Ryan v. Tickle
Supreme Court of Nebraska
316 N.W.2d 580 (1982)
Eugene Ryan, a licensed mortician, invited fellow mortician Gerald Tickle (defendant) to join Ryan Funeral Home, and the two later jointly purchased another funeral home, taking out a joint life-insurance policy worth $100,000, with each man owning half and the full proceeds payable to whichever of them survived. After Ryan died of cancer, Tickle collected $88,000 as beneficiary; Ryan's wife, Lois Ryan (plaintiff), sued Tickle to recover the insurance proceeds, arguing Tickle lacked an insurable interest in her husband's life and therefore couldn't keep the money. The trial court sustained Tickle's demurrer and dismissed Lois's petition.
Whether the heir of an insured decedent has standing to bring a lawsuit challenging an insurance-policy beneficiary's insurable interest in the life of the insured decedent.