Maryland Casualty Co. v. Meyer

41 S.W.2d 291, 1931 Tex. App. LEXIS 1324
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 24, 1931
DocketNo. 3562.
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 41 S.W.2d 291 (Maryland Casualty Co. v. Meyer) 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
Maryland Casualty Co. v. Meyer, 41 S.W.2d 291, 1931 Tex. App. LEXIS 1324 (Tex. Ct. App. 1931).

Opinion

JACKSON, J.

The appellee instituted this suit in the district court of Gray county, Tex., against the appellant, the Maryland Casualty Company, to cancel and vacate, because of the alleged fraud of appellant, an agreed settlement for compensation entered into by appellee as an injured employee of the Western Carbon Company and appellant as'compensation insurer of the employees of said Carbon Company.

The appellee alleged that on the 22d day of December, 1928, while an employee of the Western Carbon Company and in the course of such employment, he fell into a ditch about ten feet deep, which bruised his body, injured his spinal column, strained the muscles, ligaments, tissues, and tendons in his back, and that he sustained a double hernia. That at the time of such injuries he was earning a daily wage of $4 and had been earning such sum for substantially the whole of the year immediately preceding his injury. That his average weekly wage amounted to $23.07; that 60 per cent, of his average weekly wage is $13.84. That because of such injuries, his speech is impaired, he is unable to perform the duties required of him as a laborer, and is permanently and totally disabled, by reason of which the appellant became indebted to him for 401 weeks at 60 per cent, of his average daily wage, or a total of $5,540.64.

That, immediately after his injury, the appellant secured accommodations for him in the hospital owned and operated by Drs. Mc-Kean and Conner in the city of Rampa, Tex. That he remained in said hospital until about the 25th day of April, 1929. That appellant paid all expenses in connection with his treatment. That Drs. McKean and Conner are competent physicians and knew or should have known the exact physical condition of appellee. That said physicians, who are the agents of appellant, fraudulently represented to appellee that the only injury he had sustained was a double hernia; that an operation would correct such injury and that he would suffer no further inconvenience or pain and would be able to labor and earn money as he had previously done. That he submitted to such operation. That he was ignorant of his rights and in a weak physical condition. That he did not know that Drs. McKean and Conner were the agents of appellant, but had implicit confidence in their advide, and while in the hospital in such weakened condition, after they had represented to him that an operation would correct his injuries, and that he would be able to work and pursue his employment as theretofore, he relied on such representations and was induced thereby to enter into an agreed settlement, by the terms of which he accepted the sum of $75 in full settlement and satisfaction of his claim against appellant for compensation. That the $75 mentioned in the compromise agreement was represented to be compensation for a period of one month only, and that he would receive $75 per month for five additional months and *292 two weeks. That said physicians knew of ap-pellee’s mental and physical condition and fraudulently induced and coerced him into signing said release and accepting such settlement for his compensation. That thereafter, without the knowledge of the appellee, such release and settlement was submitted to and approved by the Industrial Accident Board of the state of Texas. That the acts, conduct, and representations of said agents of the appellant were made for the purpose of overreaching appellee and fraudulently securing such release and discharge of appellant from further liability. That he but recently ascertained that such representations were false, and that said physicians knew at the time they were made that plaintiff was permanently and totally disabled.

That, because of such fraudulent representations, appellee has instituted this suit to set aside such purported settlement agreement and to secure an order directing the Industrial Accident Board to hear plaintiff’s claim upon its merits, so he may prosecute such claim to a final award.

The defendant answered by general demurrer, numerous special exceptions, and general denial.

On the findings of the jury on the special issues submitting fraud, the court set aside as null and void the compromise agreement and ordered the clerk to forward to the Industrial Accident Board of Texas a certified copy of the judgment to advise such board of the action of the court. From which judgment this appeal is prosecuted.

The appellant, because of the insufficiency of the amount involved in the compromise settlement, as alleged, challenges the jurisdiction of the district court to hear the case and cancel, set aside, and hold said compromise settlement null and void.

The record discloses that on December 22, 1928, the appellee was employed by the Western Carbon Company, which carried insurance to protect its employees with appellant; that appellee was receiving $4 per day for his services for seven days a week; that, while engaged in the services of his employer, he was accidentally injured. That on December 27th thereafter he was placed in the McKean and Conner hospital at Pampa, Tex., where he was treated at the expense of appellant; that about two weeks after he entered the hospital appellee was advised by Dr. McKean that an operation would relieve his back and his hernia. That about six weeks after he entered the hospital he was operated on, his hernia relieved, and after he left the hospital it became entirety well. That the doctor advised him that the pain in his back would gradually go away after the operation. That this was all the statement made to him before the operation. That after the operation, the doctor told him that he would not be able to do heavy work for six months, but could do light work earlier. That he knew his back was hurting, and the doctor did also. That the doctor did not conceal anything about his condition or his back hurting, as he knew there was something wrong with his back. That when he was discharged from the hospital the doctor told him he was in good physical condition and he could do light work. That this was the only time the doctor concealed anything about his physical condition. That after he left the hospital his hernia got well. That after he was discharged, he worked seven days for the Western Carbon Company, made $4 per day, the same amount he had theretofore received, and quit because he and other men were laid off. That he secured a position with another carbon company at the same wages and worked about a month. That while he was in the hospital, Dr. Mc-Kean furnished him with a law book and he had read that he would receive wages for twenty-six weeks for his hernia, and that he thought he was getting that amount when he signed the compromise agreement. That when he left the hospital his throat was affected, but he did not have the nervousness and jerking and twitching until after he went to work again after he was discharged and was not so afflicted at any time when he had conversations with Dr. McKean. That on February 20, 1929, he .entered into the compromise agreement subject to the approval of the Industrial Accident Board of the state. That appellee, on May 10th, after having been discharged from the hospital on May 3d, accepted a payment in settlement for his compensation, a check from the insurer for the sum of $75. That he went from Amarillo to Kingsmill to receive his check.

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Bluebook (online)
41 S.W.2d 291, 1931 Tex. App. LEXIS 1324, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/maryland-casualty-co-v-meyer-texapp-1931.