Case Name: Catharine O'Shaughnessy, Resp't. v. The Working Women's Co-operative Association of the United Insurance League of New York, App'lt
Court: New York City Court
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1894-05-18
Citations: 59 N.Y. St. Rep. 407
Docket Number: 
Parties: Catharine O’Shaughnessy, Resp’t. v. The Working Women’s Co-operative Association of the United Insurance League of New York, App’lt.
Judges: 
Reporter: New York State Reporter
Volume: 59
Pages: 407–408

Head Matter:
Catharine O’Shaughnessy, Resp’t. v. The Working Women’s Co-operative Association of the United Insurance League of New York, App’lt.
(New York City Court, General Term,
Filed May 18, 1894.)
1. Appeal — Direction of verdict. ■
Motions by both plaintiff and defendant for a direction of a verdict, leave the questions of fact entirely to the court.
&. Insurance — Life — Warranty.
Where the assured, in a policy of life insurance, warrants the truth of the answers made to questions in the application, compliance with such warranty is a condition of the validity of the contract of insurance.
W. B. Donihee, for app’lt; William K. Morris, for resp’t.

Opinion:
McCarthy, J.
It is a pity that counsel do not prepare their causes better and thus present more fully at the trial all the facts relating to the case. This would relieve the judges at general term from much uncertainty and prove more satisfactory to counsel. This case either through neglect or some other cause, was not properly presented by either side, and thus we are compelled to act on very slight evidence indeed. The plaintiff and defendant, having each moved for a direction of a verdict, left the question of 'fact entirely to the court. We can, then, only review on a question of law. At folio 39, the defendant offered in evidence,. among certain proofs submitted to them by the plaintiff, in regard to the death of Catherine Clifford, the following affidavit of the plaintiff:
State of New York,
City and County of New York
Catherine O'Shaughnessy of the city of New York, being duly sworn, says that she resides at 807 First avenue, in the city of New York that she well knew Catherine Clifford ; she was the wife of Patrick Clifford who died in the city of New York, June 29, 1869 ; for the last three years of her life Catherine Clifford lived with me at this number, she died on Monday morning Hovember 27, 1893, at my residence in this city. I know Dr. Jos. A. McLoughlin for about five years, and knew him when he was a physician. attending to Catherine Clifford for rheumatism, inflamatory rheumatism, in 1891, in the summer of 1891, he made one visit; she had rheumatism in the hands. I don't know her age, only as she states it in her application.
her
Catharine X O'Shaughnessy mark
Sworn to before me this 1st. 1 day of December, 1893. j
Sigmund W. Wolff, Hotary Public, (202) N. Y. Co.
By Exhibit A., the application which Catherine Clifford signed when seeking this insurance, and which forms a part of the contract of insurance, she represents that she never had any rheumatism, while by the affidavit of plaintiff it appears that Mis. Clifford had this disease in the summer of 1891. The plaintiff, although in court, was not called to contradict or éxplain this affidavit. The answer to this question was a material one, and, under the terms of the application and certificate, if false and untrue rendered the policy null and void. Where the assured, in a policy of life insurance warrants the truth of the answers made by her to questions in her application compliance with such warranty is a condition of the validity of the contract of insurance, and it must be assumed that any substantial deviation from truth in such answers is material to the risk and renders the policy void. Dwight v. Germania Life Ins. Co., 103 N. Y., 346 ; 3 St. Rep. 115 ; Armour v. Transatlantic Fire Ins. Co., of Hamburg, Germany, 90 N. Y. 451, 453. Other questions were asked. " Q. When last sick? A. Hever. Q. Of what disease ? A. Hone. Q. Hame of physician who last attended member proposed, and when ? A. Hone. Q. Has member ever had (if so, give particulars) rheumatism? A. Ho." Also 20th question (fol. 54, p. 6). " Q. Has applicant withheld any material facts about member proposed ? A. Ho." The trial justice, with this evidence before him, erred in directing a verdict for the plaintiff and therefore judgment must be reversed and a new trial granted, with costs to abide the event. The judgment roll which is on file in the clerk's office has been read, examined and considered as a part of the case on appeal.
Yah Wyck, J., concurs.