Court Opinion

ID: 9825236
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-01 12:22:12.171564+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:40:35.835354
License: Public Domain

On Rehearing.
The burden was upon the plaintiffs to show their legal title to, or beneficial interest in, the certificate or policy of life insurance. The policy expressly provided that the designation of the beneficiary (the assignment. or will, as it was denominated) should be signed by the insured in her own handwriting, or, if she could not write, her signature by mark must be attested. The insured could not write. There was no signature by mark. The introduction of the certificate or policy in evidence without proof of the designation of the plaintiffs as the beneficiaries as required by its terms was not sufficient to show the interest of the beneficiaries. Failing to show their interest they failed to make out their case. Under the proof and the plea of the general issue, the defendant was entitled to the affirmative charge in its favor. Although courts may be reluctant to hold that those whom the insured intended should be the beneficiaries of a policy of life insurance upon which premiums have been fully paid must fail of recovery when the insured' has failed to assign the policy or designate the beneficiaries in the manner prescribed by the policy, we are powerless to do otherwise as the law now stands. And we can only entertain the hope that the Legislature will so-change the law that justice may be done in each case. This should be done for the protection of the large number of illiterate and ignorant members of societies such as the defendant in this case, chartered as fraternal organizations, and collecting moneys from their ignorant and unsuspecting members.
The application for rehearing must be •overruled.