National Surety Co. v. Roberts

217 S.W.2d 894, 1949 Tex. App. LEXIS 1562
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJanuary 27, 1949
DocketNo. 4559
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 217 S.W.2d 894 (National Surety Co. v. Roberts) 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
National Surety Co. v. Roberts, 217 S.W.2d 894, 1949 Tex. App. LEXIS 1562 (Tex. Ct. App. 1949).

Opinion

COE, Chief Justice.

The appellee, plaintiff below, filed suit in the district court of Orange County, Texas, against appellant, defendant below, to recover compensation at the rate of $20 per week for a period of 145 weeks, it being alleged by appellee that he sustained an accidental personal injury on or about September 23, 1946, in Orange County, Texas, while in the course of his employment with Fischbach & Moore of Texas, Inc., at which time said employee was insured under the Workmen’s Compensation Law by appellant. It was further alleged by appellee that he lost on time from work but drew his regular wages until about March 5, 1947, at which time he began to suffer disability and he sued for compensation for the period of 145 weeks, beginning March 5, 1947; further appellee alleged that he did not file his claim for compensation within six months from the date of his injury, but set up certain allegations which were alleged to show good cause for failure to so file claim.

Appellant in due course filed its petition for removal of said cause to the Federal Court and at the same time filed and offered its bond for such removal. The court entered an order denying appellant such removal on the sole ground that although its petition and bond for removal were in due form of law the court considered that the amount in controversy as reflected by ap-pellee’s original petition did not exceed $3,000 exclusive of interest and costs. Appellant was duly allowed its Bill of Exception thereto and was permitted to file its answer and defend the cause in the trial court without waiver of or prejudice to its said petition for removal.

Appellant’s answer upon which it went to trial, set up as a defense that appellee’s incapacity did not exist for more than one week after his injury, and by sworn plea appellant alleged that claim for compensation was not filed until July 25, 1947, and denied the existence of good cause for failure to sooner file claim or to file claim within the statutory period. The trial was had to the court without the intervention of a jury and on April 23, 1948 the court rendered judgment finding that appellee had suffered a general total disability to his body for a period of 145 weeks, beginning March 9, 1947, and for which he was awarded a recovery of compensation at the rate of $20 per week for a period of 145 weeks, commencing March 9, 1947, or a total of $2,900. From this judgment this appeal is prosecuted.

By appellant’s first two points they complain of the action of the trial court in denying appellant’s petition for removal of the cause to the Federal Court.

In his original petition appellee alleged that he was injured on September 23, 1946 while in the employment of Fischbach & Moore of Texas, Inc., and after describing his injury as' one involving his spine and lower part of his back, he further alleged the following: “As your plaintiff reached down to pick up a conduit he felt his spine pop and experienced severe pain in the lower part of his back to such an extent that he was not able to raise up in an upright position; that your plaintiff reported said accident to his foreman, Mr. W. E. Orr, Jr., and was sent to the First Aid by said foreman where he received diathermic heat treatments for approximately two weeks;' your plaintiff was told by, Dr. Kin-zer at the First Aid Station of said employer that his back would be all right in a short time, and your plaintiff believed and relied upon said representation made by Dr. Kinzer and was permitted to make time in said employment although he was not able to do his regular work because the company was trying to win an award for the smallest number of man-hours lost; that • your plaintiff was further favored by the employer in that he was given light work until sometime in November, at which time there was a general lay-off; that during said period of time your plaintiff suffered some with pain in his back but continued with the work which the employer gave him and lost no time from his employment and continued to draw his regular wages and suffered no disability until on or about [896]*896March 5, 1947; that on or about March 5, 1947, your plaintiff' began to have considerable trouble with his back as a result of the injury received in the accident while working for employer on or about September 23, 1946, and your plaintiff went to Dr. C. B. Shaddock, Orange, Texas, for treatment and was confined to the hospital by Dr. C. B. Shaddock for some two weeks and has continued under the treatment of Dr. Shaddock at intervals of from two to three weeks from said time up until the present date, and it was at this time, on or about March 5, 1947, plaintiff began to suffer disability as the result of the injúry of September 23, 1946; that plaintiff has suffered total disability as a result of injury to muscles, tissues, ligaments, sinews, nerves, tendons, and bony structure of his back and other portions of his body as a result of said accidental injury on or about September 23, 1946 * *

It was further alleged in said petition that appellee’s average weekly wage, upon which his compensation rate should be computed, was $72 per week, and he claimed to be entitled to recover compensation for 145 weeks from March 5, 1947, at the rate of $20 per week.

In its petition for removal, appellant alleged and set forth all the usual allegations with respect to diversity of citizenship, etc., and to show that the amount in controversy between .the parties exceeded the sum of $3,000, exclusive of interest and costs, appellant alleged the following:

“Your petitioner says that a reasonable and proper interpretation of said petition is that same constitutes a claim and suit, not only for a period of 145 weeks from March 5, 1947, but likewise for the period accruing between September 23, 1946, and March 5, 1947, in that the allegations of plaintiff’s petition and especially those here-inabove quoted show affirmatively that plaintiff is alleging a condition of disability between September 23, 1946, and March 5, 1947, and is alleging that he actually suffered disability, and was not able to do his regular work, even though he was permitted to make time and remain on the job at regular wages, and in this connection your petitioner shows that the mere fact that the plaintiff remained on the job and earned full wages would not impair or destroy his right to compensation for such period of time, if he actually suffered disability or loss of earning capacity‘during such period.
“Your petitioner further shows that while the plaintiff alleges that he suffered no disability until March 5, 1947, such allegations are in conflict with the specific allegations and facts set out in said petition expressly showing a condition of disability and loss of earning capacity between said dates and the allegation that he suffered no disability until March 5, 1947, is but a general conclusion of the pleader.
“Still further, your petitioner shows that the plaintiff, having alleged a condition of disability and loss of earning capacity, existing between September 23, 1946, and March 5, 1947, for which he would be entitled to receive compensation, upon proof of such alleged disability, and loss of earning capacity, is not legally empowered to waive any part of the compensation so accruing to him, and any attempt to remit such accrued compensation or to waive or to relinquish his right to it, or to fail to sue therefor, constitutes a waiver of compensation allegedly due him which is prohibited by law, and which he is not empowered to waive or relinquish.

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Bluebook (online)
217 S.W.2d 894, 1949 Tex. App. LEXIS 1562, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/national-surety-co-v-roberts-texapp-1949.