Republic National Life Insurance Company, Petitioner v. Velma L. Heyward, Respondent

Summary

The Texas Supreme Court affirmed the Court of Civil Appeals, holding that a group life insurance accidental death rider covers a homicide when the insured could not reasonably anticipate the fatal injury, that the plaintiff's evidence raised a genuine issue of fact precluding a directed verdict, and that the policy's felonious‑act exclusion does not apply because the insured did not participate in the crime; the court also concluded that "accidental death" and "death by accidental means" are synonymous in Texas insurance contracts.