Opinion ID: 1799090
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Failing to Instruct with Respect to Partial Disability.

Text: Defendant requested an instruction to the jury setting forth the policy definition of partial disability. The trial court refused to give the instruction. The requested instruction is predicated on the premise that the partial-disability and total-disability definitions of the policy are mutually exclusive and that if plaintiff qualifies under the partial-disability definition he is thereby excluded from qualifying for total-disability benefits. The two definitions, if literally interpreted, are not necessarily mutually exclusive. The definition of partial disability is phrased in terms of a particular occupation while that of total disability includes any occupation for which the insured is reasonably fitted by education, training, and experience. Therefore, if accorded their literal interpretation, it is possible that a disability which prevents the insured from performing one or more of the important regular duties of business or occupation followed by him at the time of incurring disability might also disable him from engaging in any gainful occupation for which he was fitted by education, training, and experience. In such a situation an ambiguity would exist as to which of the two types of benefit payments the insured would be entitled. This would make applicable the often-invoked rule of construction that in case of ambiguity the policy should be construed against the insurance company which drafted it and the insured would be entitled to benefits for total disability rather than for partial disability. Therefore, implicit in the definition of partial disability is the requirement that the disability be not so disabling in nature as to qualify the insured to benefits for total disability. Under this interpretation of the policy definition of partial disability an instruction which contained such definition would be irrelevant to the issues being litigated. Whether plaintiff's disability would also qualify as partial disability under the definition of the latter would be wholly immaterial. Plaintiff has made no claim to partial-disability benefits but seeks solely to recover benefits for total disability.