Moses v. Adams

428 S.W.2d 131, 1968 Tex. App. LEXIS 2366
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 2, 1968
Docket6935
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 428 S.W.2d 131 (Moses v. Adams) 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
Moses v. Adams, 428 S.W.2d 131, 1968 Tex. App. LEXIS 2366 (Tex. Ct. App. 1968).

Opinion

STEPHENSON, Justice.

This is an action for damages arising out of an automobile collision. Trial was by jury and judgment was for plaintiff upon the issues. The parties will be referred to here as they were in the trial court.

Defendant’s first point of error is based upon jury misconduct. In passing upon this point of error, we must be guided by the rules of law set forth in several Supreme Court decisions. It is never permissible for a juror to preserve or destroy his verdict by testifying to the mental processes by which he reached his verdict. Barrington v. Duncan, 140 Tex. 510, 169 S.W. 2d 462.

Whether the jury misconduct occurred was a question of fact for the trial court to determine. No findings of fact nor conclusions of law were requested or made. The trial court, by overruling defendant’s motion for new trial, impliedly found that the misconduct did not occur. In view of this implied finding, we must consider the evidence heard on the motion for new trial in its most favorable light to upholding that ruling. Compton v. Henrie (Tex.) 364 S.W.2d 179. Also, “if the evidence is conflicting on the question as to whether or not the misconduct actually occurred, the decision of the trial court either way on that question should be accepted as final.” Barrington v. Duncan, supra.

In response to the general damage issue No. 33, the jury answered $17,500.00. The past medical issue No. 35 was answered *133 $950.00. The future medical issue No. 37 was answered $14,000.00. It is defendant’s contention that the jury agreed to limit the total amount of damages to $17,500.00, and this included the past and future medical. Defendant called four of the jurors to testify on the hearing of the motion for new trial, and although the trial court permitted these witnesses to answer many questions involving their mental processes, such testimony gave support to defendant’s contention. However, plaintiff called one of the jurors as a witness who unequivocally testified: That no juror made the statement that the answer to issue No. 33 included past and future medical expenses. That the jury did not agree that plaintiff’s total recovery would be $17,500.00. That the jury decided each damage issue separately and did not vote on them as a total. That when the question was asked by a juror as to whether issue No. 33 included the medical expense, they were told, point blank, that it did not.

An issue of fact was raised by this conflicting testimony, which was resolved in favor of plaintiff by the implied finding by the trial court that the misconduct did not occur. This court is bound by such finding. The point is overruled.

Defendant’s second point of error complains of the action of the trial court in overruling its objection to Special Issue No. 33, the objection reading as follows:

The court erred in failing to sustain Paragraph 13 of defendant’s objections to Special Issue No. 33 of the charge of the court, which was:
“Defendant excepts and objects to Special Issue No. 33 of the charge of the Court since it constitutes a comment upon the weight and sufficiency of the evidence by the Trial Court, in that it instructs the jury that plaintiff herein has in fact received injuries, which is a disputed issue of fact, and this Defendant does not agree to trial by consent.”

Special Issue No. 33 read as follows:

What sum of money, if any, do you find from a preponderance of the evidence, if paid now in cash, would fairly and reasonably compensate Mary Elizabeth Adams for the injuries, if any, which you believe from a preponderance of the evidence she has sustained as a direct and proximate result of the occurrence in question?
In answering this issue, you are instructed that you may take into consideration the following elements of damage, if any, and none other:
(a) Physical pain, if any, and mental anguish, if any, which you believe from a preponderance of the evidence Mary Elizabeth Adams has sustained since the date of the occurrence up to the present time as a direct and proximate result of the occurrence in question.
(b) Physical pain, if any, and mental anguish, if any, which you believe from a preponderance of the evidence Mary Elizabeth Adams, in reasonable probability, will suffer in the future and after this date as a direct and proximate result of the occurrence in question.
(c) Loss of earnings, if any, which you believe from a preponderance of the evidence that Mary Elizabeth Adams has sustained since the date of the occurrence up to the present time as a direct and proximate result of the occurrence in question.
(d) Loss of earning capacity, if any, which you believe from a preponderance of the evidence that Mary Elizabeth Adams, in reasonable probability, will sustain in the future from and after this date as a direct and proximate result of the occurrence in question.

Answer by stating the amount, if any, in dollars and cents, if any.

*134 It is argued by defendant that no issue was submitted as to whether plaintiff was injured in the accident and, therefore, is a comment upon the weight of the evidence in that it assumes plaintiff received an injury.

Rule 274 Texas Rules of Civil Procedure provides in part that a party objecting to a charge must point out distinctly the matter to which he objects and the grounds of his objection. Rule 279 T.R.C.P. provides in part that the failure to submit an issue shall not be deemed grounds for reversal, unless its submission, in substantially correct wording, had been requested in writing, provided, however, that objection to such failure shall suffice if the issue is one relied upon by the opposing party. The objection made by defendant does not point out distinctly the grounds now relied upon, and no specific objection is made to the failure of the trial court to submit the issue as to injury. We hold the failure in each respect results in waiver. Associated Indemnity Corp. v. Kujawa, 153 Tex. 314, 268 S.W.2d 122. In Texas & Pacific Railway Company v. Van Zandt, 159 Tex. 178, 317 S.W.2d 528, the defendant both objects to the trial court’s failure to submit an issue as to injury, but also submitted an issue to the trial court which was refused. The Supreme Court held this to be reversible error. The facts pointed out clearly distinguish the Van Zandt case from the present case. In any event, the record in this case, some of which will be discussed in the next point of error, shows it is undisputed that plaintiff was involved in an automobile collision and received an injury. The point is overruled.

Defendant next contends the verdict of the jury is grossly excessive and prays for either a new trial or a remittitur. The determination of the amount of damages lies primarily with the jury, and there is no set formula whereby the exact amount can be measured. This court is given authority to control and revise the amount under Rule 440 T.R.C.P.

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Bluebook (online)
428 S.W.2d 131, 1968 Tex. App. LEXIS 2366, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/moses-v-adams-texapp-1968.