Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority v. Olivares

316 S.W.3d 114, 2010 Tex. App. LEXIS 4452, 2010 WL 2361711
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 15, 2010
Docket14-09-00161-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 316 S.W.3d 114 (Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority v. Olivares) 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
Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority v. Olivares, 316 S.W.3d 114, 2010 Tex. App. LEXIS 4452, 2010 WL 2361711 (Tex. Ct. App. 2010).

Opinions

OPINION

CHARLES W. SEYMORE, Justice.

Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority (“FBCTRA”) presents this accelerated appeal from the trial court’s denial of its plea to the jurisdiction. In its plea, FBCTRA challenged the trial court’s subject-matter jurisdiction over claims brought by Zulei-ma Olivares, individually and as representative of the estate of Pedro Olivares, Jr., and Pedro Olivares (collectively, “appel-lees”).

FBCTRA argues the trial court erred in denying its plea because appellees have not stated claims for which FBCTRA’s governmental immunity is waived. In a separate appeal, Texas Department of Transportation (“TxDOT”), FBCTRA’s co-defendant in the underlying lawsuit, also challenges the trial court’s denial of its plea to the jurisdiction. For reasons outlined below, we reverse and remand in part and reverse and render in part.

I. BACKGROUND

On January 1, 2007, Pedro Olivares, Jr. and his wife were traveling westbound on the Westpark Tollway (“Tollway”) near Dairy Ashford Road in Harris County when they were struck by a vehicle driven by Michael Ladson. According to appel-lees, Ladson was traveling on the Tollway in the wrong direction after entering the westbound lanes near Gaston Road in Fort Bend County, approximately eight and one-half miles from the accident scene. Gaston Road intersects with FM 1093, a state road controlled by TxDOT, which merges into the Tollway. Pedro Olivares, Jr. sustained severe bodily injuries resulting in death.

In their second amended petition, appel-lees assert claims against FBCTRA, Fort Bend County, Harris County, Harris County Toll Road Authority (“HCTRA”), TxDOT, Brown and Gay Engineers, Inc., and Michael Stone Enterprises, Inc. The Estate of Michael Ladson has been designated as a responsible third party. Appel-lees allege FBCTRA is liable for certain premise defects and negligent acts or omissions involving the intersection at FM 1093-Gaston Road and the Tollway. Ap-[118]*118pellees also contend FBCTRA is liable under a joint enterprise theory.

FBCTRA filed a plea to the jurisdiction. Appellees then filed their first amended petition and a response to FBCTRA’s plea. Subsequently, FBCTRA filed a supplemental plea. Following the hearing on FBCTRA’s plea, appellees filed their second amended petition and a supplemental response to FBCTRA’s plea. FBCTRA then filed a second supplement to its plea. On January 28, 2009, the trial court signed an order denying FBCTRA’s plea. FBCTRA now appeals the trial court’s denial of its plea to the jurisdiction.

II. INTERLOCUTORY APPEAL AND STANDARD OF REVIEW

We have statutorily-conferred authority to review the trial court’s interlocutory order denying FBCTRA’s plea to the jurisdiction. See Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem.Code Ann. § 51.014(a)(8) (Vernon 2008) (A party may appeal an interlocutory order that “grants or denies a plea to the jurisdiction by a governmental unit....”). Appellate courts strictly construe statutes authorizing interlocutory appeals. See State v. Fiesta Mart, Inc., 233 S.W.3d 50, 54 (Tex.App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 2007, pet. denied). Subsection 51.014(a)(8) authorizes an appeal only when the trial court grants or denies a plea to the jurisdiction. An appellate court must consider challenges to the trial court’s subject-matter jurisdiction on interlocutory appeal, regardless of whether such challenges were presented to or determined by the trial court. See Waco Indep. Sch. Dist. v. Gibson, 22 S.W.3d 849, 850-51 (Tex.2000).1

We review the trial court’s ruling on a plea to the jurisdiction de novo. Tex. Dep’t of Parks & Wildlife v. Miranda, 133 S.W.3d 217, 228 (Tex.2004). In a plea to the jurisdiction, a party may challenge either the pleadings or existence of jurisdictional facts. Id. at 226-27; see also Rebecca Simmons & Suzette Kinder Patton, Plea to the Jurisdiction: Defining the Undefined, 40 St. Mary’s L.J. 627, 651-52 (2009).

When a defendant challenges the plaintiffs pleadings, the court’s determination turns on whether the pleader has alleged facts sufficient to demonstrate subject-matter jurisdiction. Miranda, 133 S.W.3d at 226. To make this determination, courts should glean the pleader’s intent and construe the pleadings liberally in favor of jurisdiction. Id. If the pleadings do not contain facts sufficient to affirmatively demonstrate the trial court’s jurisdiction, but do not affirmatively demonstrate incurable defects in jurisdiction, the issue is one of pleading sufficiency and plaintiffs should be afforded an opportuni[119]*119ty to amend. Id. at 226-27. If the pleadings affirmatively negate jurisdiction, a plea may be granted without allowing plaintiffs an opportunity to amend. Id. at 227. The opportunity to amend pleadings that are insufficient to establish, but do not affirmatively negate, jurisdiction arises after a court determines the pleadings are insufficient. White v. Robinson, 260 S.W.3d 463, 475-76 (Tex.App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 2008, pet. granted) (citing Tex. A & M Univ. Sys. v. Koseoglu, 233 S.W.3d 835, 839-40 (Tex.2007)).

When a defendant challenges the existence of jurisdictional facts, we consider relevant evidence submitted by the parties. Miranda, 133 S.W.3d at 227. We take as true all evidence favorable to the nonmov-ant and indulge every reasonable inference and resolve any doubts arising from such evidence in the nonmovant’s favor. Id. at 228. If the relevant evidence is undisputed or a fact question is not raised relative to the jurisdictional issue, the trial court rules on the plea to the jurisdiction as a matter of law. Id. If the evidence creates a fact question regarding the jurisdictional issue, the trial court cannot grant the plea, and the fact issue will be resolved by the fact finder. Id. at 227-28.

When resolution of an issue requires interpretation of a statute, we review under a de novo standard. Mokkala v. Mead, 178 S.W.3d 66, 70 (Tex.App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 2005, pet. denied). In construing a statute, our objective is to determine and give effect to the legislature’s intent. See Nat’l Liab. & Fire Ins. Co. v. Allen, 15 S.W.3d 525, 527 (Tex.2000). If possible, we must ascertain that intent from the language the legislature selected and should not refer to extraneous matters for intent not expressed in the statute. Id. If the meaning of the statutory language is unambiguous, we adopt the interpretation supported by the plain meaning of the words. St. Luke’s Episcopal Hosp. v. Agbor, 952 S.W.2d 503, 505 (Tex.1997).

III. ANALYSIS

FBCTRA contends the trial court lacks jurisdiction over appellees’ claims because they cannot demonstrate that FBCTRA’s governmental immunity has been waived. Disposition of whether immunity has been waived is governed by the Texas Tort Claims Act (“TTCA”). See Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem.Code Ann. §§ 101.001-.109 (Vernon 2005 & Supp. 2009).

A. Texas Tort Claims Act

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Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority v. Olivares
316 S.W.3d 114 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2010)

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316 S.W.3d 114, 2010 Tex. App. LEXIS 4452, 2010 WL 2361711, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fort-bend-county-toll-road-authority-v-olivares-texapp-2010.