Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance v. Johnson

Citations

• 254 U.S. 96
• 41 S. Ct. 47
• 65 L. Ed. 155
• 1920 U.S. LEXIS 1211

Syllabus

<p>A provision in a life insurance policy declaring that the policy shall be void if- within a certain time the insured, while sane or insane, shall die by his own hand, and a provision making the policy incontestable after a certain time, are both to be interpreted, as implying that suicide of the insured, sane or insane, after the time specified, shall nót be a defense. P. 102.</p> <p>The' validity of such agreements to pay life insurance, even when death is due to suicide, if it occur after the lapse of a certain time, depends upon the state public policy. Where it did not appear in what State the contracts in question were made, the court upheld them, which, semble, is in accord with the-rule generally prevailing. P. 100.</p>