Jamail v. Thomas

481 S.W.2d 485, 1972 Tex. App. LEXIS 2520
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 20, 1972
Docket15882
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 481 S.W.2d 485 (Jamail v. Thomas) 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
Jamail v. Thomas, 481 S.W.2d 485, 1972 Tex. App. LEXIS 2520 (Tex. Ct. App. 1972).

Opinions

BELL, Chief Justice.

Appellant, an attorney, filed suit against appellees, Aetna Life & Casualty Company, Norman Chersky, Ronald Easley and James Richard Thomas, to recover damages for tortious interference with a contract of employment. The court, based on a jury verdict, rendered a judgment that appellant take nothing. Easley and Chersky were claim adjusters for Aetna.

On September 15, 1968, an automobile driven by James Richard Thomas hit the automobile owned and driven by Tommy Cochran. There was a rear end collision. The Cochrans’ automobile was also occupied by Mrs. Cochran and a small child of the Cochrans. The next day Mrs. Cochran, who was injured, was taken to a hospital where she remained about three weeks. At the time Mr. and Mrs. Cochran were separated and a divorce suit was pending. They later became reconciled and a divorce was never granted. On September 16, Mr. Cochran went to appellant’s office and talked to Mr. Barnett, an associate of appellant. At that time Cochran employed appellant as an attorney. The power of attorney was signed by Tommy Cochran only. It purported to employ ap[487]*487pellant to represent the Cochrans in “my (our) claim for damages against all responsible parties because of our injuries and damages . . . ” The contract was a contingent fee one and assigned to appellant a 40% interest in “my (our) cause of action” if suit was filed and recovery was finally had without an appeal.

Aetna, Mr. Thomas’ insurer, on January 6, 1969, made a settlement with Mr. and Mrs. Cochran and took a release signed by both of them. The release recited a total payment of $6,675.27. Its clear language effected a release by Mr. and Mrs. Cochran of any claims they had by reason of the collision.

In February, 1969, appellant filed suit against Thomas on behalf of Mr. and Mrs. Cochran. That petition is not in the record. Sometime after appellant learned of the settlement and release the suit was dismissed.

Appellant then filed this suit to recover his damages allegedly resulting from tor-tious interference by the appellees with his contract of employment. He went to trial on his Third Amended Original Petition. In the petition he alleged that “Thomas was guilty of negligence which proximately caused the collision . . . and resulting in injuries and damages to Mr. and Mrs. Tommy Cochran ...” Then followed a specification of the acts of negligence.

In the paragraph alleging injuries appellant asserted that in the collision Mrs. Cochran received injuries to her neck which caused her disability to such an extent that she could not carry on her duties as a housewife and the injuries caused her physical pain and mental anguish. It was alleged that Mrs. Cochran was hospitalized and that Mr. and Mrs. Cochran incurred medical bills.

Appellant then alleges he “was employed to represent Mr. and Mrs. Cochran in their claim for damages arising out of the collision . . . ” Appellant then asserts he filed suit in their behalf for recovery “for their losses and physical pain, mental suffering, impairment of the duties of a housewife and medical bills . . . ”

In his prayer appellant asked to recover 40% of the amount which probably would have been awarded to Mr. and Mrs. Cochran, or, alternatively, asked for 40% of the amount actually paid to Mr. and Mrs. Cochran by Aetna. Exemplary damages of $5,000.00 were asked.

The evidence shows that Mrs. Cochran received a neck injury and was hospitalized about three weeks. She was off from her work longer than that. Mr. Cochran was not injured. His automobile was damaged but the cost of repairs is not shown. The amount of the doctors’ and hospital bills is not shown.

It appears that immediately Mr. Chersky contacted Mrs. Cochran at the hospital. Aetna determined their insured was probably liable. Aetna ascertained the net weekly earnings of Mrs. Cochran from her employment were $60.00 and started paying $120.00 per week. Some of the drafts were payable to Mr. and Mrs. Cochran and some to “Claimant.” About January 6, 1969, a settlement was agreed on by Mrs. Cochran. A final payment of $4,820.00 was made. The check with a release was sent to Mr. and Mrs. Cochran. The release was to be signed by both Mr. and Mrs. Cochran and the check was payable to both. When the release was not timely returned, Aetna stopped payment on the check. Mr. Easley then took a release to the Cochran home and obtained the signature of both parties and then paid them $4,820.00. The total payment directly to the Cochrans including weekly payments was $6,675.27.

We feel the evidence conclusively establishes that Aetna, through Chersky and Easley, had knowledge of appellant’s employment by Mr. Cochran. They nevertheless continued their negotiations with Mrs. Cochran. They never negotiated with Mr. Cochran except to obtain signing of the release. While Mrs. Cochran did not sign [488]*488the contract she knew of it. An issue was raised by the evidence as to whether she ratified it.

The jury, in response to special issues, made, in effect, the following answers:

1. Issue No. 1. Failed to find that Mrs. Cochran ratified the contract.

2. Special Issue No. 2. Failed to find that Aetna through its representatives knowingly interfered with performance of the contract by securing the signing of the release by Tommy Cochran.

3. Issue No. 3. Failed to find that Aetna through its representatives knowingly interfered with performance of the contract by securing of the signing of the release by Mrs. Cochran.

Issue 4 was conditioned on an affirmative answer to Issue No. 2, and inquired as to whether Aetna acted with conscious indifference to the rights of appellant. Issue No. 6 was the compensatory damage issue and was conditioned on an affirmative answer to Issue No. 2. Issue No. 8 was the exemplary damage issue and was conditioned on an affirmative answer to Issue No. 4. These issues were unanswered because of the manner in which they were conditioned. All of these issues relate to recovery based on the conduct of Aetna insofar as Aetna allegedly interfered with the contractual relation between appellant and Mr. Cochran.

The other issues relate to the contractual relation between appellant and Mrs. Cochran. Specific notice of them is unnecessary in the light of the jury’s failure to find ratification.

We are of the view that the terms of the contract are broad enough to encompass all of the damages resulting to both Mr. and Mrs. Cochran. We are also of the view that the release was effective to release all claims for all damages.

Appellant by his first four points of error asserts it was conclusively established that there was tortious interference with performance by obtaining the release from Mr. and Mrs. Cochran, and the trial court erred in rendering judgment against appellant and in refusing to grant appellant’s motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict, his motion for instructed verdict and his motion for new trial.

A reference to the motion for instructed verdict and for judgment notwithstanding the verdict reveals that appellant’s theory was that the contract was between Mr. and Mrs. Cochran and him in that Mr. Cochran had contracted for himself and Mrs. Cochran with authority of Mrs. Cochran. This was also the theory plead.

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Jamail v. Thomas
481 S.W.2d 485 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1972)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
481 S.W.2d 485, 1972 Tex. App. LEXIS 2520, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jamail-v-thomas-texapp-1972.