American General Insurance Company v. Dennis

280 S.W.2d 620, 1955 Tex. App. LEXIS 1916
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 27, 1955
Docket15626
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 280 S.W.2d 620 (American General Insurance Company v. Dennis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
American General Insurance Company v. Dennis, 280 S.W.2d 620, 1955 Tex. App. LEXIS 1916 (Tex. Ct. App. 1955).

Opinion

RENFRO, Justice.

The American General Insurance Company has appealed from a judgment in favor of Joe Bailey Dennis in a workmen’s compensation case.

The first point of error is to the effect the court erred in admitting in evidence the hospital records of the Gainesville Sanitarium because they were hearsay as to appellant, not properly identified, not signed by any person and were ex parte statements of the person claiming to have made'the records.

After the witness Patsy Holden testified that she was the official custodian of the hospital records, had with her the records in regard to the stay of Joe Bailey Dennis while in the Gainesville Sanitarium, that the records were made in the usual course of business of the hospital and were permanent records kept by the hospital, the records were offered in evidence and marked Exhibit 1 for identification. Then, in response to questions by appellant’s attorney, the witness answered that they were all the records and that she had brought them down from the hospital just a few minutes before. The witness was then excused.

Upon the announcement of appellee’s counsel that he was going to read the records to the jury, appellant’s counsel objected that the entire record consisted of numerous ex parte statements made by various and sundry parties at a time when the appellant had no opportunity to cross-examine the witness, were hearsay as far as the appellant was concerned, and contained statements of various parties claiming to be doctors and parties claiming to be nurses about what was done and what was not done. The obj ection was overruled.

While the appellant’s witness, Dr. Cirone, was on the stand he was asked by appellee’s attorney, “Without going into all of these records I just want to ask you if you will look them over very briefly, and tell me if they are a true and correct reflection of what you wrote, and of what your findings were, and what went on in the hospital during Mr. Dennis’ stay?” The witness answered, “Yes.”

The appellant on appeal for the first time contends the records were not admissible because it was not shown that the Gaines-ville Sanitarium was a public hospital. Its contention is summed up in these words: “The only time that such records would be admissible would be if the records were those of a county hospital and in that situation the statutes require such records to be kept. And even if such a statute applied here, and it certainly does not, then the records would not be admissible because a proper foundation had not been laid.”

The record does not show whether the Gainesville Sanitarium is a public or private hospital.

If it is a public hospital, the records were' admissible under the statutes. Houston Life Ins. Co. v. Dabbs, Tex.Civ.App., 95 S.W.2d 484, reformed and affirmed, 132 Tex. 566, 125 S.W.2d 1041; Dallas Coffee & Tea *622 Co. v. Williams, Tex.Civ.App., 45 S.W.2d 724; Ynsfran v. Burkhart, Tex.Civ.App., 247 S.W.2d 907; Brown v. Shannon West Texas Memorial Hospital, Tex.Civ.App., 222 S.W.2d 248; 5 Tex.Jur. Ten Year Supp., p. 584, sec. 5a.

If the Gainesville .Sanitarium is a private hospital, the records were admissible under Article 3737e, Vernon’s Ann.Civ.St., wherein it is provided that a “memorandum or record of an act, event or. condition shall,, insofar as relevant, be competent evidence of the occurrence of the act or event or the: existence of the condition if the judge: finds that: (a) It was made in the regular course, of business; (b) it was the regular course of that business, for an employee or representative of such business with- personal knowledge of such act, event or condition to make such memorandum or record or to transmit information thereof to be included in such memorandum or record; (c) it wasmade at or near'the time of the act, event of condition or reasonably soon thereafter.” Section 2 provides that the identity and mode of preparation of the memorandum or record in accordance with the provisions of paragraph one may be proved by the testimony of the entrant, 'custodian or other qualified witness even though he may not have personal-knowledge as to the various items 'or contents of such memorandum or record, and that such lack of personal knowledge may- be shown tp affect the weight and credibility of the memorandum or record but shall not affect its admissibility. Section 4 provides that “business” as used in the. act includes any and every kind of regular organized activity whether, conducted for profit or not.

Under the record before us, it is clear that the appellee.substantially met the requirements of Article 3737e.

Even in the event the records were not properly proved in some particular or if it should be held that Article 3737e did not authorize the admission of such records, we are of the opinion that the error, if any, in admitting the records in evidence was harmless. The appellant does not show in any manner how it was harmed by the reception of the hospital records in evidence, or that there was anything prejudicial contained in the records.

The appellate court will not reverse and remand a case for another trial on the ground that the trial court has committed an error of law in the course of the trial unless the appellate court shall be of the opinion that the error complained’ of amounted to such a denial of the rights- of appellant as was reasonably calculated to cause and probably did cause the rendition of an improper judgment in the case. ■ Rule 434, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure.

A careful study of the record convinces us that the appellant did not show such error as amounted to a denial of its rights or such as calculated to cause and probably did cause the rendition of an improper judgment.

Point one is overruled.

At the conclusion of the opening argument to the jury by appellee’s attorney, the appellant filed, a motion for a mistrial, based on alleged improper argument. The appellant’s point of error contends the argument was prejudicial arid inflammatory and that appellee’s counsel explained to the jury the effect of .the answers to the special issues.

The motion for mistrial read: “Comes: the defendant at the close of the opening argument as made by plaintiff’s attorney in this case, and before the defendant has presented, any argument, and moves the Court to declare a mistrial in this case because of the inflammatory and prejudicial argument of plaintiff’s counsel, and the constant and persistent effort on the part of plaintiff’s counsel to explain to the jury the effects of their answers to the issues in the Court’s charge, and specifically pointing out to them that he would rather for them to have a hung jury than to answer said issues contrary to the way he was telling them; * * The motion continued: “That the argument as thus made-to the jury by Mr. Wilson being as follows,, to-wit: * * Then follows twenty- *623 three pages of what purports to he argument of appellee’s attorney.

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Bluebook (online)
280 S.W.2d 620, 1955 Tex. App. LEXIS 1916, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/american-general-insurance-company-v-dennis-texapp-1955.