Missouri-Kansas-Texas R. Co. of Texas v. Pluto

130 S.W.2d 1048, 1939 Tex. App. LEXIS 265
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 22, 1939
DocketNo. 2107.
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 130 S.W.2d 1048 (Missouri-Kansas-Texas R. Co. of Texas v. Pluto) 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
Missouri-Kansas-Texas R. Co. of Texas v. Pluto, 130 S.W.2d 1048, 1939 Tex. App. LEXIS 265 (Tex. Ct. App. 1939).

Opinion

GEORGE, Justice.

This is a suit to recover damages resulting from injuries received by appellee on April 19, 1916, in a collision between the automobile in which appellee was riding and a train of appellants’ predecessor; and, in the alternative, a bill of review to set aside such portion of the judgment rendered on June 24, 1916 in .Cause No. 23027 on the docket of the 19th Judicial District Court of McLennan county, Texas, styled George Pluto, for himself and as next friend of his minor children, v. C. E. Schaff, Receiver, as determines appellee’s cause of action herein asserted and to recover damages for. the injuries so received. This suit was instituted on June 27, 1933 (August 11, 1934), by Julius Pluto, a minor, through next friend, against Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad Company of Texas and C. E. Schaff, a receiver of its predecessor railroad. Julius Pluto, on becoming, of age, was permitted by the court to continue its prosecution in his own right. Appellants plead the judgment of June 24, 1916 as res adjudicata and in bar of the cause of action herein asserted by appellee. The case was tried before the court and a jury and judgment was rendered on the.jury’s answers to special issues submitted to them, setting aside the judgment of June 24, 1916, only in so far as the same affected the rights of ap-pellee as asserted in the instant cause, and awarding appellee a recovery of and from appellants in the sum of $10,000, together with interest thereon at the rate of six per cent per annum until paid, and all costs of suit.

Appellants contend (1) that there was no evidence of fraud or mutual mistake and that therefore the former judgment was binding and should not have been set aside; (2) that the written settlement agreement and pleadings and judgment thereon could not be varied and contradicted by parol, since they especially recited that the damages covered all injuries, including the injuries to the minor, and that such parol evidence could not be permitted to support the *1050 judgment setting aside and voiding the written' instruments and the former judgment therein; (3) that the testimony of George Pluto as to whether or not he instituted a suit for the recovery of damages against the receiver of the railroad company was improper because the pleadings and the judgment showed that such suit was instituted and such evidence varied and contradicted such pleadings and judgment; (4) that the testimony of the witness, George Pluto, that he did not know the suit was entered was improper, for the reason that it varied and contradicted the pleadings and the judgment and the contract of employment that he had with his own attorneys; (5) that the testimony of the witness, George Pluto, that the suit was brought only for the death of his wife and baby and not for Julius Pluto was improper, for the reason that it varied the terms of the written agreements and judgment; (6) that the testimony of the witness, George Pluto, that the suit that was instituted was not settled by him was improper, for the reason that it varied and contradicted the terms of the agreements and judgment • (7) that the testimony of the witness, George Pluto, that that settlement was for the loss and damage suffered on account of the death of his wife was improper, for the reason that it varied and contradicted the written agreements and the judgment; (8) that the testimony of the witness, George Plu.to, that he was not paid any money on account of the injury to the minor was improper, for the reason that it varied and contradicted the written agreements and the judgment; (9) that the testimony of the witness, George Pluto, that the damages paid by the railroad com,pany was for the loss of his wife and baby was improper, for the reason that it varied and contradicted by parol the written agreements and judgment;- (10) that the testimony of the witness, George Pluto, that the damages paid by the railroad company was for the loss of his wife and baby was improper, for the reason that said evidence was a conclusion and did not state any fact ; (11) that the court erred in submitting special issue No. 18, wherein the inquiry was submitted as to whether or not it was the intention of all parties thereto to compensate the minor, Julius Pluto, solely for the loss sustained by him in the death of his mother, for the reason that such issue involved a variance from and contradiction by parol all the written agreements and judgment; (12) that the court erred in submitting special issue No 18, wherein the inquiry was submitted as to whether or not it was the intention of all the parties thereto to compensate the minor, Julius Pluto, solely-for the loss sustained by him in the death of his mother,' for the reason that such issue submitted a question of law; (13) that the court erred in submitting special issue No. 19, wherein the inquiry was submitted as to whether or not it was the intention of the parties that the settlement and judgment should compensate the minor, Julius Pluto, for the injuries claimed by him in this suit, for the reason that said issue involved a variance from and a contradiction by parol of the written agreements and judgment; (14) that the court erred in submitting special issue No. 19, wherein the inquiry was submitted as to whether or not it was the intention of the parties that the settlement and judgment should not compensate the minor, Julius Pluto, for the injuries claimed by him in this suit, for the reason said issue involved a question of law; (15) that the court erred in submitting special issue No. 20, wherein the inquiry was submitted as to whether or not it was the purpose and intention of the court to award compensation to the minor, Julius Pluto, for the injuries claimed by him in this suit, for the reason that said issue involved a variance from and a contradiction of the written agreements and judgment by parol; (16) that the court erred in submitting special issue No. 20, wherein inquiry was submitted as to whether or not it was the purpose and intention of the court to award compensation to the minor, Julius Pluto, for the injuries claimed by him in this suit, for the reason that said issue involved a question of law; (17) that the court erred in submitting special issue No. 21, wherein the court submits the inquiry as to whether or not the judgment compensated Julius Pluto for the injuries suffered by him as a result of the accident, for the reason that said issue involved a variance from and a contradiction of the written agreements and judgment by parol; and (18) that the court erred in submitting special issue No. 21, wherein the court submits the inquiry as to whether or not the judgment compensated Julius Pluto for the injuries suffered by him as a result of the accident, for the reason that said issue involved a question of law. The assignments presenting the above set out matters are sustained.

The judgment rendered on June 24, 1916, reads as follows:

“On this, the 24th day of June, A. D. 1916, in this cause came on the parties *1051 plaintiff, George Pluto for himself and as next friend to George William Pluto, age thirteen years, Annie Lee Pluto, age eleven years, Edward Michael Pluto, age •seven years, Herman Benjamin Pluto, age five years, and Julius Byron Pluto, age two years, Francis Maurine Pluto, age three years, being the minor children of George Pluto and his wife, Margaret Pearl Pluto, now deceased, and the defendant, C. E.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
130 S.W.2d 1048, 1939 Tex. App. LEXIS 265, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/missouri-kansas-texas-r-co-of-texas-v-pluto-texapp-1939.