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Articles 1 - 14 of 14

Full-Text Articles in Insurance Law

Attorney And Client - Illegal Practice Of Law - Activities Of Insurance Investigators And Adjusters Which Constitute Practice Of Law, Jay W. Sorge Dec 1941

Attorney And Client - Illegal Practice Of Law - Activities Of Insurance Investigators And Adjusters Which Constitute Practice Of Law, Jay W. Sorge

Michigan Law Review

The defendant was an independent insurance adjuster and investigator who for more than seven years had been engaged in adjusting and investigating insurance claims for both insurance companies and claimants. He advertised in insurance periodicals and wrote letters to insurance companies to interest them in the service he rendered. He charged his clients on a fee basis and maintained his office at his own expense. Suit was brought to restrain him from practicing law without a license. Held, defendant could not give advice as to legal rights of either insurance company or claimant, but could communicate advice of counsel …


Federal Taxation Of Insurance Trusts, Allan F. Smith Dec 1941

Federal Taxation Of Insurance Trusts, Allan F. Smith

Michigan Law Review

The life insurance trust may take many forms and serve a variety of purposes, but for present purposes it may be defined as a trust, at least part of the corpus of which is a policy of life insurance, in which the duty of the trustee is to receive the proceeds of such policy and administer such proceeds as a trust. Such a trust, like any other, may be revocable or irrevocable, and may be funded or unfunded. These various types will be considered separately only where the tax results vary with the type. The present objective is to survey …


Insurance - Public Liability Policy - Liability Of Insurer For Punitive Damages And Penalties, Alfred I. Rothman Nov 1941

Insurance - Public Liability Policy - Liability Of Insurer For Punitive Damages And Penalties, Alfred I. Rothman

Michigan Law Review

Under an automobile liability policy, the defendant insurer paid the plaintiff, on his judgment against the insured, the amount of compensatory damages recovered for injuries. The insurer refused, however, to pay the additional sum awarded as double damages under a statute providing that the court in its discretion might award double or treble damages where the injury was caused by a violation of certain statutory rules of the road. By the terms of the policy defendant insurance company agreed to pay "all sums which the insured shall become obligated to pay by reason of liability imposed upon him by law …


Insurance - False Statements In Application - Implied Knowledge Of Insurance Company As Ground For Waiver, Michigan Law Review Jun 1941

Insurance - False Statements In Application - Implied Knowledge Of Insurance Company As Ground For Waiver, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

In a suit by the beneficiary on a life insurance policy, the insurance company defended on the ground that the insured knowingly had made false statements material to the risk in his application and therefore the company had a right to rescind the contract. The insured's false statements were to the effect that he had never been refused insurance on a former application, whereas in fact the John Hancock Insurance Co. had rejected his application in the preceding year. Both the John Hancock Co. and the defendant insurer were members of a common agency which gave information to its members …


Taxation -Taxability Of Insurance Policies Under The Federal Estate Tax Where Possibility Of Reverter To Insured, Felicia I. Hmiel Jun 1941

Taxation -Taxability Of Insurance Policies Under The Federal Estate Tax Where Possibility Of Reverter To Insured, Felicia I. Hmiel

Michigan Law Review

In 1920 decedent purchased a fifty-thousand-dollar life insurance policy, making his wife beneficiary and providing that if she predeceased him the proceeds should be payable to the executors of his estate. No power to revoke the policy or to change the beneficiary was expressly retained. The decedent predeceased the beneficiary and, in the assessment of the federal estate tax, the proceeds were included as part of his gross estate. The tax was paid, and plaintiff executor brought suit to recover an alleged overpayment of the estate tax because of the inclusion in the gross estate of the proceeds of the …


Insurance - Fire Insurance - What Is A Fire Loss, Michigan Law Review Jun 1941

Insurance - Fire Insurance - What Is A Fire Loss, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff's merchandise was insured by defendant against direct loss or damage caused by fire. In 1937 the Ohio River overflowed its banks and water entered the premises in which the assured stored his goods. While the employees of the assured were removing the goods to higher floors for protection against the flood, a near-by gasoline tank exploded and started a fire some five hundred yards from the building. The fire threatened destruction to the whole area, and in an effort to prevent this ruin, the fire department ordered the employees to quit their work because of the possible necessity of …


Taxation Of Annuity Contracts Under Estate And Inheritance Taxes, Robert Meisenholder Apr 1941

Taxation Of Annuity Contracts Under Estate And Inheritance Taxes, Robert Meisenholder

Michigan Law Review

A glance at any authoritative encyclopedia will confirm the fact that annuity transactions of one sort or another have existed since earliest civilized times. It was not until 1762, however, that the first insurance company of the world was established; at that time began the issuance of annuity contracts similar to our modem contracts. The popularity of such contracts has increased and decreased at various periods in Great Britain. But in the United States, they have assumed importance only since the beginning of this century and have attained a relatively widespread popularity only since the years of prosperity in the …


Insurance - Fraternal Benefit Policy - Who Is A "Dependent'', Michigan Law Review Mar 1941

Insurance - Fraternal Benefit Policy - Who Is A "Dependent'', Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

Deceased was an inmate of an old age home, having paid an entrance fee and signed an entrance contract in which the home reserved the right to discharge inmates at any time without reason upon refund of a proportionate amount of the entrance fee. Deceased lived in the home until his death. He had taken out a policy in a fraternal benefit association whose by-laws provided that "In the event of the death of all beneficiaries named in a certificate . . . the benefits shall be paid . . . [to the] . . . person or persons upon …


Appeal And Error - Bad Faith Of Counsel As A Basis For Granting A New Trial Where Fact That Defendant Was Insured Was Brought To Attention Of Jury, Raymond H. Rapaport Feb 1941

Appeal And Error - Bad Faith Of Counsel As A Basis For Granting A New Trial Where Fact That Defendant Was Insured Was Brought To Attention Of Jury, Raymond H. Rapaport

Michigan Law Review

It is generally agreed that the jury in a personal injury action should not be informed that the defendant is covered by indemnity insurance. The reasons for the rule are that the matter of insurance is irrelevant, and that the exposition of its existence is prejudicial. The jury is likely to grant more and larger verdicts for the plaintiff when it is known that an insurance company, rather than the individual defendant being tried, will have to pay the judgment. However, the fact that the defendant is insured reaches the jury in a multitude of ways. While direct evidence of …


Insurance - Conditional Vendor's Insurance - Effect Of Repair By Or Restoration To The Vendee Or Sub-Vendee, Michigan Law Review Feb 1941

Insurance - Conditional Vendor's Insurance - Effect Of Repair By Or Restoration To The Vendee Or Sub-Vendee, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff, a Minnesota corporation, purchased the vendor's interest in an automobile sold under a conditional sales contract. The defendant insured the plaintiff against direct loss or damage to the automobile by collision and/or upset. The vendee, without plaintiff's knowledge or consent, sold the car to a sub-vendee who drove it to Texas, became involved in an accident, and sold the wreckage to a resident of Texas who purchased in good faith. The car was rebuilt and resold. Plaintiff sued for the loss caused by the collision. Held, plaintiff may recover even though the car was repaired by others prior …


Insurance - Insurable Interest - Occupant Or Possessor Of Realty, Raymond H. Rapaport Feb 1941

Insurance - Insurable Interest - Occupant Or Possessor Of Realty, Raymond H. Rapaport

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff sued upon an insurance policy, issued to her by the defendant, covering a building in which she was conducting a merchandising business. The building was owned in fee by the plaintiff's father-in-law, who had told the plaintiff that she might occupy it so long as she wished, and that he intended to deed it to her and her children. Held, plaintiff had an insurable interest in the building. Liverpool & London & Globe Ins. Co. v. Bolling, (Va. 1940) 10 S. E. (2d) 518.


Taxation - Income Tax - Insurance - Amounts Received By Stockholders Under Life Insurance Contract, C. V. Beck Jr. Jan 1941

Taxation - Income Tax - Insurance - Amounts Received By Stockholders Under Life Insurance Contract, C. V. Beck Jr.

Michigan Law Review

A corporation took out several policies of insurance on the life of its president, naming itself as beneficiary. Later, reserving the right to hypothecate the policies, it assigned them to a trustee who agreed to distribute the proceeds of the policies to the stockholders of record at the time of the president's death. At the death of the president the proceeds were paid by the insurance companies to the trustee who then paid them pro rata to the stockholders. At this time the corporation had on hand earnings equivalent to the amount of distribution, and there was no showing that …


Insurance - Delay In Acting On Application - Tort Liability, William C. Wetherbee Jr. Jan 1941

Insurance - Delay In Acting On Application - Tort Liability, William C. Wetherbee Jr.

Michigan Law Review

Appellant, administrator of the deceased's estate, sued the defendant for damages caused by its negligent failure to accept or reject deceased's application for life insurance within a reasonable time. A deposit had been made on the premium, and, but for the delay, the policy would have been approved and the deceased covered by it at the time of his death. The jury returned a verdict for the appellant, who appealed when the judge rendered judgment non obstante veredicto in favor of appellee. Held, that the insurance company was under no duty to accept or reject the application within a …


Taxation - Federal Income Tax - Exemption Of Life Insurance Proceeds When Paid In The Form Of Annuity, Spencer E. Irons Jan 1941

Taxation - Federal Income Tax - Exemption Of Life Insurance Proceeds When Paid In The Form Of Annuity, Spencer E. Irons

Michigan Law Review

A taxpayer was the beneficiary of life insurance policies which required the insurance company to make fifty annual payments of $2,000 each. At the death of the insured in 1917, the commuted value of this obligation was $53,000. Prior to 1934, the taxpayer had received seventeen payments, aggregating $45,473.40, no part of which had been reported as income. For the year 1934, the taxpayer received $2,581.40, of which $2,000 was the annual payment, and $581.40 was an "excess interest" dividend. He again failed to include any of the amount in his gross income. The commissioner determined that under the Revenue …