Anderson v. Metropolitan Life Insurance — 75 Misc. 2d 1003

Majority

p. 1003

William C. Anderson, Respondent, v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, Appellant.

Supreme Court, Appellate Term, First Department,

November 15, 1973.

Friend, Post $ Hopkins (John G. Paré and Edward T. Post of counsel), for appellant. Francis E. Dorn and Joseph Hausman for respondent.

Plaintiff having foregone the opportunity to apply for life insurance on his wife without medical examination in a lesser sum and thereby changed his position to his detriment (if defendant’s rejection of the application be permitted to succeed) solely on the representations and actions of defendant’s agent, which defendant in nowise disaffirms or reprehends, it is our view that defendant is now estopped to deny the validity of the signature on the application. (Wells v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co., 19 App. Div. 18 , 25-26, affd. 163 N. Y. 572 ; Pickett v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co., 20 App. Div. 114 ; McElwain v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co., 33 App. Div. 60 ), or the sufficiency of the information furnished and the effectiveness of the receipt for one month’s premium in providing temporary interim insurance in the amount of the policy applied for (Lampke v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co., 279 N. Y. 157 , 164-165); 16A Appelman Insurance Law and Practice, § 9102).

p. 1004

The judgment and order should be affirmed, with $25 costs.

Concur — Fine, J. P., Lupiano and Quinn, JJ.

Judgment and order affirmed, etc.

Cases cited

Wells v. Metropolitan Life Insurance 19 App. Div. 18 N.Y. App. Div. 1897-06-12 at 25-26 p. 1003
Pickett v. Metropolitan Life Insurance 20 App. Div. 114 N.Y. App. Div. 1897-07-29 p. 1003
McElwain v. Metropolitan Life Insurance 33 App. Div. 60 N.Y. App. Div. 1898-07-26 p. 1003
Lampke v. Metropolitan Life Insurance 279 N. Y. 157 N.Y. 1938-11-29 at 164-165 p. 1003

Statutes and regulations cited

Insurance Law p. 1003