The Legal Angle

[waxwing04]

I have read The Colorado Kid twice; a good well paced story, but...

Has anyone else noticed that there could be an angle that appears to have been overlooked? The wife/widow is located and claims her husband's body, and his life insurance.

The way I read it, the man had a tumour on his brain.

Now the dead man must have known about his condition to go so far to try and hide his demise and hopefully make it difficult, if not impossible, for the coroner to make a definite diagnosis or cause of death. Of course he may have overlooked the fact that dead bodies are kept in deep freeze until they are claimed, thus preserving the body for further examination.

So, would not the man or his widow have been guilty of lying to the insurance company? Insurers won't normally insure a sick person, especially one with a terminal condition. And if my assumption is correct, wouldn't the insurance company refuse to pay out? Perhaps, even sue the widow for trying to defraud them?

Just an observation, that might have made the story longer...

[youngfibre]

This unlegal mind is thinking i would fail woefully in the insurance biz.

[wally wonder]

can't see it, myself. don't recall anything in the story about the purchase of insurance policies, who made the purchase, that kind of thing. was that present? but yeah, i catch your drift, make your stories longer, uncle stevie, don't listen to those yahoos in the publishing world. i guess i ought to give the story another read. thank you.