Green v. Texas Employers Ins. Ass'n

168 S.W.2d 694
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJanuary 28, 1943
DocketNo. 2470
StatusPublished

This text of 168 S.W.2d 694 (Green v. Texas Employers Ins. Ass'n) 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
Green v. Texas Employers Ins. Ass'n, 168 S.W.2d 694 (Tex. Ct. App. 1943).

Opinion

RICE, Chief Justice.

This suit was brought by W. H. Green against Texas Employers Insurance Association to set aside a final decision of the Industrial Accident Board, and to recover compensation under the Workmen’s Compensation Law of Texas. Vernon’s Ann.Civ.St. art. 8306 et seq. At the conclusion of plaintiff’s evidence, the trial court, on motion of the defendant, peremptorily instructed the jury to find for the defendant. Judgment was thereupon entered that plaintiff take nothing, from which the latter has appealed.

Plaintiff contends that the trial court was in error in peremptorily instructing the jury to return a verdict for the defendant, because the evidence adduced raised fact issues to be submitted to the jury as to whether or not plaintiff, at the time he received his injury: (1) was an employee of Primrose Petroleum Company, within the meaning of the Workmen’s Compensation Act; (2) was engaged in or about the furtherance of the business of his employer; (3) and whether plaintiff’s injury had to do with or originated in the work of his employer.

It is the position of the defendant that the undisputed evidence established that plaintiff, at the time he was injured, was acting in the capacity of an independent contractor; that he was not at the time “engaged in or about the furtherance of the affairs or business of” his employer, the Primrose Petroleum Company, nor did his injury “have to do with or originate in the work, business, trade or profession of” his employer, hence the injury sustained by him is not compensable.

Based on the averments of his pleadings, plaintiff introduced evidence tending to establish the following facts, in substance:

Primrose Petroleum Company, a corporation, hereinafter referred to as the Company, was engaged in the business of selling roofing material. Primrose Manufacturing Company was a subsidiary of Primrose Petroleum Company. Plaintiff was employed by the Company as a sales[695]*695man to sell its products on a commission basis, and was by Brin, its vice-president, given a list of prospective customers to call on; he' was furnished with a price list and printed order book; he was not employed for any definite period of time and could quit or be discharged at any time. When a sale of roofing products was made to a customer who furnished the labor for its application, plaintiff was instructed to use the printed order form showing the sale direct by the Company to the customer. In case the customer desired the material applied on the roof, that is, a turnkey job, plaintiff was instructed to enter into a contract with the customer in the name of the Royal Roofing Company. This was a trade name the salesman was to use in all contracts where labor was involved, and plaintiff was instructed to sign such contracts “Royal Roofing Company”, by him. The materials specified in such contract would be those owned by the Company and it would receive the money for the materials sold.

To be used in connection with the contracts he entered into in.the name of the Royal Roofing Company, for the application of the Company’s roofing products, plaintiff was furnished with a pad of printed contract forms, to be executed in the name of the Royal Roofing Company by him, each headed by the following printed instructions:

“Instructions to Salesmen
“One of these forms must be filled out and signed by the party you appoint as Special Agent to do roof repair work. A separate form is necessary for each job. No work is to be done until contract is approved by us.
“Royal Roofing Company”

Immediately below the instructions quoted above, the printed contract set forth that the Royal Roofing Company thereby appointed-, its special agent, to perform the labor to be done or performed on the premises to be therein described. A blank space was left in the contract for the insertion of the special agent’s name, and the amount of his compensation, which was to be paid on completion of the work. The contract further provided that the person so appointed was an independent contractor.

In reference to the foregoing contract-form, plaintiff testified that Brin, the vice-president of the Company, informed him that the reason he was required to use the printed contract in the name of the Royal Roofing Company was that he, Brin, did not want to get involved with labor; that it would be a violation of the Fair Trade Act if “we didn’t use the Royal Roofing Company.” He further testified that the Company paid his social security tax to the federal government. Plaintiff also testified that he could not sell on credit; that he was not permitted to close a sale until Brin saw the risk; that he was required to report to the latter “morning, no'on and night in order to get the customers he had given me to call on”; that Brin gave him instructions on “how to go out and meet them, and sell them”; that he could not vary the sales price on any goods without said Brin’s permission; that he kept his office in the office of the Company with its consent; that Brin required him to telephone in during the day as to what he was doing; that he was required to report to work at 8 A. M. every day by telephone or in person; also at 1 P. M. and was required to call his superior before he would leave in the afternoon in regard to customers whose names were given him to call on; that he could not call on anyone he could make a sale to.

Brin gave plaintiff a card bearing Ros-ser Coke’s name as a prospective purchaser, whereupon plaintiff called upon Mr. Coke a number of times, attempting to sell him the Company’s products. He attempted to induce Mr. Coke to sign the order form furnished him by the Company. Mr. Coke was a lawyer and did not sign the order presented by plaintiff but drew up a contract in the form of a letter; the plaintiff submitted this letter to Brin, who read it, said he accepted it and instructed plaintiff to sign it and take it back to Mr. Coke. The letter was introduced in evidence. It was directed to W. H. Green, trading as Royal Roofing Company, for his acceptance and provided that Green, as an independent contractor, in consideration of the sum of $70 would furnish the material and labor for certain repairs on the roof of the Coke Building in Dallas, Texas. The contract further provided that the work was a “turnkey” job, and that Green assumed all responsibility for any injury suffered by his workmen or the public in the performance of the contract. It was further stipulated therein that the Primrose Manufacturing Company would guarantee in writing the material used, and that plaintiff would procure and deliver to Coke an insurance certificate showing [696]*696that his workmen and subcontractors were covered by Workmen’s Compensation Insurance.

Plaintiff further testified that on reading the foregoing instrument his superior said: “We will have to get someone to do that work”; that he further told plaintiff he was protected by the Workmen’s Compensation Law, and requested plaintiff’ to go to the insurance company and get the insurance that Mr. Coke had asked for. Plaintiff complied with the request by procuring from defendant a certificate that there was in force as of that date a policy of Workmen’s Compensation Insurance issued by it wherein the name of the assured was Primrose Petroleum Company and/or W. H. Green trading as Royal Roofing Company, covering operations performed by W. H. Green trading as Royal Roofing Company on the Coke Building.

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