Heald v. Aetna Life Ins. Co. of Hartford, Conn.
Decision Date | 21 April 1937 |
Parties | James E. Heald v. The Aetna Life Insurance Company of Hartford, Connecticut, Appellant |
Court | Missouri Supreme Court |
Appeal from Carroll Circuit Court; Hon. Ralph Hughes Judge.
Affirmed.
S J. & G. C. Jones and Madden, Freeman & Madden for appellant.
(1) The court erred in refusing appellant's demurrer to the evidence for the reason that the evidence failed to disclose that respondent's accidental injury wholly and continuously disabled him from date of accident, and prevented him from performing any and every substantial duty pertaining to his occupation. State ex rel. v. Cox, 14 S.W.2d 603; Wendorff v. Life Ins. Co., 1 S.W.2d 99; State ex rel. v. Trimble, 267 S.W. 987; Katz v. Union Cen. Life Ins. Co., 44 S.W.2d 250; Bellows v. Travelers, 203 S.W. 978; Foglesong v. Modern Brotherhood, 121 Mo.App. 548, 97 S.W. 249; James v Casualty Co., 113 Mo.App. 628; 7 Couch on Insurance, sec. 1670, p. 5773; Guaranty Co. v. McCarthy, 50 F.2d 5; Columbia Cas. Co. v. McHargue, 54 S.W.2d 617; Fidelity Co. v. Hardeman, 22 S.W.2d 1112; Federal Life v. Hurst, 160 S.W. 533; Commonwealth Cas. v. Bryant, 240 S.W. 893; Fidelity Co. v. Getzendanner, 56 S.W. 326; Aetna Life v. McCullagh, 229 S.W. 1033; Aetna Life v. Spencer, 32 S.W.2d 310; Williams v. Railroad Co., 257 Mo. 112; Stauffer v. Railroad Co., 243 Mo. 316; Smith v. Supreme Lodge, 61 P. 416; Peterson v. Great Northern Life, 229 N.W. 427; Bylow v. Casualty Co., 47 A. 1066; McKinney v. Bankers Accident, 75 N.W. 670; Mutual Accident v. Millard, 43 Ill.App. 148; Metropolitan Life v. Blue, 133 So. 707; Supreme Tent v. King, 79 Ill.App. 145; Raburn v. Pennsylvania, 54 S.E. 283; Carroll v. Paper Co., 122 So. 131; Harbour Co. v. Industrial Comm., 296 P. 456; In re Lacione, 116 N.E. 485. (2) The court erred in giving at the request of respondent instructions 1 and 2. Saveland v. Fidelity, 30 N.W. 237; Lyon v. Assurance Co., 46 Iowa 631. (3) The court erred in refusing instructions E, F, H, I, J, K, L, N and O, and each of them.
Franken & Timmons and McAllister, Humphrey, Pew & Broaddus for respondent.
In view of appellant's assertion, so often stated in its brief, that plaintiff is not entitled to recover if he could perform any one substantial duty, respondent desires to call this court's attention to the language used in the case of Young v. Travelers Ins. Co., 80 Me. 244. Take the first case, that of Columbia Cas. Co. v. McHargue, 54 S.W.2d 617, which is a Kentucky decision. It is directly opposed to appellant's assertion. Take the case of Aetna Life Ins. Co. v. Spencer, 32 S.W.2d 310. It is an Arkansas case and is also directly opposed to appellant's contention. The true rule is that "What amounts to a total disability is a relative matter, and depends largely upon the circumstances of each case, and upon the occupation and employment in which the person insured is engaged." 1 C. J., pp. 462, 463; McMahon v. Supreme Council, 54 Mo.App. 472; Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen v. Aday, 97 Ark. 425, 134 S.W. 930.
This case recently came to the writer by reassignment. It is an action on a policy of accident insurance. In the trial by jury plaintiff had a verdict and judgment for $ 525. The defendant appealed to the Kansas City Court of Appeals. That court certified its decision to this court pursuant to Article VI, Section 6, Amendment of 1884 of the Constitution of the State, on the ground that such decision was in conflict with decisions of the St. Louis and Springfield Courts of Appeals. In this situation the cause is here for rehearing and determination in like manner as in case of jurisdiction obtained by ordinary appellate process. However, we are at liberty to avail ourselves of such portions or all of the certified opinion as we may choose.
We quote the facts as stated therein, as follows:
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