Case Name: Bruce M. Kennan, Plaintiff, v. Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States, Defendant
Court: Civil Court of the City of New York
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1969-04-15
Citations: 59 Misc. 2d 536
Docket Number: 
Parties: Bruce M. Kennan, Plaintiff, v. Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States, Defendant.
Judges: 
Reporter: New York Miscellaneous Reports
Volume: 59
Pages: 536–536

Head Matter:
Bruce M. Kennan, Plaintiff, v. Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States, Defendant.
Civil Court of the City of New York, New York County,
April 15, 1969.
Bruce M. Kennan, plaintiff in person. Marshall F. Denenholz and Alan G. Friedman for defendant.

Opinion:
Jerome W. Marks, J.
The group insurance contract sued upon was prepared and drafted by defendant and must be strictly construed against it.
In that part of the contract which relates to the 1 ' covered charges " for which the defendant is liable, defendant employs the word "equipment" without precise definition. Implicit in the use of this word, " equipment," is that the equipment item be needful and necessary to alleviate plaintiff's illness as diagnosed by his doctor (Polliak v. Smith, 19 N. J. Super. 365). The air-conditioning unit ordered by plaintiff's doctor for the purpose of affording plaintiff relief of his ailment is embraced in the term " equipment " and therefore plaintiff was justified in buying the air-conditioning unit. Judgment for plaintiff against defendant for $113.06 and appropriate interest.