Kascoutas v. Federal Life Insurance
Supreme Court of Iowa
Appeal from Woodbury District Court. — George Jepson, Judge. The decedent obtained a policy of insurance in the defendant company. Gus Kascoutas was the beneficiary, if he survived the insured. He intentionally caused the death of assured. The appellant administrators contend that this gives the estate of decedent the proceeds of said policy. The trial court took the contrary view, and directed verdict for defendant. Plaintiffs appeal.
1Opinion of the CourtSalinger, J.
Insurance: strict construction of “death” and “disability” clauses. I. Grant that public policy forbids that a beneficiary in a life insurance policy shall receive a benefit’ from that policy where he murders the insured. But no public policy condemns an undertaking to pay insurance to the estate of one insured who has died from injuries inflicted by the named beneficiary. We do not understand appellee to question this proposition, and do understand its position to be that it is liable to no one because it has a valid contract that there shall be no liability *891if the death of the insured is…
2Cases cited10 opinions
- Schmidt v. Northern Life Ass'nSupreme Court of Iowa · 1900
- Grand Lodge Independent Order of Mutual Aid v. WietingIllinois Supreme Court · 1897
- Newman v. Covenant Mutual Insurance Ass'nSupreme Court of Iowa · 1888
- Rindge v. New England Mutual Aid SocietyMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1888
- Allen v. Travelers Protective Ass'n of AmericaSupreme Court of Iowa · 1913
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3Cited by9 opinions
- Austin v. United StatesCourt of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit · 1942
- Kascoutas v. Federal Life InsuranceSupreme Court of Iowa · 1921
- Service Life Insurance v. McCulloughSupreme Court of Iowa · 1944
- Brush v. Washington National InsuranceSupreme Court of Iowa · 1941
- American Nat. Life Ins. Co. v. ShaddingerSupreme Court of Louisiana · 1944
4 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.