Legal Opinion
Gould v. Mutual Life Insurance
Washington Supreme Court
Decided June 25, 1981No. 46694PublishedCited by 3 opinions
1Opinion of the Court
Dore, J. —
On May 27, 1976, Victor (Vic) Gould was found shot to death in Robinswood Park in Bellevue, Washington. His widow sued the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York (MONY) to collect the proceeds of a life insurance policy under which her husband had been insured. MONY pleaded the affirmative defense of suicide. All parties agree that the insurance policy excludes coverage where the insured commits suicide. The widow contended her husband had been murdered.
At trial evidence was produced to support both theories. No suicide note was found. The Bellevue Police Department investigated…
Also in this document: Concurrence.
2Cases cited3 opinions
- Watkins v. Prudential InsuranceSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1934
- Burrier v. Mutual Life Insurance Co. of New YorkWashington Supreme Court · 1963
- Pioneer International Hotel v. First Colony Life InsuranceCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit · 1975
3Cited by3 opinions
- Harriet M. Gould, an Unremarried Widow v. Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York, a Foreign CorporationCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit · 1986
- Harriet M. Gould v. Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York, a CorporationCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit · 1984
- Evans v. National Life & Accident InsuranceOhio Supreme Court · 1986