Imperial Underwriters v. Dillard

146 S.W.2d 1105
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 31, 1940
DocketNo. 8981.
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 146 S.W.2d 1105 (Imperial Underwriters v. Dillard) 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
Imperial Underwriters v. Dillard, 146 S.W.2d 1105 (Tex. Ct. App. 1940).

Opinion

BLAIR, Justice.

This case arose under the Workmen’s Compensation Laws, Vernon’s Ann.Civ.St. art. 8306 et seq., John Dillard, called appel-lee herein, was the employee; Brown Brothers, a partnership engaged in operating trucks as a contract carrier, was the employer; and Imperial Underwriters, herein referred to as appellant, was the insurer. This suit was to cancel a compromise settlement of appellee’s claim for $35, and to set aside the order of the Industrial Accident Board approving it. Appellee alleged that at the time he signed the settlement agreement he did not know what he was doing and was not mentally competent at the time to • transact business. Upon the jury’s answers to special issues, finding in substance that appellee did not know or understand that he -was settling his claim for compensation, and that he was so mentally incapacitated that he did not know or understand the nature or effect of the release which he signed, judgment was rendered cancelling and setting aside the compromise settlement and the order of the Board approving it; hence this-appeal.

Seventeen propositions are presented by appellant which assert that the trial court erred in the following matters

1. In the manner of placing the burden of proof.

2. In permitting improper argument of counsel for appellee.

3. In so framing a special issue as to charge upon the weight of the evidence or to assume facts.

4.In failing to set aside the findings of the jury to several special issues because unsupported by or contrary to the great preponderance and overwhelming weight of the evidence.

The preliminary charge or instruction of the court reads as follows:

“This cause is submitted to you upon special issues, or questions, your answers to which will constitute your verdict herein. You will answer each and all issues submitted from the preponderance of the evidence admitted before you, and your foreman will sign each answer made. You will not discuss or consider any matter or fact not in evidence before you, nor will you discuss or consider the legal effect or result of any answer, but determine solely what you find and believe the facts to be from the preponderance of the evidence.
“ ‘Preponderance of the evidence’ means the greater weight of credible evidence.”

Each special issue was prefaced with the phrase, “do you find from the preponderance of the evidence,” and the jury was instructed to answer each issue “Yes” or “No” as it might find from the evidence. Each issue was so framed as to place the burden of proof on appellee to show the 'affirmative where an affirmative answer was required to establish his allegation, and to show the negative where a negative answer was required to establish ap-pellee’s allegation or claim.

Appellant contends that this manner of placing the burden of proof was confusing, conflicting, misleading, and that the jury would unconsciously place the burden of proof upon it to establish the negative of the issues submitted; and the case of Gulf States Utilities Co. v. Moore, 129 Tex. 604, 106 S.W.2d 256, is cited as being “a typical white horse” case. We do not so regard it, because the special issues therein submitted were not prefaced with, “Do you find from the preponderance of the evidence,” and the general charge instructed the jury to answer all special issues from a preponderance of the evidence, which was defined to mean “the greater weight of the credible testimony before you.” The general charge in the instant case specifically instructed the jury to answer “each issue” from a preponderance of the evidence, defined preponderance, and then each issue was prefaced with the phrase, “do you find from the preponderance of the evidence,” and each *1107 issue was so framed as to place the burden of proof on appellee to show the affirmative of the issue where an affirmative answer was required to establish his allegation, and to show the negative of the issue where a negative answer was called for to establish appellee’s allegation or claim. An entirely similar case is that of Seinsheimer v. Burkhart, Tex.Civ.App., 93 S.W.2d 1231, wherein the Court of Civil Appeals overruled similar contentions to those made by appellee here; and in reviewing the case (132 Tex. 336, 122 S.W.2d 1063, 1065) the Supreme Court, speaking through its Commission, stated that, “We * * * approve the holding of the Court of Civil Appeals on the question of burden of proof.”

One of appellee’s attorneys made the following statements to the jury:

“I want to discuss with you a few minutes the issues submitted to you -by -the court. It will be my purpose and object to undertake to assist you in understanding what the issues are as submitted to you, and so far as I may be able to do so some of the evidence- bearing upon these issues, and I will undertake to discuss with you and explain to you the theory of the plaintiff in this case, and the reason why we feel that you should answer these questions or issues submitted to you by the court in a certain way.”
“It is the theory of the plaintiff in this case that these issues should be answered, all of them yes except the last two, and that those two should be answered no.”

These statements were objected to as being tantamount to telling the jury the effect that their answers would have upon the judgment to be rendered. We do not sustain this contention.

The effect of the argument was that from the evidence it was the theory of ap-pellee (plaintiff) that certain issues should be answered “Yes” and others “No.” No reference was made as to what judgment should or would be rendered on the jury’s answers. Argument of counsel would be worthless unless he could discuss the evidence from his client’s viewpoint, and the rule is settled that “for counsel to request the jury to answer certain issues ‘Yes’ and other issues ‘No’ is not objectionable.” 41 Tex.Jur. 1203, § 341, and cases there cited.

Counsel for appellee made the following statements to the jury:

“I believe I know enough about human nature, and I believe you do too, to know that those boys would not have walked out and called the nurses if that boy was not having a fit. That would have been ridiculous, but possibly the nurses were busy, or for some other reason—or maybe the insurance man had been around there or given them chewing gum of for some other good reason, they did not go immediately, and he was over the fit when they got there.”
“The nurses say we were down on the second floor and we heard a noise or disturbance on the third floor, and the first young lady says, when I heard that noise I went up and looked around in all of the rooms and finally I went • into Dillard’s room and found him laying on the floor in his night gown, and I spoke to him, and did you notice that it took me an hour to get her to admit it. That was the best coached witness, and the most anxious to serve the side she was sticking up for that I ever saw on the witness stand—.”

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Bluebook (online)
146 S.W.2d 1105, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/imperial-underwriters-v-dillard-texapp-1940.