Gavers Ex Rel. Gavers v. Federal Life Insurance

This is a conflict of laws case in which the trial court, in a nonfinal order, 1 determined that California rather than Wisconsin law should govern a presumption of death question. Because we conclude that California has no substantial connections with the facts, we reverse.

The Gavers children, as assignees of their father, John J. Gavers, Sr., brought this action to recover on a policy of life insurance issued by the Federal Life Insurance Company insuring the life of their mother, Alice Mary Gavers. John is the named beneficiary of the policy. Because Alice had departed from Wisconsin in…