Hall v. Progressive Life Insurance Co.

(After stating the foregoing facts.) The burden is on the plaintiff to show accidental death. That is, the burden is on the plaintiff to show that the death was not suicidal. Suicide is intentional self-destruction. ' If the evidence points equally to suicide or accident, and the jury'could not infer from the evidence whether the death was accidental or suicidal, the presumption against suicide would avail the plaintiff, and he would have carried the burden of proof that the death was not suicidal. If the evidence is sufficient to authorize an inference either way, that is, that the death was…