for the benefit of the health of the said Veo L. R. Dickson before November 29, 1935? You will answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’
“Answer:-
“Special Issue No.

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Bluebook (online)
159 S.W.2d 913, 1941 Tex. App. LEXIS 1119, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/woodmen-of-world-life-ins-co-v-davenport-texapp-1941.