Gulf States Underwriters of Louisiana, Inc. v. Wilson

753 S.W.2d 422, 1988 Tex. App. LEXIS 1944, 1988 WL 79861
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 26, 1988
Docket09-87-068 CV
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 753 S.W.2d 422 (Gulf States Underwriters of Louisiana, Inc. v. Wilson) 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
Gulf States Underwriters of Louisiana, Inc. v. Wilson, 753 S.W.2d 422, 1988 Tex. App. LEXIS 1944, 1988 WL 79861 (Tex. Ct. App. 1988).

Opinion

OPINION

BURGESS, Justice.

Appellee, plaintiff below, brought suit against Gulf States Underwriters of Louisiana, Inc. (Gulf States) and Hermitage Health and Life Insurance Company (Hermitage) for benefits under a blanket accident insurance policy and certificate of reinsurance and for damages under the Tex *425 as Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act. Trial was before the court, which rendered judgment for appellee. Gulf States’ Motion for New Trial was denied. In response to appellee’s motion, the trial court entered a reformed and amended judgment. Gulf States again moved for new trial, which was denied. Gulf States appeals from the trial court's judgment. Appellee raises several cross-points urging he was entitled to additional relief he requested but was not granted below.

Appellee entered into an insurance contract with appellant effective June 29,1979, and initially paid $85. This case has as its basis a dispute between appellee and the insurance company over how this $85 should be classified: as a “deposit” against future premium shortfalls (according to appellant) or as a premium paid in advance (according to appellee). The regular monthly premium was to be based on a percentage of cords of pulpwood appellee’s employer produced each month. In late April 1982, appellee paid $419 premium. Appellant applied this payment to appel-lee’s coverage from March 28, 1982, through April 29, 1982. Appellee was subsequently injured on May 1,1982. On May 10, 1982, appellant mailed appellee a notice of intention not to renew his policy. Appel-lee did not pay a premium on the next due date at the end of May. According to appellant, the letter did not actually cancel the policy, but rather, the policy lapsed for non-payment of the premium due at the end of May.

I.

Appellant complains in its first point of error that this court lacks jurisdiction to hear this appeal because the trial court’s judgment is not final. Appellant asserts that the reformed and amended judgment did not dispose of its cross-claim, which is still pending and has not been severed by the trial court. The court’s reformed and amended judgment, however, granted certain relief and specifically denied all relief not expressly granted in the judgment. Thus, the language of the judgment implicitly denies appellant’s cross-claim. See North East Indep. School Dist. v. Aldridge, 400 S.W.2d 893, 898 (Tex.1966). Appellant’s first point of error is overruled.

II.

Appellant asserts in its second point of error that “[t]he trial court erred in rendering judgment against [appellant] since recovery under the insurance policy was precluded because the policy had lapsed due to the non-payment of the required premium.” In making this assertion, appellant indirectly attacks the court’s finding of fact number six:

Wilson timely paid in advance the monetary premiums to keep the foregoing policies of Hermitage and Gulf States in full force and effect from the date of issuance of such policies through May of 1982.

Appellant asserts it was entitled to judgment as a matter of law since lapse of the policy from non-payment of premiums was conclusively established. If there is some evidence the premiums were timely payable in advance, appellant’s point must be overruled.

Appellant’s theory at trial was that ap-pellee’s first payment of $85 was not the first month’s premium, but merely a “deposit” which was consideration for issuing the policy but did not effect coverage for any period of time. Following appellant’s logic, the first premium was not paid until the end of July 1979. That premium would apply retrospectively for coverage during July 1979. Appellant thus maintains that appellee’s payment at the end of April 1982 was for insurance coverage during the month of April 1982. And, since appellee paid no premium at the end of May, the policy lapsed as of the end of April 1982, so appellee’s injury on May 1, 1982, was not covered.

The contract itself provides: “This Policy is issued in consideration of the statements in the application, copy of which is attached hereto and made a part hereof, and of the payment in advance of the premium specified in the Insurance Schedule.” The insurance schedule sets out the effective date of the policy as June 29, 1979, and the *426 “initial premium” as $85. This initial payment was calculated in the policy application by multiplying an estimated production of 100 cords of wood per month by a premium rate of $.85 per cord, for a total monthly premium of $85.

James Thomas testified he and appellee were told at the time application was made that the initial $85 payment was an estimated premium for coverage from June 29, 1979, through July 29, 1979. Appellee testified the premiums were to be paid in advance and that the initial $85 was to apply to the first month’s coverage. Appellant admits the deposit “effected the coverage for the initiation of the policy and was consideration given for the issuance of the contract.” Appellant’s current president and sole stockholder agreed on direct examination that had the deposit not been collected, the company would have been forced to bear some risk free of charge. There is, thus, some evidence that the premiums were to be paid in advance and that the policy had not lapsed at the time of appellee’s injury. Appellant’s second point of error is overruled.

Appellant’s third point of error asserts that the trial court’s finding that ap-pellee was entitled to recover under the policy was against the great weight and preponderance of the evidence that appel-lee was excluded from coverage since he is entitled to collect workers’ compensation benefits. The special limited blanket accident policy issued to appellee by Hermitage excludes coverage for “accidental bodily injuries for which the employer or his employee is entitled to collect benefits under a liability or Workmen’s Compensation policy.”

The Worker’s Compensation Act does not extend to independent contractors. TEX.REV. CIV.STATANN art. 8309, sec. 1 (Vernon 1967). At trial, the issue of the applicability of worker’s compensation coverage revolved around whether appellee was an employee or an independent contractor of James Thomas. The meaning of the word “employee” is the same whether it is construed in the context of a common-law liability claim or one arising from worker’s compensation statutes. Northwestern Nat’l Life Ins. Co. v. Black, 383 S.W.2d 806, 810 (Tex.Civ.App.—Texarkana 1964, writ ref’d n.r.e.). In determining the nature of the relationship between the employer and the person employed, the “supreme test” is whether the former had a right to exercise control over the details of the latter’s work. Newspapers, Inc. v. Love, 380 S.W.2d 582, 590 (Tex.1964).

An appellate court must consider all the evidence in determining whether a finding is so against the great weight and preponderance of the evidence as to be “manifestly unjust.” In re King’s Estate, 150 Tex.

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Bluebook (online)
753 S.W.2d 422, 1988 Tex. App. LEXIS 1944, 1988 WL 79861, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gulf-states-underwriters-of-louisiana-inc-v-wilson-texapp-1988.