145 N.Y.S. 982 | N.Y. App. Term. | 1914
The plaintiff sued the insurance company upon three separate policies of insurance upon the life
The policy in question is what is known as an industrial policy, which is a form of policy in which, for a small weekly premium, the life is insured for a small amount, in this instance seventy-five dollars. The policy and applications were placed in evidence and together form the contract of insurance. In the application Joseph Harrison, the defendant herein, was named as beneficiary and no right was reserved to the insured to change the beneficiary without his consent. The policy itself refers to the application and states that it “is hereby made a part of the contract.” It makes no further specific mention of a beneficiary except an agreement to pay the amount of the insurance “ to the person or persons designated on Condition Fifth herein. ’ ’ Condition fifth is a clause which states that a production by the company of the policy and a receipt for the sum assured signed by an executor, administrator, husband or wife or relative by blood or lawful beneficiary of the deceased shall be conclusive evidence that it has been paid to the person lawfully entitled to receive it. It has been frequently held that such a clause, which is common in industrial policies, is merely intended as a protection to the insurance company in making quick payment upon the policy and does not either “ grant or take away a cause of action from any person ” on the
Lehman and Bijtjr, JJ., concur.
Judgment reversed and new trial ordered, with costs to appellant to abide event.