Case Name: Elizabeth Wolfson, Appellant, v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, Respondent
Court: New York Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1942-07-29
Citations: 289 N.Y. 70
Docket Number: 
Parties: Elizabeth Wolfson, Appellant, v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, Respondent.
Judges: 
Reporter: New York Reports
Volume: 289
Pages: 70–72

Head Matter:
Elizabeth Wolfson, Appellant, v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, Respondent.
Argued June 18, 1942;
decided July 29, 1942.
Harris Jay Griston and Alexander Schwartz for appellant.
Whether the death was due to the accident of a fall on the slippery, icy sidewalk, or to a purported heart condition presented a question of fact for the jury. (Sagendorf v. Prudential Ins. Co., 249 App. Div. 687; MacNair v. Commercial Travelers Ins. Co., 249 App. Div. 732; 275 N. Y. 630; Slavin v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co., 249 App. Div. 805; Breese v. Fidelity & Casualty Co., 247 App. Div. 850; Thurber v. Commercial Travelers Ins. Co., 51 App. Div. 608; Wachtel v. Equitable Life Assur. Society, 241 App. Div. 172; Larkin v. InterState Casualty Co., 43 App. Div. 365; Kay v. Travellers Ins. Co., 242 App. Div. 798; 266 N. Y. 671; Jensen v. Commercial Travelers Ins. Co., 247 App. Div. 835; Loewenthal v. Commercial Travelers Mut. Acc. Assn., 253 App. Div. 583.)
William B. Moore for respondent.
Because a verdict in favor of the plaintiff would have been unsupported by the evidence, the trial court was required to direct a verdict in favor of the defend ant. (Smith v. Massachusetts Bonding & Ins. Co., 207 App. Div. 682; 241 N. Y. 558; McMartin v. Fidelity & Casualty Co., 264 N. Y. 220; Silverstein v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co., 254 N. Y. 81; Ruppert v. Brooklyn Heights R. R. Co., 154 N. Y. 90; Collins v. City of New York, 185 App. Div. 586.)

Opinion:
Per Curiam.
The evidence presented an issue of fact as to whether or not the insured died as the result of a pre-existing heart condition.
The judgments should be reversed and a new trial granted with costs to appellant to abide the event.
Lehman, Ch. J., Loughran, Finch, Rippey, Lewis, Conway and Desmond, JJ., concur.
Judgments reversed, etc.