Robbins v. Maryland American General Insurance Co.

472 S.W.2d 203, 1971 Tex. App. LEXIS 2094
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedOctober 7, 1971
DocketNo. 655
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 472 S.W.2d 203 (Robbins v. Maryland American General Insurance Co.) 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
Robbins v. Maryland American General Insurance Co., 472 S.W.2d 203, 1971 Tex. App. LEXIS 2094 (Tex. Ct. App. 1971).

Opinion

OPINION

BISSETT, Justice.

This is an appeal from a summary judgment entered in a case involving workmen’s compensation insurance coverage. Leo W. Robbins claims to be the injured employee of ABC Mobile Homes, Inc. Maryland American General Insurance Company is alleged to be the workmen’s compensation insurance carrier of ABC Mobile Homes, Inc. The Industrial Accident Board of Texas made an award in favor of Leo W. Robbins. Maryland American General Insurance Company then filed suit against Leo W. Robbins to set such award aside.

Both parties filed motions for summary judgment. The trial court heard both motions and granted the motion filed by Maryland American General Insurance Company. Leo W. Robbins has duly and timely perfected his appeal to this Court. We reverse and remand.

Appellee, in its motion for summary judgment, stated two specific grounds therefor; first, it was not the carrier of the workmen’s compensation insurance of ABC Mobile Homes, Inc. at the time of appellant’s injury on June 24, 1969; and, second, appellant did not file notice of hiá injury or a claim for compensation with the Industrial Accident Board of Texas within six months from date of injury, and good cause did not exist for such failure to file the notice and claim within the prescribed period of time. The trial court granted the motion on the first ground.

Appellant contends that the trial court “erred in granting appellee’s motion for summary judgment for the reason that material issues of fact do exist”. Appellee, by a counterpoint, asserts that “there is no good cause as a matter of law for Leo W. Robbins’ failing to file his notice of injury and claim for compensation within six months after the date of his injury as required by the Texas Workmen’s Compensation Act”.

In moving for summary judgment, the burden is on the movant to establish that except as to the amount of damages, “there is no genuine issue as to any material fact” and that it “is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law”. Rule 166-A(c), Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. Our Supreme Court, in Great American Reserve Insurance Co. v. San Antonio Plumbing Supply Co., 391 S.W.2d 41, 47 (Tex.Sup.1965), has set out certain rules that must be followed in summary judgment cases. Omitting the citations of the cases contained in the Supreme Court’s opinion, some of the rules therein announced are stated in the following language:

“ * * * The burden of proof is on the movant, and all doubts as to the existence of a genuine issue as to a material fact are resolved against him. * * *
“ * * * In other words, the evidence must be viewed in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion. * * *
“ * * * If the motion involves the credibility of affiants or deponents, or the weight of the showings or a mere ground of inference, the motion should not be granted.
All conflicts in the evidence are disregarded, and the evidence which tends to support the position of the party opposing the motion is accepted as true. * * sit
“Evidence which favors the movant’s position is not considered unless it is un-contradicted. If such uncontradicted evidence is from an interested witness, it [206]*206cannot be considered as doing more than raising an issue of fact, unless it is clear, direct and positive and there are no circumstances in evidence tending to discredit or impeach such testimony. * * * »

These rules have been reviewed and reiterated by the Supreme Court in a number of recent decisions, among them, Torres v. Western Casualty and Surety Company, 457 S.W.2d 50 (Tex.Sup.1970); Glenn v. Prestegord, 456 S.W.2d 901 (Tex.Sup.1970); Harrington v. Y. M. C. A. of Houston, 452 S.W.2d 423 (Tex.Sup.1970); Gibbs et al. v. General Motors Corporation, 450 S.W.2d 827 (Tex.Sup.1970).

Another rule that we follow in disposing of this case was set out by the Supreme Court in the case of In re Price’s Estate, 375 S.W.2d 900, 904 (Tex.Sup.1964), where, in discussing the purpose of the summary judgment rule, it was said:

“ * * * The purpose of the rule is to eliminate patently unmeritorious claims, or untenable defenses and to avoid delays of trial where there is no genuine issue of fact. It was never intended to deprive litigants of their right to a full hearing on the merits of any real issue of fact. The summary judgment is to be applied with caution and will not be granted where there is doubt as to the facts. Although the prompt disposal of judicial business is greatly to be desired, that is not the main objective. Gulbenkian v. Penn, 151 Tex. 412, 252 S.W. 2d 929.”

We do not consider the pleadings filed by either appellant or appellee as summary judgment evidence; these pleadings simply outline the issues and do not constitute summary judgment proof or evidence. Hidalgo v. Surety Savings and Loan Association, 462 S.W.2d 540 (Tex.Sup.1971).

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Bluebook (online)
472 S.W.2d 203, 1971 Tex. App. LEXIS 2094, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/robbins-v-maryland-american-general-insurance-co-texapp-1971.