Aetna Life Insurance v. Haworth

[*236] Mr. Chief Justice Hughes delivered the opinion of the Court.

The question presented is whether the District Court had jurisdiction of this suit under the Federal Declaratory-Judgment Act. Act of June 14, 1934, 48 Stat. 955; Jud. Code, § 274D; 28 U. S. C. 400. [1]

The question arises upon the plaintiff’s complaint which was dismissed by the District Court upon the ground that it did not set forth a “controversy” in the constitutional sense and hence did not come within the legitimate scope of the statute. 11 F. Supp. 1016. The decree of dismissal was affirmed by the Circuit Court of Appeals. 84 F. (2d) 695. We granted certiorari. November 16, 1936. [*237] From the complaint it appears that plaintiff is an insurance company which had issued to the defendant, Edwin P. Haworth, five policies of insurance upon his life, the defendant Cora M. Haworth being named as beneficiary. The complaint set forth the terms of the policies. They contained various provisions which for the present purpose it is unnecessary fully to particularize. It is sufficient to observe that they all provided for certain benefits in the event that the insured became totally and permanently disabled. In one policy, for $10,000, issued in 1911, the company agreed, upon receiving the requisite proof of such disability and without further payment of premiums, to pay the sum insured, and dividend additions, in twenty annual instalments, or a life annuity as specified, in full settlement. In four other policies issued in 1921, 1928 and 1929, respectively, for amounts aggregating $30,000, plaintiff agreed upon proof of such disability to waive further payment of premiums, promising in one of the policies to pay a specified amount monthly and in the other three to continue the life insurance in force. By these four policies the benefits to be payable at death, and the cash and loan values to be available, were to be the same whether the premiums were paid or were waived by reason of the described disability.