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Wolfson v. Metropolitan Life Insurance

289 N.Y. 70 Court N.Y. Decision date 1942-07-29 English

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p. 70
Elizabeth Wolfson, Appellant, v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, Respondent.
Argued June 18, 1942;
decided July 29, 1942.
p. 71
Harris Jay Griston and Alexander Schwartz for appellant.
Whether the death was due to the accident of a fall on the slippery, icy sidewalk, or to a purported heart condition presented a question of fact for the jury. (Sagendorf v. Prudential Ins. Co., 249 App. Div. 687 ; MacNair v. Commercial Travelers Ins. Co., 249 App. Div. 732 ; 275 N. Y. 630 ; Slavin v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co., 249 App. Div. 805 ; Breese v. Fidelity & Casualty Co., 247 App. Div. 850 ; Thurber v. Commercial Travelers Ins. Co., 51 App. Div. 608 ; Wachtel v. Equitable Life Assur. Society, 241 App. Div. 172 ; Larkin v. InterState Casualty Co., 43 App. Div. 365 ; Kay v. Travellers Ins. Co., 242 App. Div. 798 ; 266 N. Y. 671 ; Jensen v. Commercial Travelers Ins. Co., 247 App. Div. 835 ; Loewenthal v. Commercial Travelers Mut. Acc. Assn., 253 App. Div. 583 .)
William B. Moore for respondent.
Because a verdict in favor of the plaintiff would have been unsupported by the evidence, the trial court was required to direct a verdict in favor of the defend
p. 72
ant. (Smith v. Massachusetts Bonding & Ins. Co., 207 App. Div. 682 ; 241 N. Y. 558 ; McMartin v. Fidelity & Casualty Co., 264 N. Y. 220 ; Silverstein v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co., 254 N. Y. 81 ; Ruppert v. Brooklyn Heights R. R. Co., 154 N. Y. 90 ; Collins v. City of New York, 185 App. Div. 586 .)

The evidence presented an issue of fact as to whether or not the insured died as the result of a pre-existing heart condition.

The judgments should be reversed and a new trial granted with costs to appellant to abide the event.

Lehman, Ch. J., Loughran, Finch, Rippey, Lewis, Conway and Desmond, JJ., concur.

Judgments reversed, etc.

Cases cited