99 P. 501 | Cal. | 1909
This action was brought to recover insurance, upon the death of F.F. Tebbets, under the terms of an accident life-insurance policy. Insured died September 4, 1904. Action was not commenced until April 5, 1905. The policy provided that affirmative proof of the death of the insured must be furnished the company within two months after its occurrence and that "legal proceedings for recovery hereunder may not be brought before the expiry of three months from the date of filing proofs at the company's home office, nor brought at all unless begun within six months from time of death." A general demurrer interposed to the complaint was sustained. From the judgment which followed plaintiff appeals.
The demurrer was properly sustained. The general rule, supported by the great weight of authority, is that a condition in a policy of insurance, providing that no recovery shall be had thereon unless suit be brought within a given time, is valid, if the time limited be in itself not unreasonable. In the following citations to text-books a vast number of authorities to this effect will be found collated: 4 Cooley on Insurance, p. 3964; May on Insurance, p. 478; 2 Beach on Insurance, sec. 1259; 4 Joyce on Insurance, sec. 3181; 1 Am. Eng. Ency. of Law, p. 325; 1 Cyc. 281. This rule it will be found is that of the supreme court of the United States (Riddlesbarger v. Hartford Ins. Co.,
The judgment appealed from is, therefore, affirmed.
Lorigan, J., and Melvin, J., concurred.
Hearing in Bank denied. *140