Independence Indemnity Co. v. White

27 S.W.2d 529
CourtTexas Commission of Appeals
DecidedMay 7, 1930
DocketNo. 1090—5322
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 27 S.W.2d 529 (Independence Indemnity Co. v. White) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Texas Commission of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Independence Indemnity Co. v. White, 27 S.W.2d 529 (Tex. Super. Ct. 1930).

Opinion

LEDDY, J.

Defendant in error J. S. White received personal injuries while at work as an employee of the Pure Oil Pipe Line Company. Application was reghlarly made by him for compensation under the Workmen’s Compensation Act before the Industrial Accident Board against plaintiff in error, who had issued to claimant’s employer a policy of insurance under said act.

On November 27,1925, said Accident Board, after a hearing, entered its order awarding the defendant in error compensation for the injuries received for a period of 19 weeks, at $13.85 per week. The claimant filed notice as required by statute of his intention not to abide iby the award and decision of the board, and on the 24th day of December, 1925, filed his petition in the district court of Jefferson county, Tex., in which he sought to set aside said award, setting forth in his petition that he had been totally and permanently incapacitated by reason of the injuries received while in the course of his employment. On the 15th day of November, 1926, the court sustained a demurrer to his petition on the ground that it appeared therefrom that the injuries complained of were sustained in Liberty county, Tex., and said cause was dismissed for want of jurisdiction. . No appeal was prosecuted from this judgment, nor did the claimant file any other suit to set aside the award of the Industrial Accident Board.

On the 16th of December, 1926, defendant in error filed with the Industrial Accident Board his application to have his claim for compensation reopened and reconsidered, the ground assigned being that since the board had made its original ruling and award claimant had been examined by several physicians and had had X-ray examinations and photo[530]*530graphs made of Ms injuries, and that he was then in position to show to the satisfaction, of the board that the injuries received by him July 25, 1925, were permanent, and for that reason he was entitled to compensation for a period of 401 weeks from the date of his injury.

On the 21st day of March, 1927, the Industrial Accident Board, after proper hearing, entered its second award, in which it was recited that it was shown that material changes had been wrought in the physical condition of defendant in error since the original award had been made on the 27th day of November, 1925, and that it then appeared that the claimant had suffered total incapacity for the performance of labor at all times since the date of his injury, and would continue to remain so incapacitated for an indefinite period in the future, and was therefore entitled to recover from plaintiff in error compensation at the fixed rate of $13.85 per week from July 18, 1925, until changed, modified, or terminated Iby agreement of the parties, or order of the board, not to exceed, however, the period of 401 weeks.

Plaintiff in error gave due notice of its intention not to abide by this second award and within the time allowed by law filed its petition in the district court of Liberty county to set the same aside. It set forth in its petition that the defendant in error had filed with the Industrial Accident Board his application to ithe board to have his claim for compensation reopened and reconsidered by the board, and averred that the grounds set forth by him were the following:

“Since the Industrial Accident Board made its ruling and award of November 27, 1925, J. S. White has been examined by several doctors and had X-ray examinations and pictures made of his injuries and is now in a position to show to the satisfaction of the Industrial Accident Board that the injuries received by him on July 25, 1925, were permanent and for that reason he is entitled to compensation for a period of 401 weeks from and after the date of his injury.
“Whereas, your petitioner prays that the claim be re-opened and reconsidered by the Board in order that further evidence may be offered to establish, if it is true, the permanent injury of the claimant.”

Defendant in error answered by general denial, and also set up a cross-action in which the usual cause of action was set up showing that the injuries were compensable under the Workmen’s Compensation Act (Rev. St. 1925, §§ 8300-8309, as amended), and in addition thereto said petition admitted the allegation in plaintiff in error’s petition in regard to its filing a petition before the Industrial Accident Board to reopen and reconsider his claim for compensation upon the grounds therein alleg'ed. Said cross-action then made the further allegation that said board upon a hearing of said petition decided and adjudged as follows:

“ ‘That it now appears material change has been wrought in the physical condition of the said J. S. White since said order (of date November 27th, 1925) was made and entered, that he has suffered total incapacity for the performance of labor at all times since the infliction of said injury and will continue to suffer said total incapacity for an indefinite period in ¡the future; that said order of November 27th, 1925, be and the same is hereby held to be of no binding force and effect except to the extent same actually compensates said J. S. White for the injury sustained on July 10th, 1925,’ and ‘that said J. S. WMte suffered total incapacity for the performance of labor in consequence of said 'injuries, from July-10th, 1925, down to and including this date, and will continue to suffer said total incapacity for an indefinite period in the future and he is therefore entitled to recover and have paid to him by the Independent Indemnity Company Compensation at the fixed rate of $13.85 per week, same beginning to accrue on July 18th, 1925, and being payable weekly thereafter as each of said installment payments accrue and mature, — but in no event to continue longer than 401 weeks from and after July 10th, 1925, less credit of sum total of all previous payments for compensation, if any, and less attorney’s fees hereinafter ordered paid.”

Upon the trial of the cause no specific issue was submitted to the jury, nor was request made for such submission, as to whether a 'change had been wrought in claimant’s condition since ¡the date of the first award of the Industrial Accident Board. The court, however, did submit to the jury the question as to whether the claimant was totally and permanently incapacitated by reason of the injuries complained of, which issues were answered by the jury in his favor.

It is plaintiff in error’s view that the first award of the Industrial Accident Board had become final, and therefore it could only be set aside by pleadings and proof upon the part of the claimant that there was either fraud or mistake in the making of said award or that there had been a change of conditions since the same was made. Plaintiff in error took the position at the close of the evidence offered by defendant in error that neither of the conditions named in said article had been shown, and moved that the court peremptorily instruct the jury to return a verdict against defendant in error on his cross-action, but such request was denied by the court.

Section 5, art. 8307, R. S. 1925, provides: “If any party to any such final ruling and decision of the board, after giving notice as above provided, 'fails within said twenty days to institute and .prosecute a suit to set [531]*531the same aside, then said final ruling and decision shall be binding upon all parties thereto.”

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Bluebook (online)
27 S.W.2d 529, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/independence-indemnity-co-v-white-texcommnapp-1930.