INSURANCE CLAIM.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 200, 14 July 1936, Page 7

INSURANCE CLAIM.

JUDGMENT FOR PLAINTIFF

Recoived July 14, 9.50 a.m. LONDON, July 13.

The Judge gave a verdict in fuvour of Major Rowlandson’s niece for £43,000 insurance, saying that insurance policies were often used for commercial purposes and that their value declined if it was established that the assurors were released from reliability in a caso of suicide. Moreover, if a man was hanged was it to the benefit of the community, that his dependents receive nothing under a legitimate insurance policy ? The company is appealing against the decision.

The dramatic scenes when Major Charles Rowlandson, aged 58,. committed suicide in a taxi-cab were recalled in the King’s Bench Division when- ins niece, Mrs tie la Poor Bcrcsford, on behalf of creditors, sued tlie Royal Insurance Company for £43,000. Sir. William Jowitt, K.C., for plaintiff, said that the present refusal to pay out on the poiicy was due to the company relying on the doctrine of public policy. Sir William explained that Rowlandson was wounded in the South African War and served in tlie Great War and was invalided in 1918. After this be lost a fortune in business. Rowlandson was insured in 1925 for £BI,OOO, but surrendered £30,000. Loans further reduced the remainder. The policy contained the usual clause regarding non-payment in the event of the insured commuting suicide within a year, but Rowlands >n died after the policy hud been running 10 jeans. He was unable to pay a premium of £454 due on Juno 16; 1934, and oljraiji -*d ex<en sions until 3 o’clock on August 3. He vainly made an effort to'raise the premium. When he received a refusal of a further extension bis insurance covered him for another lj hours, in which he visited his solicitor and left a letter id* niitting that he was technically defrauding the company.