Brannan Paving GP, LLC v. Pavement Markings, Inc.

446 S.W.3d 14, 2013 WL 3832717, 2013 Tex. App. LEXIS 9258
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJuly 25, 2013
DocketNos. 13-11-00005-CV, 13-11-00013-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 446 S.W.3d 14 (Brannan Paving GP, LLC v. Pavement Markings, Inc.) 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
Brannan Paving GP, LLC v. Pavement Markings, Inc., 446 S.W.3d 14, 2013 WL 3832717, 2013 Tex. App. LEXIS 9258 (Tex. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

OPINION

Opinion by

Justice PERKES.

This is an appeal from a breach of contract case between a contractor, Brannan Paving GP, L.L.C., d/b/a Brannan Paving Company (“Brannan Paving”), and its subcontractor, Pavement Markings, Inc. (“Pavement Markings”). Brannan Paving claimed that Pavement Markings breached the subcontract by not obtaining additional insured coverage. Pavement Markings joined San Juan Insurance Agency, Inc., d/b/a Valley Insurance Providers (“VIP”), who in turn joined Leicht General Agency (“LGA”). Brannan Paving subsequently asserted negligence claims against VIP and LGA.1

Brannan Paving appeals the trial court’s take-nothing judgment, contending by four issues, which we have reordered, that the trial court: (1) erred by including a waiver instruction in Question Number 1, a breach of contract question; (2) improperly rendered judgment because the jury’s answer to Question Number 1 regarding breach of contract and waiver is not supported by legally sufficient evidence; (3) erred by not granting a new trial because the jury’s answer to Question Number 1 regarding breach of contract and waiver is not supported by legally and factually sufficient evidence; and (4) erred by granting LGA’s motion to disregard the jury’s answers to jury Question Numbers 3 and 4 regarding negligence. Pavement Markings, as cross-appellant, challenges the trial court’s take-nothing judgment on its claim for attorney’s fees against VIP, arguing by one issue that the trial court erred in disregarding the jury’s answers to Question Numbers 5 and 6 regarding deceptive trade practices. We reverse and remand.

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

On March 5, 2004, Brannan Paving and Pavement Markings entered into an agreement related to a highway construction project whereby Pavement Markings contracted to perform road striping services for the project, which included a section of U.S. Highway 77 near Sinton, Texas. According to Juan Villescas Jr., the president of Pavement Markings, the company commenced operations on that section of highway on “the next day” after signing the contract. The following excerpt from the contract became the focus of the lawsuit: The Subcontractor agrees:

G. To carry Workman’s Compensation and Public Liability Insurance in companies acceptable to the Owner and Contractor and to furnish the Contractor with certified copies of the applicable policies prior to commencement of operations under this subcontract.
[18]*18STATUTORY WORKERS’ COMP Brannan Paving Company, Inc. is to be named as an “Additional Insured’’ as respects to general liability and automobile policy. A “Waiver of Subrogation” shall be issued in favor of Brannan Paving Company, Inc. in regards to all lines of insurance.

It is undisputed that Paving Markings never supplied Brannan Paving with certified copies of the applicable policies.

On May 16, 2004, there was a single-vehicle traffic accident on the section of U.S. Highway 77 on which Pavement Markings had been working, and one of the passengers in the vehicle was killed and the other two occupants were injured. A negligence lawsuit was brought against Brannan Paving and Pavement Markings for joint and several liability. According to the testimony of Waylan Justin Brannan Jr., the owner of Brannan Paving, Bran-nan discovered after the accident that Pavement Markings had not added Bran-nan Paving as an additional insured, and Brannan Paving brought a cross-claim for breach of contract against Pavement Markings for failing to “defend, indemnify, hold harmless and name Brannan Paving GP, L.L.C. as an additional insured.”

Pavement Markings then joined its surplus lines retail agent, VIP, asserting causes of action for VIP’s negligence in failing to procure insurance, DTPA violations, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, negligent and false misrepresentation, and breach of contract. VIP, in turn, joined LGA, the surplus lines managing general agent, seeking contribution and indemnity in the event Pavement Markings prevailed on its third party claims. VIP alleged that LGA was negligent for failing to provide an additional insured endorsement as requested by VIP. VIP also moved to designate the surplus lines carrier, “Evanston Insurance Company and Markel Southwest Underwriters, Inc.” (“Evanston”), as a responsible third party, and the trial court granted the motion.

Brannan Pavings and Pavement Markings settled the underlying negligence suit against them.2 Brannan Paving filed its own cross-claim against VIP and LGA “to recover all damages proximately caused by VIP’s and LGA’s negligence in failing to provide the requested blanket additional insured endorsement to Pavement Markings’s general liability policy, including amounts paid to settle claims against [Pavement Markings], reasonable costs of defense or attorney fees, litigation costs, and such further relief deemed appropriate .... ” The trial was bifurcated, and the issues to be covered by the first trial were limited to the alleged breach of contract and negligence claims, thus leaving aside for a second trial other issues, such as the reasonableness of the settlement. During the trial, the parties agreed to separately try the attorney-fee issues to the trial court after the jury rendered a verdict.

The first question submitted to the jury asked whether Pavement Markings had breached the contract. The first question also included an instruction on waiver. The jury responded, “No.” Based on the jury’s response to the first question, LGA and VIP each moved to disregard the answers to the other jury questions, which dealt with compensation resulting from a breach, whether the negligence of any of the named parties, including Evanston, caused the “occurrence in question,” the percentages of responsibility attributable [19]*19to each party listed if negligence was found, whether VIP violated the DTPA in its interactions with Pavement Markings, and the compensation due Pavement Markings in the event the jury found DTPA violations. The trial court entered a take-nothing judgment against Brannan Paving and Pavement Markings on the grounds that “the jury’s answer to Question No. 1 precludes any finding of liability” in their favor. This appeal followed.

II. WAIVER INSTRUCTION

Brannan Paving contends the trial court improperly rendered judgment based on the jury’s answer to the following question:

Question No. 1
Did Pavement Markings, Inc. fail to comply with its sub-contract agreement with Brannan Paving?
Failure to comply by Pavement Markings is excused if compliance was waived by Brannan Paving. Waiver is an intentional surrender of a known right or intentional conduct inconsistent with claiming the right.
Answer ‘Yes” or “No.”

The jury answered “No.”

By two issues, Brannan Paving argues that the trial court erred because the evidence was legally and factually insufficient to support: (1) the trial court’s inclusion of the waiver instruction; and (2) a jury finding that Pavement Markings did not breach the subcontract. By a third, related issue, Brannan Paving asserts that because the evidence was legally and factually insufficient to support the jury’s answer to Question Number 1, the trial court also erred in denying its motion for new trial.

A. Preservation

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Bluebook (online)
446 S.W.3d 14, 2013 WL 3832717, 2013 Tex. App. LEXIS 9258, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brannan-paving-gp-llc-v-pavement-markings-inc-texapp-2013.