Liberty Mutual Insurance Company v. Smith

410 S.W.2d 27, 1966 Tex. App. LEXIS 2960
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 2, 1966
Docket16757
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 410 S.W.2d 27 (Liberty Mutual Insurance Company v. Smith) 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
Liberty Mutual Insurance Company v. Smith, 410 S.W.2d 27, 1966 Tex. App. LEXIS 2960 (Tex. Ct. App. 1966).

Opinions

DISSENTING OPINION ON MOTION FOR REHEARING

MASSEY, Chief Justice.

In the belief that the District Court lacked jurisdiction because of want of notice to the Industrial Accident Board as provided by Art. 8307, § S, I would reverse the judgment of the trial court and dismiss the plaintiff’s suit. This was the decision reached in the original opinion of this Court on October 7, 1966.

Defendant insurance company appealed on the ground that the court did not have jurisdiction because of plaintiff’s failure to give notice to the Board that he would not abide by its final ruling and decision of March 13, 1964.

[34]*34Plaintiff filed suit in a district court of Tarrant County on March 19, 1964 to set aside the Board’s award.

On March 23, 1964, the Board received the following communication:

“Fort Worth, Texas
“Industrial Accident Board
“Austin, Texas
“Gentlemen:
“This will advise that a suit was filed in this Court to set aside the award of the Industrial Accident Board of Austin, Texas, and styled:
“Harold E. Smith
“Vs. No.-33993-C
“Liberty Mutual Insurance Company
“The number of the Board is-
“The Date of the alleged injury was 5-10-63
“The Name of the Employer was Bell Helicopter Co.
“Yours very truly,
“George Johnson
“District Clerk Tarrant County, Texas
“By Sally B. Moran, Deputy.”

On March 24, 1964, defendant was served a copy of the petition and citation in the case filed in District Court.

The Board received no communication concerning notice and appeal except the letter from the deputy District Clerk.

Neither plaintiff nor his attorney communicated in' any manner with the Board within twenty days after the date of the Board’s award.

In the District Court suit defendant filed a sworn denial that notice was given the Board as required by Article 8307, Sec. 5, V.A.T.S.

Defendant, prior to trial, moved for dismissal and later moved for instructed verdict and judgment notwithstanding the verdict, all based on lack of jurisdiction because of plaintiff’s failure to file notice with the Board in compliance with Article 8307, Sec. 5.

All motions were overruled and judgment, based on jury verdict, rendered for plaintiff.

Plaintiff contends the letter from the deputy District Clerk to the Board was substantial compliance, if indeed not strict compliance, with the statute, and also relies strongly on the well-established rule that the workmen’s compensation laws should be liberally construed in favor of the claimant.

The pertinent portion of Article 8307, Sec. 5, is as follows: “All questions arising under this law, if not settled by agreement of the parties interested therein and within the provisions of this law, shall, except as otherwise provided, be determined by the Board. Any interested party who is not willing and does not consent to abide by the final ruling and decision of said Board shall, within twenty (20) days after the rendition of said final ruling and decision by said Board, file with said Board notice that he will not abide by said final ruling and decision.”

In Mingus v. Wadley, 115 Tex. 551, 285 S.W. 1084 (1926), the Supreme Court held: “This suit arises out of a workman’s compensation proceeding, and it is therefore [35]*35in derogation of the common law. The rights to be enforced, and all the remedies provided therefor, are purely statutory, as distinguished from the common-law rights and remedies. * * * The general rule is that where the cause of action and remedy for its enforcement are derived not from the common law but from the statute, the statutory provisions are mandatory and exclusive, and must be complied with in all respects or the action is not maintainable. * * * The Workmen’s Compensation Act having created the rights to be enforced and provided the remedy therefor, each step in the progress of the maturity of a claim from the time of the injury to its final adjudication is a mandatory requirement, necessary to the exercise of jurisdiction by the first and succeeding statutory agencies. * * * ”

In Traders & General Ins. Co. v. Lincecum, 126 S.W.2d 692 (Tex.Civ.App., 1939, no writ hist.), this court, speaking through Justice Speer, held: “It is so well settled in this state that the rights of the parties in such cases as this are determined alone by the provisions of our Workmen’s Compensation Act, to the exclusion of all other remedies, that it requires no citation of authorities. It is equally well settled that the rights and remedies provided by the Act are statutory and must be complied with in all respects to mature the claim preparatory for the adjudication by the courts when not satisfactorily determined by the Industrial Accident Board. Mingus v. Wadley, 115 Tex. 551, 285 S.W. 1084; Federal Surety Co. v. Jetton, Tex.Com.App., 44 S.W.2d 923.”

In Texas Employers’ Ins. Ass’n v. Leake, 196 S.W.2d 842 (Tex.Civ.App., 1946, ref., n. r. e.), we held: “The liberality with which the Act is to be construed cannot be extended so as to ignore the plain unambiguous language by virtue of which the Legislative Act is to effectuate its most wholesome purpose. Its very strength lies in the language of the statute and any recovery must come within its provisions. There are many essential elements which enter into the rights of one seeking to recover compensation under the Act. A compliance with each is necessary for the courts to acquire jurisdiction on the statutory appeal from the award of the Board. Federal Surety Co. v. Jetton, Tex.Com.App., 44 S.W.2d 923; Scott v. Texas Employers’ Ins. Ass’n, Tex.Civ.App., 118 S.W.2d 354, error refused; Johnson v. Employers Liability Assur. Corp., 131 Tex. 357, 112 S.W.2d 449.”

Substantially the same holdings were made in Hood v. Texas Employers’ Ins. Ass’n, 260 S.W. 243 (Tex.Civ.App., 1924, no writ hist.); Taylor v. Royal Indemnity Co., 276 S.W.2d 412 (Tex.Civ.App., 1955, no writ hist.); Casualty Reciprocal Exchange v. Underwood, 33 S.W.2d 585 (Tex.Civ.App., 1930, no writ hist.).

Texas is cited in 100 C.J.S. Workmen’s Compensation, § 721, pp. 1070-1071, as one of the states where procedure provided by statute must be strictly followed.

In Pappas v. Royal Indemnity Company, 251 F.2d 439 (U.S.Ct.

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Liberty Mutual Insurance Company v. Smith
410 S.W.2d 27 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1966)

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Bluebook (online)
410 S.W.2d 27, 1966 Tex. App. LEXIS 2960, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/liberty-mutual-insurance-company-v-smith-texapp-1966.