Boyer v. Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railway Co.

306 S.W.2d 215, 80 A.L.R. 2d 287
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedOctober 10, 1957
Docket13064
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 306 S.W.2d 215 (Boyer v. Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railway Co.) 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
Boyer v. Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railway Co., 306 S.W.2d 215, 80 A.L.R. 2d 287 (Tex. Ct. App. 1957).

Opinion

WOODRUFF, Justice.

Appellant, Thomas Bruce Boyer, Jr., individually and as next friend of his minor daughters, Elaine Margaret Boyer and Jenefer Ann Boyer, who also sued through their guardian ad litem, George Roane, joined by Frank D. Potter and wife, Edith Potter, being all the heirs of Daphne Edith Boyer, under the Texas Death Statute, instituted suit against the appellee, Gulf, Colorado & Sante Fe Railway Company, seeking damages for the alleged negligence of the appellee, its servants and employees, in the operation of its train which caused severe injuries to the appellant, Thomas Bruce Boyer, Jr., and his wife, Daphne Edith Boyer, from which injuries sustained by her, Daphne Edith Boyer died. This accident occurred on May 1, 1952, when the automobile in which they were riding and which was being driven by appellant, Thomas Bruce Boyer, Jr., ran into the side of appellee’s freight train at its crossing over Highway 288 at Areola in Fort Bend County, Texas. Appellants Potter and wife were the parents of Daphne Edith Boyer.

Appellants went to trial on their second amended original petition and in paragraph VI thereof they alleged in separate sub-paragraphs nine specific grounds of negligence on the part of appellee, its servants and employees, consisting of failing to use various devices and means for giving visual and audible signals and warnings of the presence of the train while crossing the highway. The remaining allegations set forth in sub-paragraph 8 read as follows:

“In failing to render all necessary assistance to plaintiff and his said wife immediately after said collision and after defendant discovered or under common law should have discovered their plight as required, and m failing *217 to carry plaintiff and his wife to a physician or surgeon for medical or surgical treatment, or to call an ambulance or notify anyone of the serious condition of such parties, all in violation of Article 1150, Penal Code of the State of Texas, or against common law.”

Appellants prayed for a total of $88,000 actual damages for the injuries sustained by Thomas Bruce Boyer, Jr., and their loss occasioned by the death of Daphne Edith Boyer. They also prayed for $25,000 exemplary damages.

The appellee relied on its third amended original answer which contained a number of special exceptions, a general denial, a plea of unavoidable accident and some twenty-six allegations of contributory negligence.

The case was submitted to the jury on sixty-eight Special Issues. Upon receipt of the verdict, so counsel concede in their briefs, the trial judge read each answer aloud and where no answer was given by the jury in response to a Special Issue, he announced, “no answer.” At the conclusion of the reading of the verdict and before releasing the jury, he called all counsel to the Bench and asked if there was a conflict and if there was any objection to the court’s receiving the verdict. No objection being voiced, the verdict was received and the jury discharged. Among other Special Issues which were not answered by the jury was Special Issue No. 32.

Special Issues No. 1 through No. 29 submitted nine acts of alleged negligence on the part of appellee’s employees with appropriate Issues of proximate cause. The jury failed to find them guilty of any act of negligence which was a proximate cause of the event. Special Issues No. 33 through No. 63 submitted fourteen separate alleged acts of contributory negligence on the part of appellant, Thomas Bruce Boyer, Jr., with appropriate Issues of proximate cause. The jury found that he had committed twelve acts of negligence, each of which was found to be a proximate cause of the event.

Special Issues numbered 64, 66, 67 and 68 were all answered but they are not material to this discussion.

The remaining Special Issues numbered 30, 31, 32, and 65 and the jury’s answers thereto form the crux of this case on appeal. They read as follows:

Special Issue No. 30
“Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant, Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway Company, failed to render all assistance to plaintiff’s wife immediately after said collision and after defendant discovered, or should have discovered her plight?
“Answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.
“If you have answered Special Issue No. 30 ‘Yes’ and only in such event, then answer:
Special Issue No. 31
“Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that such failure, if any, to render all assistance to plaintiff’s wife immediately after said collision and after defendant discovered, or should have discovered, her plight, was negligence as that term is herein defined to you?
“Answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.
“If you have answered Special Issue No. 31 ‘Yes’ and only in such event, then answer:
Special Issue No. 32
“Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that such negligence, if any, was a proximate cause, as that term is herein defined, of the death of plaintiff’s wife?
“Answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.
*218 Special Issue No. 65
“What sum of money, if any, if paid now in cash do you find from a preponderance of the evidence would fairly and reasonably compensate the plaintiffs, Thomas Bruce Boyer, Jr., Elaine Margaret Boyer and Jenefer Ann Boyer, Minors, husband and minor daughters of Daphne Edith Boyer, respectively; and Frank Dunkerly Potter and Edith Potter, father and mother of Daphne' Edith Boyer, for for the loss, if any, sustained by them as a direct and proximate result of the negligence of the defendant, if any, and death of Daphne Edith Boyer, tak-
“Thomas Bruce Boyer, Jr., husband
“Elaine Margaret Boyer, Minor
“Jenefer Ann Boyer, Minor
“Frank Dunkerly Potter, Father
“Edith Potter, Mother

The jury answered Special Issues Nos. 30 and 31 “Yes” but failed to make any answer in response to Special Issue No. 32. It answered Special Issue No. 65' by filling in opposite the name Thomas Bruce Boyer, Jr., the amount of $5,000 and beside the names of the minors, Elaine Margaret Boyer and Jenefer Ann Boyer, the sum of $10,000 each.

The appellee filed its motion for judgment and on April 10, 1956, the trial court entered judgment denying appellants a recovery.

On April 11, 1956, appellants filed a motion to set aside the judgment and to enter judgment for appellants and, in the alternative, to grant a new trial. An amended motion was filed within due time and upon presentation was overruled by the trial court, to which action of the court exception was taken, notice of appeal given, and this cause is now properly before this Court on appeal.

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Bluebook (online)
306 S.W.2d 215, 80 A.L.R. 2d 287, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/boyer-v-gulf-colorado-santa-fe-railway-co-texapp-1957.