New York Supreme Court, 1939

Bennett v. Equitable Life Assurance Society of United States

Bennett v. Equitable Life Assurance Society of United States
New York Supreme Court · Decided July 5, 1939
14 Misc. 2d 759; 13 N.Y.S.2d 540; 1939 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1429

Counsel

Alexander & Green (James D. Ewing of counsel), for appellant., Ralph Bernstein for respondent.

Bennett v. Equitable Life Assurance Society of United States

Opinion of the Court

Per Curiam.

The insured’s death did not occur in consequence of bodily injury effected solely through external, violent and accidental means. Mansbacher v. Prudential Ins. Co. (273 N. Y. 140) and Berkowitz v. New York Life Ins. Co. (256 App. Div. 324) are not here controlling, as in those cases the causes were trivial and were followed by some unforeseen, unexpected, extraordinary, and unlooked-for mishap. Here, however, death ensued as the result of postoperative pulmonary *760embolism. In such event, the cause was neither trivial nor the result unforeseen.

The judgment should be reversed, with $30 costs, and complaint dismissed on the merits, with costs.

Concur — Fraukenthaueb, Shieutag and Noouau, JJ.

Judgment reversed, etc.

Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.