Opinion

Commonwealth Life Ins. Co. v. Clark

  • 25 Ala. App. 588
  • 151 So. 604
  • 1933 Ala. App. LEXIS 198
Court
Alabama Court of Appeals
Filed
Oct 31, 1933
Status
Published
Author
Rice
On the bench
Rice
Cited by
4 cases
Authority
More cited than 68.0%

The opinion

RICE, Judge.

The action is to recover the death benefit claimed under a policy of life insurance issued without medical examination’. •

The record sent up here discloses that the case has been tried three times. Upon each of the first two trials plaintiff (appellee) recovered judgment which was set aside by the court, presumably, or so far as is indicated, on' the ground that the verdict upon which same was based was opposed to the great weight of the evidence.

The trial judge refused to set aside the verdict, etc., upon "the instant trial, and-this appeal follows. We do not see that we are called upon to say very much;

A careful reading of the testimony discloses that the learned trial judge was correct in concluding that he was unauthorized to give to the jury, at appellant’s request, the general affirmative charge to find in its favor. The trial court could not, neither can we, say that any one of appellant’s pleas was proved, i. e., that there was not a scintilla of evidence opposed, to its averments.

True, we cheerfully admit that therei was but a scintilla. This, however, is all that is requisite in order to take the case to the jury in the first instance; the plaintiff (appellee) having, of course, first made out his prima facie case, etc. Norwood Hospital v. Brown, 219 Ala. 445 , 122 So. 411 .

There had to be an end to the litigation. So the provision of Code 1923, § 9519, to wit, “no more than two new trials can be granted the same party in any cause,” came into play, and was duly recognized by the trial court.

It likewise binds us. So we hold that there was no error in overruling appellant’s motion to set aside the verdict, etc., and to grant it a new trial. Code, § 9519, supra; Doe ex dem. Windsor Realty Co. v. Finnegan, 216 Ala. 431 , 113 So. 277 .

As for the rulings, other than that refusing to give, etc., the general affirmative: charge, etc., in its favor, and that dverruling its motion to set aside the verdict, etc., which have been urged upon our attention as calling for a reversal of the judgment, we need only say that we have given careful consideration to them, separately, etc.

In each instance it is our decided opinion that the said ruling was without effect upon the result of the trial. And that hence

*589

no reversal of the judgment could be predicated thereon. Supreme Court Rule 45, Code 1923 vol. 4, p. 895.

The judgment is affirmed.

Affirmed.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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