Wannamaker v. Stroman’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

1 district · 9 state decisions

Most-quoted passages

The sentences later courts lift from this opinion, ranked by how many decisions quote each — the parts of the opinion doing the work. These counts are smaller than the citation total above because most of the 10 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““To hold that a change in beneficiary may be made by testamentary disposition alone would open up a serious question as to payment of life insurance policies. It is in the public interest that an insurance company may pay a loss to the beneficiary designated in the policy as promptly after the death of insured as may reasonably be done. If there is uncertainty as to the beneficiary upon the death of insured, in all cases where the right to change the beneficiary had been reserved there would always be a question as to whom the proceeds of the insurance should be paid. If paid to the beneficiary, a will might later be probated designating a different disposition of the fund, and it would be a risk that few companies would be willing to take, unless some specified time had elapsed after the death of insured, or that there had been some court adjudication as to whom the proceeds should be paid. ’ ’”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Parks' Ex'rs v. Parks · 155 Ohio St. 595 - Stone v. Stephens

2. “My conclusion is that the insured had no right to divert the proceeds of policies A and B from Mrs. Stroman, as his will did not evince a disposition to change the beneficiary in these policies, and that, if it did, it did not conform to the regulation in the policies as to a change of the beneficiary; that he had no right to interfere with the right of Mrs. Stroman to receive the proceeds of policy C.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Hack v. Metz