Phoenix Insurance Co. v. Thomas

420 S.W.2d 431, 1967 Tex. App. LEXIS 2359
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedOctober 26, 1967
DocketNo. 6868
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 420 S.W.2d 431 (Phoenix Insurance Co. v. Thomas) 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
Phoenix Insurance Co. v. Thomas, 420 S.W.2d 431, 1967 Tex. App. LEXIS 2359 (Tex. Ct. App. 1967).

Opinion

PARKER, Justice.

This is a Workmen’s Compensation case. Plaintiff, Jack Thomas, recovered a judgment against the defendant, Phoenix Insurance Company, for $8,365.84, interest and costs. The case was submitted to the jury upon special issues wherein the jury found plaintiff sustained an accidental injury in the course and scope of his employment, resulting in permanent partial incapacity, which caused a $30 per week difference between plaintiff’s average weekly wage before the injury and his average weekly wage earning capacity after the injury. The parties will be designated as in the trial court.

It was stipulated plaintiff’s average weekly wage prior to injury was $80.00. In answer to special issue No. 7 the jury found that the plaintiff sustained partial incapacity as a natural result of the accidental injury. In answer to special issue 3A the jury found plaintiff sustained “any incapacity” as a natural result of the accident. Special issue No. 10 was submitted and answered as follows:

“If you have answered the foregoing Special Issue No. 7 ‘Yes’, then answer the following special issue:
“SPECIAL ISSUE NO. 10
“What do you find from a preponderance of the evidence to be the difference, if any, between the plaintiff’s average weekly wage before the injury, if any, and the average weekly wage earning capacity, if any, after the injury during the existence of such partial incapacity?
“Answer in dollars and cents, if any.
“Answer: $30.00
“In answering the foregoing issue, you will consider only the difference, if any, between the plaintiff’s average weekly wage before the injury, if any, and the average weekly wage earning capacity, if any, after the injury during the existence of such partial incapacity, if any, inquired about in Special Issue No. 7.”

The judgment of the court recites:

“and the jury having found in answer to Special Issue No. 10 that the plaintiff’s average weekly wage earning capacity after the injury and during the existence of the partial incapacity was Thirty ($30.00) Dollars per week, which weekly rate as provided in the Workmen’s Compensation Law of Texas permits the plaintiff to recover of and from the defendant Thirty ($30.00) Dollars per week for 300 weeks from February 11, 1965; and, of which amount of Workmen’s Compensation benefits allowed the plaintiff when reduced to a lump sum as stipulated and agreed by and between the parties in chambers is computed whereby as of January 22, 1966 the amount of One Thousand Four Hundred Ninety-Seven and 37/100 ($1,497.37) Dollars for accrued compensation benefits and four per cent (4%) compound interest thereon is due and owing, followed by 251 weeks unaccrued compensation benefits at Thirty ($30.00) Dollars per week due and owing, when reduced to a lump sum discounted at four per cent (4%) compound interest amounts to Six Thousand Eight Hundred Sixty-Seven and 57/100 ($6,-867.57) Dollars unaccrued lump sum benefits due and owing the plaintiff; making the total present value of the Workmen’s Compensation benefits due and owing the plaintiff as found by the jury as of January 22, 1966, the sum of Eight Thousand Three Hundred Sixty-[433]*433Five and 84/100 ($8,365.84) Dollars presently due and owing the plaintiff by the defendant;” (Emphasis added)

In its first point of error defendant contends there is no finding of reduced wage earning capacity by the answer of the jury to special issue No. 10; that the plaintiff was entitled at the most to 60% of any diminished wage earning capacity for 300 weeks and not the entire $30.00 per week. These contentions are sustained. The jury did not find that the plaintiff’s average weekly wage earning capacity after the injury was $30.00 per week, but found that the difference between the average weekly wage before the injury and the average weekly wage earning capacity after the injury was $30.00 per week. At the most, plaintiff was entitled to recover only 60% of $30.00 a week for 300 weeks. Art. 8306, Sec. 11, Vernon’s Ann.Civ.St.; Travelers Ins. Co. v. Dycus, 163 Tex. 152, 352 S.W.2d 458 (1962).

Defendant contends the jury in answering special issue No. 10 could find a difference in average weekly wage prior to injury and the average weekly wage earning capacity after injury which would be upward and not downward. The plaintiff testified that following the injury of February 11, 1965 he lost one day only from work, found a new, better job, passed a physical examination and made $106.00 a week, which he left only because he had to go into service. Defendant’s point of error No. 1 is sustained.

Defendant, in its point of error No. 2, contends the trial court erred in overruling its objections to special issue No. 10, one of the objections being it did not properly submit the question of plaintiff’s partial incapacity.' The proper manner to submit this is to be found in Employers’ Reinsurance Corp. v. Holland, 162 Tex. 394, 347 S.W.2d 605 (1961); Indemnity Ins. Co. of North America v. Craik, 162 Tex. 260, 346 S.W.2d 830 (1961); Texas Employers’ Ins. Ass’n v. Jones, 281 S.W.2d 98 (Tex.Civ.App.1955, n.w.h.). There being probative evidence that plaintiff’s average weekly earning capacity after the injury was more than $80 a week, the issue was not properly submitted. With evidence of increased average weekly earning capacity after the injury, no judgment could be based on the answer of the jury to special issue No. 10. Point of error No. 2 is sustained.

Special issue No. 7 is as follows:

“Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that the plaintiff, Jack Thomas, sustained any partial incapacity as a natural result of the accidental injury, if any, inquired about in Special Issue No. 3?
“Answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.
“Answer: Yes”

Defendant’s third point of error is:

“The trial court erred in submitting Special Issue No. 7 over defendant’s objections thereto, since the issue was erroneous on the following grounds:
“(a) Duplicitous and multifarious in asking:
(1) Whether plaintiff suffered any incapacity;
(2) Which was partial; and
(3) Which naturally resulted from the injury of February 11, 1965.”

In the court’s charge the jury was instructed :

“that by the term ‘natural result’, as used in this Charge, is meant that result produced by an injury, if any, or injuries, if any, by itself or by themselves or in connection with another cause or other causes in the usual course of events, in a natural and continuous sequence, and which result would not have occurred but for such injury, if any, or injuries, if any.”

[434]*434In answer to special issues numbered below the jury found as indicated:

1.

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

Related

McDonough Brothers, Inc. v. Lewis
464 S.W.2d 457 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1971)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
420 S.W.2d 431, 1967 Tex. App. LEXIS 2359, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/phoenix-insurance-co-v-thomas-texapp-1967.