APPENDIX.
THE ATTITUDE OF ASSURANCE COMPANIES
TO THE SUICIDE.
To obtain this information application was made to each of the offices mentioned, for a prospectus which should include the regulations with respect to forfeiture of policies. I find by analysis that there are seven varieties in the proceedings of the companies, and in all of them assigned policies are indisputable.
A.─Policy is void by suicide:─Crown, Hand-in-Hand, Law, Rock, Provident, and Royal Exchange.
Of these, however─
Hand-in-Hand may return premiums and interest.
Law may pay a sum of money if the directors think fit.
Provident may pay a surrender value.
Crown may make a reasonable allowance unless the suicide be felo-de-se.
B.─Policy is not void after five years’ existence:─Atlas, Gresham, Mutual (if assured be 30 years old), Prudential, Whittington, Sun.
C.─Policy is not void after three years’ existence:─Alliance, British Empire, Norwich Union, Pelican.
D.─Policy is not void after two years:─Star, Commercial Union.
E.─Policy is not void after 13 months:─Guardian; London Assurance Company.
F.─Policy is not void after one year:─Clerical, Medical, and General; Legal and General; Liverpool, London, and Globe.
G.─No mention is made of suicide in the prospectuses of the following companies:─Equitable; London, Edinburgh, and Glasgow; Economic; New York; Northern; Royal; Scottish Amicable; Union; West of England.
The Union, and West of England, have a clause that “No claim is disputed unless there is palpable fraud.”
Of these thirty-two companies only one makes a distinction between suicide of the insane, and felo-de-se, viz., the Crown.