Prudential Ins. Co. of America v. Robbins

• Decision Date: 23 December 1941
• Docket Number: 16716.
• Citation: 38 N.E.2d 274,110 Ind.App. 172
• Parties: PRUDENTIAL INS. CO. OF AMERICA v. ROBBINS.
• Court: Indiana Appellate Court

38 N.E.2d 274

110 Ind.App. 172

PRUDENTIAL INS. CO. OF AMERICA v. ROBBINS.

No. 16716.

Appellate Court of Indiana, in Banc.

December 23, 1941

Meyer Fine & Bamberger, of Evansville, for appellant.

Lockyear & Lockyear and Charles J. Eichel, all of Evansville, for appellee.

BLESSING Judge.

The appellant, an insurance corporation organized under the laws of the State of New Jersey, entered into two insurance contracts with Claude S. Robbins on the 11th day of December 1933. In each contract the appellant (defendant below) agreed to pay the beneficiary Bessie A. Robbins (plaintiff below and appellee herein) the sum of $600 and an additional $600 in event of death by accidental means. The said Claude S Robbins died on the 6th day of December, 1938, and thereafter the appellant paid to appellee Bessie A. Robbins the ordinary death benefit but refused to pay the accidental death benefit.

Subsequently the appellee brought this action to recover the sum of $600 under the accidental death benefits clause on each of the two insurance policies. The complaint was in two paragraphs. The issues were closed by appellant's general denial, and the case was tried to a jury. A verdict resulted in favor of the appellee in the amount of $600 and interest at 6% on each policy. A motion for a new trial was filed which was overruled, and the overruling of this motion constitutes the only assignment of error. The specifications set forth in the motion for new trial are:

1. The verdict of the jury is not sustained by sufficient evidence.

2. The verdict of the jury is contrary to law. And

3. Errors of law occurring at the trial which were excepted to by appellant. These errors involve rulings upon the admissibility of certain evidence, upon motions to strike out some of the answers of certain witnesses, upon the exception to the giving of instruction number 8, tendered by plaintiff, and the ruling upon the motion, at the conclusion of all the evidence, for a peremptory instruction directing the jury to return a verdict in favor of the defendant.

The complaint alleged that the appellant insurance company entered into two insurance contracts with Claude S. Robbins on December 11, 1933, which policies contained accidental death benefit clauses; that the said Claude S. Robbins regularly paid the premiums due; that upon the 6th day of December, 1938, while said insurance policies were in force, the said Claude S. Robbins died as a result, directly and independently of all other causes, of bodily injuries effected solely through external, violent and accidental means of which there was a visible contusion or wound on the exterior of his body; that his death occurred within 90 days after having received such accidental injury; and that within thirty days thereafter, the plaintiff had furnished defendant with proof of said accidental death. It is further alleged in the complaint that the said Claude S. Robbins and the plaintiff have performed all the conditions of the insurance contracts on their part to be performed.

A stipulation was entered into by the parties, which stipulation admitted the issuance of the two insurance policies, and also admitted that the policies were in force on the 6th day of December, 1938. It was further stipulated that the defendant had paid to the plaintiff the ordinary death benefit provided in said policy but had declined to pay the accidental death benefit which was provided for in the policies in the following provision: "The amount of Accidental Death Benefit specified on the first page hereof shall be payable in addition to the Face amount of Insurance immediately upon receipt of due proof that the death of the Insured occurred during the continuance of this Policy, and prior to its maturity as an Endowment, while there was no default in the payment of premium, as a result, directly and independently of all other causes, of bodily injuries, effected solely through external, violent and accidental means, of which, except in case of drowning or of internal injuries revealed by an autopsy, there is a visible contusion or wound on the exterior of the body, and that such death occurred within ninety days of the accident, provided, however, that no Accidental Death Benefit shall be payable if the death of the Insured resulted from suicide, while sane or insane; or from being in military or naval service in time of war; or from operating, or riding, in any kind of submarine or aircraft, whether as a passenger or otherwise; or from a state of war, riot or insurrection; or directly or indirectly from bodily or mental infirmity or disease in any form. If the Face Amount of Insurance shall become payable in instalments on account of the total and permanent disability of the Insured these provisions as to Accidental Death Benefit shall become null and void immediately when said Face Amount of Insurance shall have been paid." There was testimony at the trial to the effect that Robbins was a foreman of a service crew of the C. & E. I. Railroad Company and that one night during the latter part of November, 1938, while he was shoving cars down the track, his foot slipped off the rail. Frank Finney, a witness for appellee, testified that it could have been only his left side which hit the apparatus on the freight car because he was standing that way. Robbins' wife and stepson testified that around the latter part of November, they saw a red welt on Robbins' body, near his heart. There was also testimony to the effect that from the latter part of November until December 6th, when he died, Robbins complained of pain in his chest and around his heart.

Appellant contends that the verdict of the jury was not sustained by sufficient evidence and was contrary to law because there was no evidence in the record showing that appellee at any time furnished to appellant due proof, or any proof, that the death of the insured was caused by external, violent and accidental means as required by the insurance policies.

Appellee alleged in her complaint and it was then stipulated that appellant had payed the ordinary death benefit provided in the insurance policies but had declined to pay the accidental death benefit. Although no date is given as to when this declination to pay was made, since it was alleged in the complaint, we may assume that it was made before suit was brought.

Appellant contends that its declination to pay was not a denial of liability. But if appellant were refusing to pay on the ground that no proof of loss had been furnished it should have so stated. We think that a general declination to pay is equivalent to a general denial of liability.

The principle is old and thoroughly established that when a party denies liability under a contract, the performance of conditions precedent, such as proof of loss, is waived on the ground that the law will not require a thing to be done which the party entitled thereto has excused, or given notice that it will be unavailing. This principle applies to insurance as...