Bigley v. Pacific Standard Life Insurance

This case requires us to decide whether the beneficiary of a life insurance annuity policy or the insurance company that issued the policy bears the loss resulting from the insurer’s payment of the policy proceeds to a person fraudulently substituted as the beneficiary. The trial court held that the defendant, Pacific Standard Life Insurance Company, was not liable to the plaintiff, John F. Bigley,1 executor of the estate of Norma C. White and the beneficiary of a life insurance annuity policy purchased by White from the defendant, because the defendant had paid the policy proceeds in good…