Lone Star Gas Co. v. Bradford

147 S.W.2d 547
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJanuary 10, 1941
DocketNo. 14159.
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 147 S.W.2d 547 (Lone Star Gas Co. v. Bradford) 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
Lone Star Gas Co. v. Bradford, 147 S.W.2d 547 (Tex. Ct. App. 1941).

Opinions

SPEER, Justice.

This is an appeal by Lone Star Gas Company, hereinafter called appellant, from an adverse judgment in a suit instituted by appellee, Ben Bradford, who claimed to have sustained injuries resulting from carbon monoxide because of the negligence of appellant.

It is only necessary to refer to those parts of appellee’s pleadings which are involved in the points relied upon by appel-’ lant for reversal of the judgment entered.

On and prior to November 20, 1935, ap-pellee was a user of natural gas and a patron of appellant, a utility company supplying natural gas to the inhabitants of the City of Fort Worth. Appellant was furnishing to its customers a type of gas designated by the parties as “Joshua” gas; that name was applied because it received a certain treatment at Joshua, where there was mixed into it 19 to 20 per cent nitrogen and .other inert substances, before passing into the distribution lines for delivery to its customers. On the date last above mentioned, appellee procured the services of an employee of appellant to adjust his stoves for the proper use of that type of gas.

Allegations were made that in July or August of 1936,-appellant changed the supply from Joshua gas to what is termed “Shamrock” gas; the latter is described as being undiluted and a heavier quality than that previously furnished; that a different pressure was used by appellant in the use of Shamrock gas and that equipment adjusted for use of Joshua gas' was not suitable for use of the other kind; that the difference resulted in the accumulation of an excessive. amount of carbon monoxide when using Shamrock gas with equipment adjusted for use of the Joshua quality. It is alleged that appellant failed to apprise appellee of the changes made by it and that, having continued the use of his stoves in the manner they had been adjusted, he inhaled the poisonous substance until his blood was so inocculated with it that he sustained serious injuries resulting in the damages prayed for. That the failure of appellant to readjust appel-lee’s stoves for a proper use of the new gas at the pressure furnished and to advise appellee of the changes made in the type of gas furnished are charged to be negligence and a proximate cause of the injuries sustained.

Appellant’s answer consisted of a general demurrer and general denial.

At the conclusion of taking testimony, appellant presented its motion for an instructed verdict; this was denied by the trial court and its refusal is the sole error complained of in this appeal.

Having declined to sustain appellant’s motion for a directed verdict, the court submitted the case to a jury on special issues. The material part of the verdict is: (1) a representative of appellant adjusted appellee’s stoves on November 20, 1935; (2) in July or August, 1936, appellant increased the natural gas content of the gas furnished to appellee; (3 and 8) between September 1, 1936, and March 24, 1938, carbon monoxide in harmful quantities was produced from gas burned in appellee’s heating and cooking stoves; (20) appellant was negligent in not warning appellee that it had increased the natural gas content of the gas it was furnishing; and (21) such negligence was a proximate cause of the injuries sustained by appellee. Upon this verdict judgment was entered in favor of appellee for the amount found by the jury under another inquiry, not referred to above.

Appellant does not contend that its representative did not adjust appellee’s stoves in November, 1935, nor that it did not change from the Joshua to the Shamrock gas in July or August, 1936, nor that it did not readjust appellee’s stoves when the change in the gas was made or any time thereafter; nor does it claim that any information was conveyed to appellee that a change- would be or had been made from one kind of gas to the other. In such circumstances it is sufficient for us to say that the testimony offered by appellee was sufficient to establish these facts.

Appellant contends that there was no evidence tending to show, (a) that the ad *549 justment of the stoves for use of Joshua gas was not suitable for the use of Shamrock gas; (b) that there was no competent testimony offered to show that when the equipment was adjusted for the use of Joshua gas, the change to Shamrock gas would produce more carbon monoxide; (c) that there was no testimony from which it could be found that the adjustment of appellee’s stoves was the same when they produced carbon monoxide as they were when its employee adjusted them; and (d) that there was no testimony of probative value offered tending to establish that the negljgence found by the jury was a proximate cause of the injuries alleged to have been sustained by appellee. Based upon these points, appellant asserts that its motion for a directed verdict should have been sustained.

We cannot agree to the contention made by appellant on the points mentioned. There is some testimony in the record which indicates that an appliance may be so adjusted that it will safely burn either of the two qualities of gas furnished, but it does not appear that any effort was made by áppellant’s employee to make such an adjustment, nor that appellee attempted to have it done. It is reasonable to assume that appellee wanted a suitable adjustment made for use of the gas then being furnished by appellant; nor can we say that appellant knew at the time it made the adjustments that it would change to another kind of gas. Mr. Jones, gas supervisor for the City of Fort Worth, testified to having examined the appliances in appellee’s home in March, 1938, and found two of the stoves emitting harmful quantities of carbon monoxide, and advised that the stoves be not used until adjusted. He qualified as an expert and testified to the quality of each of the two gases used. He said there is a perceptible difference in the adjustment of an appliance for use of the Joshua and the Shamrock gas; that an adjustment suitable for one is not suitable for the other; the use of the two gases is not interchangeable with the same adjustment of appliances; when adjusted for'the use of either, if a change is made in the gas, the appliances should be readjusted. This witness further testified that at the time he inspected the appliances they were emitting harmful quantities of carbon monoxide. Both appel-lee and his wife testified that the stoves had been in the home at all times since the adjustment by appellant’s employee until the day inspection was made by Mr. Jones, and that neither of them had made any changes in the adjustment, nor had any other person, within their knowledge, done so. That the appellant did not notify appel-lee that it was making the change of gas from one quality to the other, nor at any subsequent time. Appellee was stricken with a heart attack in November, 1937, and upon advice of a physiican had a cardia-gram made pf the heart region; appellee was put to bed, where he remained several weeks, under treatment. The doctor said he responded to the treatment slowly; that the cardiagram indicated clearly that he had a blocking of an artery in the heart muscle. Appellee was unable to get out and attend to his business or, as the doctor puts it, get on his feet after his attack, and in March, 1938, when it was discovered that his stoves were emitting carbon monoxide, a laboratory test was made of the blood of both appellee and his wife. It was found that in the wife’s blood there was 10 per cent saturation of carbon monoxide in the red cells, and a 15 per cent saturation in those of appellee.

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147 S.W.2d 547, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lone-star-gas-co-v-bradford-texapp-1941.