Empire Health & Accident Insurance v. Chatman
Empire Health & Accident Insurance v. Chatman
Opinion of the Court
This is an action on an industrial insurance policy which provided in case of an accident for a weekly benefit of $5. One of the provisions of the policy was that “weekly benefits as provided for in this policy are limited to twenty weeks in any twelve calendar months.” Appellee recovered a judgment for $85.
The evidence shows that in March, 1916, appellee received an injury, and that during March and April of that year he received five weekly benefits. He received another injury on September 21, 1916. From Septem
Appellant filed an answer admitting that appellee was entitled to three weekly benefits, and paid the amount thereof ($15) into court for the use of the appellee. Appellant contends that during no period of twelve calendar months was appellee, under the terms of the policy, entitled to more than twenty weekly benefits. Appellee contends that, in computing the time during which he was entitled to benefits, we should begin with March, 1916, and allow him twenty benefits, during a period of twelve months and that, beginning with March 26, 1917, he was again entitled to draw weekly benefits for twenty consecutive weeks, if he was disabled that length of time, .irrespective of the payments made from September, 1916, to and including January, 1917, his contention being that appellant, when it informed him in January, 1917, that he would not be entitled to any more benefits until March, placed such a construction on the policy as to start a second twelve-month period for which he was entitled to benefits.
This contention of appellee cannot be sustained. Neither the policy nor the statement of appellant rela
The judgment, however, will be affirmed if appellee within thirty days shall enter a remittitur of $70 as of the date of the verdict; otherwise the judgment is reversed, with directions to grant appellant a new trial, and for further proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion. Costs taxed against appellee.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.