Taylor v. Aetna Life Ins. Co.

• Decision Date: 07 October 1941
• Citation: 154 S.W.2d 421,236 Mo.App. 435
• Parties: ALBERTA E. TAYLOR, AS ADMINISTRATRIX OF THE ESTATE OF MATTIE B. ELSBERRY, DECEASED, RESPONDENT, v. AETNA LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, A CORPORATION, APPELLANT
• Court: Missouri Court of Appeals

154 S.W.2d 421

236 Mo.App. 435

ALBERTA E. TAYLOR, AS ADMINISTRATRIX OF THE ESTATE OF MATTIE B. ELSBERRY, DECEASED, RESPONDENT, v. AETNA LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, A CORPORATION, APPELLANT

Court of Appeals of Missouri, St. Louis

October 7, 1941

Rehearing Denied October 24, 1941.

Appeal from Circuit Court of Warren County.--Hon. Wm. C. Hughes Judge. Succeeded by Hon. Frank Hollingsworth, Judge.

AFFIRMED.

Judgment affirmed.

Alvin H. Juergensmeyer and Jonathan Edwards Clarke for respondent.

(1) The policy cannot be construed to mean that the company's liability for waiver of premium benefits in the event of total and permanent disability terminated upon the death of the insured without having given either notice or proof of such disability. Paul v. Mo. State Life Ins. Co. (Mo App.), 52 S.W.2d 437; Lydon v. N. Y. Life Ins. Co., 89 F.2d 78; Mutual Life Ins. Co. of N. Y. v. Wheatley (Ky. App.), 47 S.W.2d 961; Century Dictionary; New Merriam--Webster Unabridged Addition 1937; Laupheimer v. Mass. Mut. Life Ins. Co. (Mo. App.), 24 S.W.2d 1058; Laupheimer v. Northwestern Mut. Life Ins. Co. (Mo. App.), 24 S.W.2d 1062; Insurance Co. v. Milton, 127 S.E. 140, 40 A. L. R. 1382; Grafe v. Fidelity Mut. Life Ins. Co. (Mo. App.), 84 S.W.2d 400; Steck v. American Nat'l Assur. Co. (Mo. App.), 86 S.W.2d 113; Rogers v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co. (Mo. App.), 122 S.W.2d 5; John v. Aetna Life Ins. Co. (Mo. App.), 100 S.W.2d 936; Bronzon v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co. (Mo. App.), 143 S.W.2d 336; Drucker v. Western Indemnity Co. (Mo. App.), 223 S.W. 989; Bank of Commerce & Tr. Co. v. Northwestern Nat'l Life Ins. Co. (Tenn. Sup.), 26 S.W.2d 135; Steck v. American Nat'l Assur. Co. (Mo. App.), 86 S.W.2d 113; Stalion v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co. (Mo. App.), 119 S.W.2d 30; Lydon v. New York Life Ins. Co., 89 F.2d 78; Markel v. Mutual Ben. Health & Accident Ass'n (Mo. App.), 121 S.W.2d 176; Winklemann v. Central States Life Ins. Co. (Mo. App.), 101 S.W.2d 736; Grafe v. Fidelity Mutual Life Ins. Co. (Mo. App.), 84 S.W.2d 400; Blackstone's Commentaries, p. 381; Dezell v. Fidelity & Casualty Co., 176 Mo. 253, 75 S.W. 1102; Shanebarg v. National Accident Society (Mo. App.), 263 S.W. 512; George Prendergast v. Dwelling House Ins. Co., 67 Mo.App. 426; State ex rel. v. Allen (Mo. Sup.), 267 S.W. 379; Mathews v. Modern Woodmen, 236 Mo. 343; Bergholm v. Peoria Life Ins. Co., 284 U.S. 489, 76 L.Ed. 416; Minnesota Mutual Life Ins. Co. v. Marshall, 29 F.2d 977; Hablutzel v. Home Life Ins. Co. (Mo. App.), 52 S.W.2d 480, 332 Mo. 920, 59 S.W.2d 639; Jackson v. Security Ben. Ass'n (Mo. App.), 139 S.W.2d 1014; McColgan v. New York Life Ins. Co., 36 Ohio App. 123, 172 N.E. 849; Missouri State Life Ins. Co. v. Le Fevre (Texas Civ. App.), 10 S.W.2d 267; Life Insurance Co. of Virginia v. Williams, 48 Ga.App. 10, 172 S.E. 101; 68 A. L. R. 1389, note; Burns v. Aetna Life Ins. Co. (Mo. App.), 123 S.W.2d 185; State ex rel. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co. v. Allen, 337 Mo. 525, 85 S.W.2d 469; Heald v. Aetna Life Insurance Co. (Mo. Sup.), 104 S.W.2d 379. (2) The provision granting "a waiver of the payment of premius falling due during such disability" includes an obligation to refund premiums paid under the circumstances of this case. Lydon v. New York Life Ins. Co., 89 F.2d 78; Stahl v. American National Assurance Company (Mo. App.), 70 S.W.2d 78; Hablutzel v. Home Life Ins. Co., 332 Mo. 920, 59 S.W.2d 639, 52 S.W.2d 480; Mutual Life Ins. Co. of N. Y. v. Wheatley (Ky. App.), 47 S.W.2d 961. (a) Even though the policy could be construed not to contain an express promise to refund the premiums paid, those payments are recoverable as payments made under a mistake of fact. Lydon v. New York Life Ins. Co., 89 F.2d 78; New York Life Insurance Co. v. Talley, 72 F.2d 715; Penn. Mutual Life Ins. Co. v. Forcier, 24 F. 851, 103 F.2d 166; Still v. Equitable Life Assurance Society, 165 Tenn. 224, 54 S.W.2d 947, 86 A. L. R. 382; Wenstrom v. Aetna Life Insurance Co., 55 N. Dak. 647, 215 N.W. 93, 54 A. L. R. 289; Hopkins v. Northwestern National Life Ins. Co., 41 Wash. 592, 83 P. 1019; 48 C. J., p. 759. (b) Even the five-year Statute of Limitations is not available to the defendant. Roberts v. Neale, 134 Mo.App. 612; McAdoo v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co. (Mo. App.), 110 S.W.2d 845; Rogers v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co. (Mo. App.), 122 S.W.2d 5; Corcoran v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co. (Mo. App.), 93 S.W.2d 1027; Stalion v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co. (Mo. App.), 119 S.W.2d 30; Hablutzel v. Home Life Ins. Co. (Mo. App.), 52 S.W.2d 480; (Mo. Sup.), 59 S.W.2d 639. (c) It also follows that a defense based upon prejudice from being deprived the opportunity to investigate and examine the insured's disability presupposes a total and presumptive permanent disability and overlooks entirely the plaintiff's theory of recovery bottomed upon a total and actual permanent disability, not a presumptive permanent disability. Lydon v. New York Life Ins. Co., 89 F.2d 78; St. Paul & K. C. R. R. Co. v. United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co. (Mo. App.), 105 S.W.2d 14; Jackson v. Security Ben. Ass'n (Mo. App.), 139 S.W.2d 1014. (d) The verdict being for a less sum than plaintiff is entitled to furnishes no ground for complaint by defendant, and the verdict must stand. Crigler v. Duncan, 121 Mo.App. 381; Alderman v. Cox, 74 Mo. 78; Beckham v. Puckett, 88 Mo.App. 636; 4 C. J., pp. 922, 923.

T. W. Hukriede and Jones, Hocker, Gladney & Grand for appellant.

(1) Aetna Life Ins. Co. v. Davis (Ark.), 60 S.W.2d 912; Aetna Life Ins. Co. v. Roberts (Miss.), 164 So. 311; Fauer v. Aetna Life Ins. Co., 70 F.2d 693; Aetna Life Ins. Co. v. Moyer, 113 F.2d 974; United States v. Calvey, 110 F.2d 327; United States v. Meyer, 76 F.2d 354; Premiums voluntarily paid cannot be recovered. Brown v. Mutual Life Ins. Co. (Mo. App.), 140 S.W.2d 91; Aetna Life Ins. Co. v. Thomas (Miss.), 144 So. 50; Featherstone v. Stonewall Life Ins. Co. (Miss.), 147 So. 305; Sebastianelli v. Prudential Ins. Co. (Pa.), 12 A.2d 113; Goldman v. New York Life Ins. Co. (N.J.), 171 A. 541; Franklin Life Ins. Co. v. Fisher (Okla.), 23 P.2d 151; New York Life Ins. Co. v. Leahs (Fla.), 165 So. 50; New York Life Ins. Co. v. Mason (Ala.), 180 So. 775; Stonebreaker v. Reliance Life Ins. Co. (Fla.), 166 So. 583; Yohalem v. Columbian National Life Ins. Co., 240 N.Y.S. 412; Kransz v. Travelers Ins. Co., 3 N.Y.S. (2d) 913; Morrison v. New York Life, 285 N.Y.S. 644. (2) A verdict which is not responsive to the issues cannot stand. Weisels-Gerhardt Real Estate Co. v. Pemberton Co., 150 Mo.App. 626; Witty v. Saling, 171 Mo.App. 574; Shoemaker v. Johnson, 200 Mo.App. 209; Cole v. Armour, 154 Mo. 333; Aetna Life Ins. Co. v. Lynch (Ark.), 115 S.W.2d 847; Graham v. Equitable Life Assurance Society (Ia.), 266 N.W. 820; Reed v. N. Y. Life Ins. Co. (Neb.), 268 N.W. 290; Mitchell v. Equitable Life (N. C.), 172 S.E. 495, 497; Rose v. New York Life Ins. Co., 127 Ohio St. 265, 187 N.E. 859; Pearlman v. Metropolitan Life (Pa.), 9 A.2d 432; Equitable Life Assurance Society v. McKeithan (Fla.), 160 So. 883; Thorne v. State Mutual Life Ins. Co. (N.J.), 177 A. 665; Clott v. Prudential Ins. Co. (N.J.), 175 A. 203.

SUTTON, C. McCullen and Anderson, JJ., concur; Hughes, P. J., not sitting.

OPINION

SUTTON, C.

--This is an action, brought by plaintiff Alberta E. Taylor, as administratrix of the estate of Mattie B. Elsberry, to recover insurance premiums paid by her on a policy of insurance issued on her life by defendant, on October 22, 1925. Alberta E. Taylor, the insured's daughter, is the beneficiary in the policy. Mattie B. Elsberry died on March 7, 1938, and the defendant paid the beneficiary the face amount of the policy. This suit is brought on a disability provision in the policy, as follows:

"If, before default in payment of premium and before attaining the age of sixty years, the insured becomes totally and permanently disabled by bodily injuries or disease and is thereby prevented from performing any work or conducting any business for compensation or profit, the following benefit will be available:

"A waiver of the payment of premiums falling due during such disability.

"If before attaining the age of sixty years the insured becomes totally disabled by bodily injuries or disease and is thereby prevented from performing any work or conducting any business for compensation or profit for a period of ninety consecutive days, then, if satisfactory evidence has not been previously furnished that such disability is permanent, such disability shall be presumed to be permanent. In such a case, the benefit shall accrue from the expiration of the said ninety days, but not from a date more than six months prior to the date that evidence of such disability satisfactory to the Company is received at its Home Office. No benefit shall accrue prior to the expiration of said ninety days unless during that period evidence satisfactory to the Company is received at its Home Office while the insured is living that the total disability will be permanent, in which event the benefit will accrue from the commencement of disability.

"If the insured meets with the irrecoverable loss of the entire sight of both eyes, or the total and permanent loss of the use of both hands or of both feet, or of such loss of one hand and one foot, such loss shall be considered total and permanent disability within the meaning of the provision."

The insured attained the age of sixty years on April 22, 1927. Plaintiff alleges that the insured became totally and permanently disabled in December, 1926. It was admitted at the trial that the insured paid defendant semi-annual and monthly premiums on the policy, aggregating $ 2888.15, from December 26, 1926, to March 7, 1938, the date of insured's death. This suit seeking to recover the amount so paid...