Rayford v. New York Life Insurance

CASSIBRY, District Judge:

This case involves a $17,000 life insurance policy issued by the insurer, New York Life Insurance Company, to decedent, Henry Batiste. Upon Mr. Batiste’s untimely death from an acute heart attack, his widow sought to recover the benefits of the policy from New York Life. The insurer refused to make payment, claiming that in filling out the pre-policy physical the decedent had given materially false answers to a number of questions, with the intent to deceive the insurer, so that the policy was void. See, e. g., Gay v. United Benefit Life Ins. Co., 233 La. 226, 96…