Case Title: Grabau v. Hartford Accident & Indemnity Company

Citation: 149 N.W.2d 361

Docket Number: 8382

State: north-dakota

Court: North Dakota Supreme Court

Date: 1967-03-17T00:00:00Z

Document:
149 N.W.2d 361 (1967) Margaret GRABAU, Plaintiff and Appellant, v. HARTFORD ACCIDENT & INDEMNITY COMPANY, a corporation, Defendant and Respondent. Civ. No. 8382. Supreme Court of North Dakota. March 17, 1967. *362 Mackenzie & Jungroth, Jamestown, for plaintiff and appellant. Hjellum, Weiss, Nerison & Jukkala, Jamestown, for defendant and respondent. PAULSON, Judge. This is an action upon an accident policy issued to Kenneth E. Grabau during his lifetime, insuring against accidental bodily injury and death. The defendant company, on October 24, 1964, issued a policy to Grabau which provided as follows: There were also certain exclusions, among which are the following: The portion of the policy with which we are concerned is the one with reference to insurance against loss of life. The policy was in full force and effect during all of the times herein mentioned and death occurred and proper proof of death was filed within the time limits set forth in the policy. The insured was 59 years of age and in apparent good heath, and he resided in the city of Jamestown, North Dakota. Mr. Grabau, accompanied by a companion, went on a hunting trip on October 25, 1964, to Montana, where they commenced hunting on the morning of October 26, 1964. The insured was shooting a model 30-06 rifle. He fired three shots at an antelope in the early afternoon of the 26th of October, 1964. Immediately after firing the third shot the insured complained that he had suddenly gone blind. Thereafter he recovered his vision, but he continued to suffer from a very severe headache. The headache continued; thus the hunters returned to Jamestown, North Dakota, on October 27, 1964. Grabau then sought treatments from the Cor-Win Health Clinic, which treatments did not relieve his headache. He consulted a Doctor Hogan of Jamestown prior to November 5, 1964, and was advised to return home and rest. Grabau, on November 5 and 6, suffered fainting *363 spells in his home and a consequent partial paralysis of the left side of his face and of his left arm. Doctor John Van Der Linde, of Jamestown, was summoned. The insured was immediately hospitalized, whereupon further diagnosis and tests indicated that he was suffering from a hemorrhage. Doctor Van Der Linde then referred Mr. Grabau to Doctor Lee A. Christoferson of Fargo, North Dakota. Further tests revealed the presence of an aneurysm and an operation was performed. Mr. Grabau died on November 18, 1964, at a Fargo hospital. An autopsy was performed and disclosed that the cause of death was a rupture of the blood vessel at the point of the congenital aneurysm. The defendant declined to pay under the terms of the policy and this action was brought to recover the sum of $5,000, pursuant to the terms of coverage of this policy. The defendant's answer denies death from accidental means and further sets forth that death resulted from a natural preexisting condition. The case was tried to the court and a judgment of dismissal of plaintiff's action was entered. The plaintiff and appellant, who is the surviving widow and sole beneficiary under the policy, has appealed and demanded a trial de novo. The issues to be determined are as follows: The above issues involve a construction of the provisions of the policy in this particular suit. The plaintiff contends that the insured's death was caused by accidental means, even though the insured was suffering from a pre-existing disease and that, if a subsequent accident is the proximate cause of death, a recovery may be had under the policy, even though a diseased or infirm condition actually contributes to the cause of death, provided that the accident sets in progress the chain of events leading directly to death if the same is the prime or moving cause. The general rule is that the mere fact that the insured is afflicted with some disease or infirmity at the time of an injury will not preclude recovery upon an accident insurance policy if an accident is the direct or proximate cause of death or disability, even though the policy excepts death or injury caused by disease or infirmity. 29A Am.Jur., "Insurance," Sec. 1212, p. 351; 84 A.L.R.2d, Sec. 7, p. 196. This court has defined the term "accidental means" in Jacobson v. Mutual Ben. Health & Accident Ass'n, 69 N.D. 632, 289 N.W. 591, as follows: Likewise, in Jacobson v. Mutual Ben. Health & Accident Ass'n, 70 N.D. 566, 296 N.W. 545, 555, this court said: The plaintiff cites the Jacobson decisions as controlling in this case. The language of the policy in this case is similar to that of the Jacobson cases. However, the facts are vastly different because in the Jacobson cases the insured, in good health while regularly employed at his occupation, was subjected to great bodily strain which resulted in injury to his heart, subsequent illness, and ultimate death. The medical testimony corroborated the same. In this case the insured voluntarily participated in the hunting trip for recreation. He was an experienced hunter of upland and big game, and the attendant excitement of the hunt was not anything of an unusual nature. The record does not indicate that there was any particular strain as a result of the hunt. The undisputed testimony of the insured's hunting companion shows that the only hunting which was done by himself and Mr. Grabau was on October 26, 1964, from approximately seven o'clock in the morning until early afternoon, and that nearly all of this hunting consisted of traveling in a car and observing the area in order to locate the antelope. The testimony further shows that Grabau walked about 100 yards and, in addition, that he carried a 30-06 rifle and fired the usual 150-grain bullet. The plaintiff urges that the testimony of Doctor Van Der Linde is controlling in that such evidence conclusively shows that the death of Kenneth E. Grabau resulted from the excitement of the hunt, the shooting at the running game, and the concussion of the gun, and that the same were the precipitating factors which caused a rupture of the aneurysm. Doctor Van Der Linde further testified, however, that the exertion and excitement were not the direct and independent causes of the death, but that in effect they contributed with the aneurysm to the rupture of the aneurysm and consequent death. The plaintiff further contends that the case of Druhl v. Equitable Life Assur. Soc., 56 N.D. 517, 218 N.W. 220, 60 A.L.R. 962, buttresses her view. The Druhl case is distinguished from the case at bar in that Mr. Druhl had a pre-existing condition, but the same was dormant, was not congenital, and did not become reactivated until he suffered a severe trauma. In addition, the medical testimony of the doctor in the Druhl trial conclusively showed that Druhl's preexisting physical conditionthat is, the presence of the adhesionswas not the exciting factor in causing the death. The plaintiff and the defendant in this case place great reliance upon the testimony of the doctors, because both parties introduced such evidence. The testimony of the several witnessesthat is, the weight and credibility of such testimony, including that of the medical expertswas for the court. 32 C.J.S. Evidence § 567, p. 575; 32 C.J.S. Evidence § 569(1), p. 599. The medical testimony of Doctor Van Der Linde is of sufficient importance to quote excerpts thereof from the transcript. However, on cross-examination, Doctor Van Der Linde testified as follows: It is significant to note that Doctor Van Der Linde states that it seems reasonable to assume that the exertion of the hunt, the excitement, and the firing of the gun "was the thing that ruptured the aneurysm." He further states that the rupture of the aneurysm could result from strain of any nature and that such strain could come from ordinary human activity, including exercise, and that the rupture of the aneurysm could occur at any time. The testimony of Doctor Christoferson is to be given considerable weight, and certain portions of it are hereinafter set forth: The statements enunciated by Doctor Christoferson add further and greater weight to the conclusion that the death of Kenneth E. Grabau was not caused by an accident nor did it result from accidental means. As this court has said many times, on a trial de novo the findings of the trial court are entitled to appreciable weight, especially when based upon testimony of witnesses who appeared in person before the court. Pauly v. Haas, N.D., 84 N.W.2d 302; Parceluk v. Knudtson, N.D., 139 N.W.2d 864, 874. The plaintiff has the burden of proving by the preponderance of the evidence that the insured died from accidental means. Jacobson v. Mutual Ben. Health & Accident Ass'n, supra. In this case the testimony conclusively shows that there was only ordinary exertion, that there was some excitement, and that there was only slight evidence of any recoil from the discharge of the firearm. It is not unlike Hodges v. Mutual Ben. Health & Acc. Ass'n of Omaha (Wash.), 15 Wash. 2d 699, 131 P.2d 937, 939. In that case the insured who was in apparent good health attended a dance. The insured's death resulted from a heart attack which occurred while the insured was dancing. The court held: In Commercial Casualty Ins. Co. v. Mathews, 57 Ga.App. 446, 195 S.E. 887, 892, the court said: It is our holding that the death did not result from accidental means and that the beneficiary cannot recover. The judgment is hereby affirmed. TEIGEN, C. J., and STRUTZ, ERICKSTAD and KNUDSON, JJ., concur.