Public-domain · open source
OpenJurist

172 Misc. 855

Morgan v. Sackett

New York Supreme Court

Decided September 5, 1939

New York Supreme Court · decided 1939-09-05

Relies on St. John v. Andrews Institute for Girls · McGowin v. . Menken · In re the Estate of Burza

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1939-09-05

How this case has been cited

Cited by 5 later decisions — most recently May 1965

1 district · 4 state decisions

201939194019501960decided

Later decisions citing this case, by decade. The current decade is in progress, and our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so the latest bars are undercounted — not a real decline.

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

MacGregor, J.

¶1The New York Life Insurance Company issued a policy of life insurance upon the life of Kathleen M. Sackett. The policy was issued in 1929. The original beneficiary was Nettie M. Irwin. Subsequently the insured married Herbert I, Sackett. The insured substituted as beneficiaries Susan B. Sackett to the extent of three-fifths and Herbert I. Sackett to the extent of two-fifths.

¶2*856On or about January 2, 1939, Kathleen M. Sackett, Herbert I. Sackett and Susan B. Sackett were killed as a result of a collision between an automobile in which they were riding and a train of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company.

¶3Claims were made to the proceeds of the policy by the representatives of the estates of the insured and the beneficiaries. Because of the controversy the insurer moved for an order of interpleader, which was granted, and the proceeds of the policy were paid into court.

¶4In the present action the plaintiff moves for judgment in his favor upon the pleadings. In the supplemental complaint it is alleged that the insured and the beneficiaries “ were killed as a result of a collision between an automobile in which said assured and beneficiaries were riding and a Lehigh Valley Railroad train, in Erie County, New York.”

¶5It is further alleged: “ That, upon information and belief, said assured, Kathleen M. Sackett, and the aforesaid beneficiaries Herbert I. Sackett and Susan B. Sackett, were found to be dead after said collision.”

¶6It is further alleged: “ That said policy of insurance contained the further provision: 1 In the event of the death of any beneficiary before the insured, the interest of such beneficiary shall vest in the insured, unless otherwise provided herein.’ ”

¶7It is well settled that in the event of death of several persons in a common disaster there is no presumption of survivorship. In the absence of facts showing survivorship the burden rests upon one claiming survivorship to establish the fact. Under the wording of the policy of insurance, if the beneficiaries did not survive the insured no death benefits vested in them. (Matter of Hammer, 101 Misc. 351; Matter of Valverde, 148 id. 49; affd., 242 App. Div. 653; affd., 266 N. Y. 620; Southwell v. Gray, 35 Misc. 740; Dunn v. New Amsterdam Cas. Co., 141 App. Div. 478; Matter of Burza, 151 Misc. 577; Matter of Strong, 171 id. 445; McGowin v. Menken, 223 N. Y. 509.)

¶8The defendants as a defense and counterclaim set up in their respective answers that the beneficiaries “ did not die before said insured.”

¶9The words quoted do not constitute an allegation of survivorship.

¶10“ Dying at the same time is equivalent to dying before.” (St. John v. Andrews Institute, 191 N. Y. 254; Dunn v. New Amsterdam Cas. Co., supra.)

¶11In the light of the authorities I conclude that the .representatives of the estates of the beneficiaries are required to plead and prove survivorship and that the allegation set up in the respective answers *857is not sufficient, assuming that the allegation contained in the supplemental complaint is sufficient.

¶12The allegation as before noted is that the insured and the beneficiaries were killed in a common disaster and that they were found dead.” (Deyo v. Grosfeld, 163 Misc. 27, affd., Id. 30.)

¶13Upon a trial if those facts alone were shown the plaintiff would be entitled to recover. I conclude that the supplemental complaint is sufficient and that the answers do not raise an issue. Therefore, the plaintiff is entitled to judgment upon the pleadings.

¶14Motion is granted, with ten dollars costs, with leave to the defendants to serve amended answers within twenty days after entry and service of the order.

/172/misc/855 · .json · Public domain