Opinion ID: 2612550
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: was the medical history part of the policy?

Text: Plaintiff first argues that the Medical History, which contained decedent's false denial that he had ever been treated for excessive use of alcohol, is not part of the policy and was therefore inadmissible in evidence under U.C.A., 1953, § 31-19-7(1), which reads as follows: No application for the issuance of any life or disability insurance policy or annuity contract shall be admissible in evidence in any action relative to such policy or contract, unless a true copy of such application was attached to, or otherwise made a part of the policy or contract when issued. Plaintiff challenges the district court's specific finding under our statute and the business practices of the carrier that this [Medical History] is a portion of the policy, it's included in the policy. As a result of this finding, the court permitted the Medical History to be introduced in evidence and later allowed the jury to consider the insured's answer to question 2.1. in their deliberations. Plaintiff attacks the trial court's ruling as contrary to plaintiff's testimony that she did not remember finding a copy of the Medical History with the insurance policy in the family financial papers. In support of the court's conclusion, the insurer refers to testimony that it was standard procedure for the insurer to attach a copy of the Medical History and Life Application to each policy when it was issued, that there was no evidence that this procedure varied in this case, and that the Medical History form that was introduced in evidence was in the insurer's file. In addition, the insurer points to the following language that appears just above the insured's signature on the Medical History: this Medical History shall be a part of the application for life insurance on my life. On appeal, the record is reviewed in the light most favorable to the findings and action of the trial court, which are entitled to a presumption of validity and will not be disturbed if they are supported by substantial, competent evidence. Search v. Union Pacific Railroad Co., 649 P.2d 48 (1982); Litho Sales, Inc. v. Cutrubus, Utah, 636 P.2d 487 (1981); Car Doctor, Inc. v. Belmont, Utah, 635 P.2d 82 (1981); Hutcheson v. Gleave, Utah, 632 P.2d 815 (1981). The evidence reviewed above provides the required support. We therefore decline to overrule the district court on this question. Plaintiff cites numerous cases making an insurance application inadmissible if it is not physically attached to or endorsed upon the policy of insurance. E.g., Johnson v. Des Moines Life Association, 105 Iowa 273, 75 N.W. 101 (1898); Blatz v. Travelers Insurance Co., 272 App.Div. 9, 68 N.Y.S.2d 801 (1947); Sandberg v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., 342 Pa. 326, 20 A.2d 230 (1941). Also see Annot., 18 A.L.R.3d 760, 766-67 (1968), and cases cited therein, such as Economy Fire & Casualty Co. v. Thornsberry, 66 Ill. App.3d 225, 23 Ill.Dec. 13, 383 N.E.2d 780 (1978). But an examination of these cases reveals that with but one exception, which is not in point here, [3] all were based upon statutes that made the application form inadmissible if it was not physically attached to or endorsed upon the policy. In contrast, the inadmissibility dictated by § 31-19-7(1) of our statute does not apply where the application form is either attached to, or otherwise made a part of the policy ... . (Emphasis added.) The district court's finding and conclusion that the Medical History was included in and a portion of the policy obviously relied on the emphasized language. Hence, plaintiff's cases, which apply statutes with more restrictive requirements, are distinguishable. We therefore conclude that § 31-19-7(1) did not make the Medical History inadmissible in this action on the policy. [4]