Menk v. Commercial Insurance
Menk v. Commercial Insurance
Opinion of the Court
In effect, the complaint alleged that the policy of fire insurance sued on was issued on an application made and signed by the plaintiff. The application contained certain material representations as to the manner in which the building was occupied. The plaintiff, against the objection and exception of the defendant, was permitted to testify at the trial, in effect, that the application was in fact made by an agent of the defendant, of the name of Burckhalter, and that he (plaintiff) did not know what representations it contained. In the first place, that testimony was in contra
As they were material, and were claimed by defendant to have been false, defendant was entitled to an opportunity to show that they were made by plaintiff, for the policy was issued in part upon them. Defendant did not have an opportunity of producing the proof at the trial, because it could not have been anticipated that plaintiff would be permitted to testify that he did not make the representations contained in his application, upon which it is alleged the policy was issued.
The judgment and order are reversed, and the cause remanded for a new trial.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- PAUL MENK v. COMMERCIAL INSURANCE COMPANY OF CALIFORNIA
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Eire Insurance — Pleadings—Evidence to Contradict—Representations in Application. —The action was brought on a fire insurance policy to recover the amount of an alleged loss. The complaint averred that the policy was issued on an application made and signed by the plaintiff, which contained certain material representations as to the manner in which the building was occupied. On the trial, the plaintiff, against the objections of the defendant, testified that he did not know what representations the application contained. Held, that the evidence was inadmissible under the complaint. Id. — New Trial—Newly Discovered Evidence. — The defendant moved ■ for a new trial on the ground of newly discovered evidence, in support of which it presented the affidavit of its agent contradicting the evidence of the plaintiff given at the trial, and tending to show that the representations contained in the application were made by him. Held, that a new trial should have been granted.