Bridenbaugh v. McElrath
Bridenbaugh v. McElrath
Opinion of the Court
Plaintiff alleged that defendant, as his agent, agreed to procure insurance upon a certain barn 'belonging to plaintiff; that he failed to procure such insurance; that such bam was burned; and that plaintiff was damaged thereby to the amount for which such barn was to have been insured. Defendant entered a general denial. The cause was tried, and verdict and judgment were for plaintiff in an amount less than the amount claimed. From such judgment and the order denying a new trial, defendant appealed.
The only matters urged by appellant in his brief are: (1) insufficiency of the evidence to support the verdict; (2) error in one instruction given the jury.
While the evidence upon several matters essential to respondent’s right of recovery is very meager, yet construing it most favorably to him, as we are required to do under the verdict, we are inclined to the view that, if it were not for reversible error .in the instruction complained of, the judgment and order appealed from should be affirmed.
The court instructed the jury as follows:
“The defendant claims that the plaintiff was to furnish data as to buildings in the shape of his old policy from which the insurance would be written. If you find the contract, if there was one, was that plaintiff was to furnish such data, and you find the policy could not issue without such data, then plaintiff failed to complete his part of the contract and could not recover.”
Appellant says:
“This instruction was clearly prejudicial to the defendant for tlie reason that it impliedly instructed the jury that it was the duty of the defendant to procure this information in some other way, if possible, even though the plaintiff had agreed to furnish it in the manner specified.”
We think appellant’s contention correct. If by such instruction the'court intended to- authorize the jury to pass upon the necessity of such data, the instruction was unsupported by any evidence, as it stands undisputed that it was understood that the new policy could not issue without such data. If such data was to be furnished by respondent through the old policy, appellant was under no obligation to write the new policy until he received the data, and furthermore was under no obligation to write such policy until he received the data from' the very source agreed upon. Even though the jury believed that respondent agreed to send the old policy to appellant, yet, under such instruction, the jury might find for respondent. The error was clearly prejudicial.
The judgment and order appealed from are reversed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- BRIDENBAUGH v. McELRATH
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published