Legal Opinion
Morris v. Government Employees Insurance
New York Supreme Court
Decided March 20, 1974PublishedCited by 3 opinions
1Opinion of the CourtBeatrice S. Burstein, J.
This case involves the application of a clear and unambiguous statute to a notice canceling a policy of fire insurance. Neither Blackstone’s Commentaries nor learned treatises on canons of construction suggest the guidelines. We turn, instead, to Alice’s timeless inquiry: “ the question is whether you can make words mean so many different things.” (Lewis Carroll, “ Through the Looking Glass, IV”.) The answer, ¡which the relevant statute provides, is “no”.
The facts are not in dispute. In May, 1970, the plaintiffs applied to the Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO) for a policy of…
2Cases cited8 opinions
- Greenwood v. United StatesSupreme Court of the United States · 1956
- MacDonald v. Metropolitan Life InsuranceSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1931
- Bank of California v. . WebbNew York Court of Appeals · 1884
- Fields v. Western Millers Mutual Fire Insurance Co.New York Court of Appeals · 1943
- Fifty States Management Corp. v. Public Service Mutual InsuranceNew York Supreme Court · 1971
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3Cited by3 opinions
- Sanders v. Chautauqua County Patrons' Fire Relief Ass'nAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York · 1979
- Davilla v. Court Employment Project, Inc.Civil Court of the City of New York · 1976
- Society of New York Hospital v. MalskyCivil Court of the City of New York · 1976