Insurance v. Williams
Insurance v. Williams
Opinion of the Court
Did the district court commit error % This depends upon whether or not Kcmer, in writing the application, did it as agent of the insurance company, and if he did, was the insurance company responsible for the mistake ? For if these two questions are answered in the affirmative, it is not contended that there was error, and Williams would be entitled to the decree and judgment; and if either one is answered in the negative, there was error.
The agent had power to solicit risks for the company, receive applications therefor, and forward the same to the company. It is a general rule that when a power is conferred upon an agent, he has by implication such incidental authority as is necessary to carry his power into effect; and a principal is liable for the wrongful acts of his agent acting within his employment. The principal caiinot take the benefit of the agent’s acts, and avoid their burdens. So complete is the identification of principal and agent, that notice to an agent on the subject of his employment is legally notice to the principal, although it be not in fact communicated to the principal.
Applying these principles to this case, there was no error in the district court. And we are sustained in this view by the weight of modern authority.
In Woodberry Savings Bank and Building Association v. The Charter Oak Fire and Marine Ins. Co., 31 Conn. 517, the supreme court of error say, “ It is the settled policy of our law to treat local agents of insurance companies, who arc authorized to procure and forward applications for insurance, as the agents of the companies, and not of the applicants, in any mistakes of the application made by them or by the applicant under their direction.” In Combs v. Savings and Ins. Co., 43 Mo. 149, the supreme court say, “ The authority of the soliciting agent of an insurance company to take applications for insurance carries with it the legal implication of authority to fill up the application, and do all those things which may be needful in perfecting it.” That was a case sought to be defeated on the ground of false representations and warranties in the application. Here the agent wrote the application, and was given a correct description and told to write it in the application, and by mistake did not do it.
As showing this to be the policy of our law, we now have a statute going much beyond this case, passed March 5,1879, and is now section 3644 of Rev. Stats, reading: “ A person who solicits insurance and procures the application therefor, shall be held to be the agent of the party hereafter issuing a policy upon such application or a renewal thereof, any thing in the application or policy to the contrary notwithstanding.”
The district court was fully justified in its decree and judgment, and in holding the insurance company to the correct facts of the application and the actual contract made.
Judgment affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Insurance Company v. Williams
- Status
- Published