WORDS IN INSURANCE POLICY
JUDGE DECLINES TO INTERPRET
(P £-\. . WELLINGTON, May 10 Declining to decide what a “convulSIOI J na ture” is, Mr Justice Norther 0 * 1 has given judgment in favour of the widow of a man who lost his life in a flood, but whose insurance policv provided that the company should not be liable for loss resulting from carthquake, hurricane, volcanic eruption or other convulsion of nature. The plaintiff was the widow of the £ ev - Williams. Anglican vicar of EkCvahun i. who was drowned in his car before the eyes of onlookers on the mam Eketahuna-Woodville highway last July. The car was insured with the Wairarapa Automobile Association Mutual Insurance Company, and Mrs Williams claimed from the company £IOOO on her husband’s life and the value of the car.
Quoting an authority that ambiguous language in a policy should be construed more strongly against the party who prepared it, his Honour said that the expression “convulsion of nature" was too indefinite to have the effect in this of excusing the company from its obligations under the policy.'While he was not prepared to say what might or might not be a convulsion of nature, he thought the expression did not fit the facts of the case.
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23944, 11 May 1943, Page 4
Word Count
208WORDS IN INSURANCE POLICY Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23944, 11 May 1943, Page 4
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