Richardson v. Walters

311 S.W.2d 268, 1958 Tex. App. LEXIS 1845
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 21, 1958
DocketNo. 15884
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 311 S.W.2d 268 (Richardson v. Walters) 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
Richardson v. Walters, 311 S.W.2d 268, 1958 Tex. App. LEXIS 1845 (Tex. Ct. App. 1958).

Opinion

MASSEY, Chief Justice.

Suit was one for damages on account of personal injuries. Plaintiff H. A. Walters was in the process of loading a truck when defendant Mrs. Tom Richardson negligently permitted the automobile being operated by her to come into collision with plaintiff, “pinning” him between the two vehicles. Upon a jury verdict in favor of plaintiff judgment was entered in his behalf. The defendants appealed.

Judgment affirmed.

Questions concerning the facts of the accident are relatively immaterial in this instance. The points of error are primarily devoted to the matter of damages.

[269]*269Though one point relates to matter in the nature of contributory negligence under a rather unusual theory, it is to be .noticed that the defense was not plead.

For clarification of discussion upon the matter of damages, we will copy Special Issue No. 37 as given in the court’s charge, along with notations apparently made by some member of the jury to be found upon the. face of the charge alongside, said, issue and paragraphs thereof. The notations will be italicized in order to distinguish them from the language of the charge .and the jury’s answer returned to the whole question thereby posed.

“Special Issue No. 37:
“From a preponderance of the evidence, what amount of money, if any, if paid now in cash, would reasonably compensate the plaintiff, H. A. Walters, for the injuries, if any, suffered by him directly and proximately caused by the collision in question?
“In answering this Issue you are instructed that you may take into'consideration the following matters and elements as you find are established by the preponderance of the evidence, and none other.
“(a) Suffering and physical pain, if any, as you may find from a pre-' $350 ponderance of the evidence that H. A. Walters has suffered in the past, from 1-- the time of his injuries, if any, and up to the day of this trial, as a direct and-proximate result of the injuries, if any, sustained by him upon the' occasion in question;
“(b) Such mental anguish as you may find from a preponderance of the None evidence that H. A. Walters has suffered in the past, from the date of the injuries, if any, and up to the time of this trial, as a direct and proximate result of the injuries, if any, sustained by him on the occasion in question.
“(c) The reasonable cash value of his loss of earnings and capacity to None labor, if any, in the past, from the time of the injuries, if any, and up to the' date of the trial, resulting directly and proximately from the injuries, if any, sustained by him on the occasion in question.
“And if you further believe from a preponderance of the evidence that H. A. Walters has not entirely recovered from his injuries, if any, sustained by him on the occasion in question, then also: .
“(d) The reasonable present cash value, if any, of the physical pain, if any, as you may find from a preponderance of the evidence he will in rea-^one sonable probability suffer in the future, and beyond the date of this trial, as a direct and proximate result of the injuries, if any, sustained by him on the occasion in question.
“(e) The reasonable present cash value, if any, of the mental anguish, if any, as you may find from the preponderance of the evidence that he will in ^one all reasonable probability suffer in the future, and beyond the date of this trial, as a direct and proximate cause of the injuries, if any, sustained by him on the occasion in question.
“(f) The reasonable present cash value, if any, of his diminished capacity to labor and earn money in the future, if any, if you believe from a preponderance of the evidence that his capacity to labor and earn money will, in rea-$12,500 sonable probability be diminished in. the future and beyond the date of this ‘ trial as a direct and proximate result of the injuries, if any, sustained by him on the occasion in question.
“Answer in dollars, if any, and cents, if any.
“Answer: $12,850”

[270]*270The defendant filed objections and exceptions to the court’s charge to the jury, but did not object to Special Issue No. 37. Of course, when the charge was returned by the jury with answer finding the damages inquired about by the issue at $12,850, plus the unerased notations alongside the paragraphs thereof,-' the defendant concluded that the notations, when taken into consideration along with the amount set forth as the answer, established that the jury arrived at such answer by adding the sum of $350 (on account of suffering and physical pain experienced by the plaintiff up to the time of the trial) and $12,500 (the reasonable cash value of plaintiff’s diminished capacity to labor and earn money in the future).. We are of the opinion that the notations tend to warrant the conclusion arrived at by defendant, but we are of the further opinion that as evidence it is not such as constitutes in and of itself proof to be given cognizance by the court. Furthermore, we are of the opinion that if it should be given consideration as evidence, it would certainly not amount to conclusive proof that the jury, as a part of its unanimous act, arrived at its answer by adding the two sums together.

We note that one juror was summoned and testified during the course of the hearing conducted upon the motion for new trial. No part of the interrogation of the juror related to the matter of the means whereby the jury (as an entity) arrived at the answer to Special Issue No. 37. Therefore, the notations alongside the various paragraphs of the issue are, in and of themselves, the only matter which in any way tend to reflect upon the question under consideration. The case differs from that of H. J. Heinz Company v. Ashley, 1956, Tex.Civ.App., Galveston, 291 S.W.2d 427, only in that there the jurors were polled upon its answer. From what we have already said, it follows as a matter of course that there is no proof of exactly which elements the jury took into consideration in arriving at the answer it returned. We cannot speculate upon how the jury arrived at the answer, nor can we assume that it found damages as to some elements and none as to others, or that it found some damages as to each element.

By Point of Error No. 1 the defendant assumes that the verdict included a substantial sum for the present cash value of plaintiff’s diminished capacity to - labor in the future, and contends that the evidence was insufficient to show such with the degree of reasonable probability as to enable a jury to make the finding it returned. By Point of Error No. 2 the defendant assumes the same thing and contends that since under the pleadings-proof should be limited to diminished capacity to “labor and earn money in the future * * * as ‘an Ice Plant Manager’ ”, the evidence was insufficient to sustain a jury finding. By Point of Error No. 3 the defendant assumes the same thing and contends that the trial court erred in rendering judgment upon the answers to Special Issue No. 37 because such answers are conflicting, ambiguous and uncertain.

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Bluebook (online)
311 S.W.2d 268, 1958 Tex. App. LEXIS 1845, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/richardson-v-walters-texapp-1958.