American Indemnity Co. v. Boatner

86 S.W.2d 239, 1935 Tex. App. LEXIS 1335
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJuly 19, 1935
DocketNo. 10115.
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 86 S.W.2d 239 (American Indemnity Co. v. Boatner) 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 Indemnity Co. v. Boatner, 86 S.W.2d 239, 1935 Tex. App. LEXIS 1335 (Tex. Ct. App. 1935).

Opinions

LANE, Justice.

C. D. Boatner was, on the 10th day of April, 1924, an employee of the Sugarland Industries, which held a policy of compensation insurance issued by American Indemnity Company. On said date Boat-ner, while in the course of his employment, suffered an injury which resulted in a hernia. On July 19, 1933, C. D. Boatner brought suit in the district court of Fort Bend county against the American Indemnity Company to recover for his injury.

He alleged the facts above stated, and that he had been directed by his employer to its doctors, who performed an operation in an effort to cure his hernia; that the de *240 fendant, American Indemnity Company, liad paid him compensation for 26 weeks following his injury; that after the said operation he returned to work for his employer and continued to work at substantially the same kind of work as he performed prior to his injury until November 1, 1932; that during the month of April, 1931, he discovered that the operation which- had been performed upon him was not successful, but he continued to work until November of 1932, when he was discharged by his employer; that since leaving the employment of the Sugarland Industries he found that he was unable to procure and retain employment because of the rupture suffered, and that he was not physically fit to undergo a second operation; that immediately after his injury, and within less than thirty days, his employer and the defendant insurance company each had actual notice thereof; that within six months he made a claim for compensation and was paid some compensation by the defendant on account of his injury; that he signed a receipt for the compensation paid him, believing that he had fully recovered from the injury, but that such receipt was not a settlement of his claim; that within six months after he was compelled to quit work in November of 1932 on account of his condition, and on or about January 17, 1933, he formally advised the defendant and the Industrial Accident Board of his claim for further compensation on account of his injury; that if he had not strictly complied with the statute in giving notice and filing his claim for compensation, such strict compliance should be waived because he believed that his operation would be successful and believed that he would be able to continue to work by wearing a truss, until November 1, 1932, when he discovered that he would not be able to further procure and retain employment, and that he did, within six months after that date, make and renew his claim for additional compensation; that on June 30, 1933, the Industrial Accident Board made and entered its final ruling, decision, and award on plaintiff’s claim for compensation, and that he was not willing to abide by said award, and did, within 20 days after same was made and entered, file written notice with the board of his intention to appeal, and did bring this suit within 20 days after filing said notice of appeal.

Plaintiff’s prayer was for compensation at the rate of $17.31 per week for 401 weeks, and that same be paid in a lump sum, less the discount allowed by law.

The defendant filed a formal plea of privilege to be sued in Galveston county, Tex.

Plaintiff contested defendant’s plea of privilege, alleging that his suit arose under the Workmen’s Compensation Law of Texas (Rev. St. 1925, art. 8306 et seq.), and that the injury for which compensation was claimed occurred in Fort Bend county, Tex., and that the district court of Fort Bend county, Tex., had exclusive jurisdiction, and that' the district court of Galveston county, Tex., had no jurisdiction, and readopted all allegations in his petition and made same a part of the controverting plea.

Upon a hearing of the defendant’s plea of privilege and the plaintiff’s controverting plea, the court entered an order on November 20, 1933, overruling the defendant’s plea of privilege to be sued in Galveston county and retained' jurisdiction of the case in Fort Bend county. This appeal of the insurance company involves only the question as to whether the case should be tried in Fort Bend county or Galveston county.

Appellant, for reversal of the judgment overruling its plea of privilege, contends that, in view of the facts alleged by the plaintiff and the facts proven by this plaintiff’s undisputed testimony, it is shown that appellee was injured on the 10th day of April, 1924, and that he was paid for all disabilities he sustained during the 401 weeks next succeeding his injury, and he had no cause of action under the Workmen’s Compensation Act at the time the plaintiff filed his suit in 1933, and therefore the trial court erred in overruling appellant’s plea of privilege to be sued in Galveston county, where it had its residence.

Appellant further contends for reversal of the judgment, that it affirmatively appears from the plaintiff’s allegations and the undisputed evidence that he never filed any claim of any sort with the Industrial Accident Board within six months after he sustained his injury in April, 1924, and that he did not file any claim with the Industrial Accident Board within six months after the time he alleges his accident recurred in 1931, appellee testifying that he knew all the time after his operation up to and including the time when he left the employ of the Sugarland Industries in November, 1932, that his operation was not a success; *241 that he never filed or attempted to file claim until January, 1933, and no allegation or proof being made excusing such delay, it conclusively results that appellee had no cause of action at the time he filed his suit under the Workmen’s Compensation Act, and that venue of this cause does not lie in Fort Bend county, Tex.

The majority of this court sustains appellant’s contention that by the allegations in the plaintiff’s petition and the undisputed facts testified to by appellee, it is shown that appellee did not file or otherwise present any claim for compensation under the provisions of the Workmen’s Compensation Act, with or to the Industrial Accident Board within six months after the time his injury recurred, as required by said act as a prerequisite to a recovery for such recurring injury, and as there was neither allegation nor proof made excusing such delay, it conclusively appears that appellee had no cause of action cognizable under the provisions of such act at the time he filed his claim with the Industrial Accident Board on the 17th day of January, 1933, nor at the time he filed this suit; wherefore, the court erred in not sustaining appellant’s plea of privilege.

It was shown that appellee received his injury in Fort Bend county on the 10th day of April, 1924; that he underwent an operation for hernia, under the provisions of the Workmen’s Compensation Act, which at the time was apparently successful, resulting in a cure of appellee’s hernia; all expenses incurred by reason of such operation being paid for by American Indemnity Company; that appellee was paid compensation, under the provisions of the Workmen’s Compensation Act relative to injuries resulting in hernia, for a period of 26 weeks; that after such operation, some time in 1924 or 1925, appellee returned to work for the Sugarland Industries, and he worked and was paid up to November, 1932.

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Related

American Mut. Liability Ins. Co. v. Wedgeworth
140 S.W.2d 213 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1940)
Erickson v. Texas Employers' Ins. Ass'n.
105 S.W.2d 459 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1937)
Carper v. Texas Compensation Ins.
88 F.2d 572 (Fifth Circuit, 1937)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
86 S.W.2d 239, 1935 Tex. App. LEXIS 1335, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/american-indemnity-co-v-boatner-texapp-1935.