Robinson v. University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston

171 S.W.3d 365, 2005 Tex. App. LEXIS 4995, 2005 WL 1529402
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 30, 2005
Docket14-03-01400-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 171 S.W.3d 365 (Robinson v. University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston) 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
Robinson v. University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 171 S.W.3d 365, 2005 Tex. App. LEXIS 4995, 2005 WL 1529402 (Tex. Ct. App. 2005).

Opinions

MAJORITY OPINION

BRADY G. ELLIOTT, Judge (Assigned).

This suit involves the mishandling of the remains of a deceased. Appellant, Helen Robinson (“Robinson”), appeals an order granting the plea to the jurisdiction of appellee, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (“UTMB”), wherein the trial court concluded that Robinson’s claims sound in contract, not tort; consent for suit was not obtained, and thus, UTMB retains sovereign immunity from suit; and Robinson did not avail herself of her administrative remedies prior to suit, thus, preventing her from prosecuting her suit against UTMB.

Robinson contends in three issues that (1) UTMB’s failure to properly return her husband’s remains constitutes a tort aris[368]*368ing from a duty to properly handle human remains; (2) the use of a body to train medical students constitutes the “use of property” such as to waive sovereign immunity; and (3) UTMB’s failure to return her husband’s body constitutes a breach of contract, and, thus, the waiver provisions of the Texas Tort Claims Act1 provide her relief from UTMB’s immunity claims. We affirm.

BACKGROUND

Helen Robinson filed suit against UTMB for the mishandling of the remains of her deceased husband, Ray Robinson. Mr. Robinson donated his body to the Anatomical Board of the State of Texas with arrangements for disposition to be made by UTMB under the “UTMB Willed-Body Program.”2 Prior to his death, he executed a document entitled “Will Form” which provided, among other provisions, for the cremation of his body on final disposition. By handwritten annotation, Mr. Robinson directed that after cremation his body be returned to his family. The agreement also contained an express relinquishment of rights and claims for liability against the Anatomical Board of the State of Texas and the receiving institution.

Mr. Robinson’s body was delivered to UTMB upon his death. Later, Robinson received notification from UTMB that it was unable to return her husband’s ashes as the ashes were commingled with other donors’ ashes.

Robinson filed suit asserting a breach of contract claim, negligence, gross negligence for mental anguish, negligent supervision and constructive fraud. UTMB filed a plea to the jurisdiction alleging sovereign immunity, lack of legislative consent to sue, and that the suit fell outside the Texas Tort Claims Act as the body was not personal property. The plea to the jurisdiction was granted by the trial court.

Standard of Review

A governmental unit is immune from suit and liability unless the state has granted consent. Dallas Area Rapid Transit v. Whitley, 104 S.W.3d 540, 542 (Tex.2003). A governmental entity’s immunity from suit defeats a court’s subject matter jurisdiction. Id. Thus, in a suit against a governmental unit, a plaintiff must affirmatively demonstrate the court’s jurisdiction by alleging a waiver of that immunity. See id. In determining whether a plaintiff has met this burden in a plea to the jurisdiction based on sovereign immunity, we look to the facts alleged by the plaintiff and the evidence relevant to the jurisdictional issue to determine whether the claim comes within a waiver of immunity. Id. In this case, it is undisputed that UTMB is a governmental unit and shares this governmental immunity. See Lowe v. Tex. Tech Univ., 540 S.W.2d 297, 298 (Tex.1976).

Breach of Contract Claim

Robinson, in her third issue, argues that UTMB violated the agreement by not returning her husband’s remains. She further argues that UTMB is not immune from suit for breach of contract by reason of sovereign immunity because of the performance by Robinson of the terms of the agreement. In response, UTMB argues that Robinson cannot prevail because the state did not consent to the suit.

[369]*369When the state contracts with a private party, it thereby waives immunity from liability, but not from suit, which can only be waived by express consent of the legislature. See Catalina Dev., Inc. v. County of El Paso, 121 S.W.3d 704, 705 (Tex.2003). For the legislature to waive the state’s sovereign immunity, a statute or resolution must contain a clear and unambiguous expression of the legislature’s waiver of immunity. Wichita Falls State Hosp. v. Taylor, 106 S.W.3d 692, 696 (Tex.2003).

For agreements entered into between the state and an individual, such as this one, after August 30, 1999, Chapter 2260 of the Texas Government Code provides the exclusive and required method for resolving breach of contract suits. Tex. Gov’t Code Ann. § 2260.005 (Vernon Supp.2004-05); Gen. Servs. Comm’n v. Little-Tex Insulation Co., 39 S.W.3d 591, 597 (Tex.2001), overruled on other grounds by Texas Dep’t of Parks & Wildlife v. Miranda, 133 S.W.3d 217 (Tex.2004). Compliance with Chapter 2260 is necessary before a party can sue the state for breach of contract. Texas Dep’t of Transp. v. Aer-Aerotron, Inc., 39 S.W.3d 220, 221 (Tex.2001). Chapter 2260 provides an administrative process for the resolution of written contract claims against the state arising from the sale of goods, services, or construction. See Tex. Gov’t Code Ann. § 2260.001(1) (Vernon 2000); Little-Tex Insulation Co., 39 S.W.3d at 595. Such administrative process requires that written notice be provided to the state within 180 days of the event giving rise to the claim with such notice stating with particularity the nature of the breach, the amount claimed for damages, and the legal theory for the recovery. Tex. Gov’t Code Ann. § 2260.051 (Vernon 2000).

Robinson did not plead or prove that she followed these procedures and availed herself of Chapter 2260’s exclusive method for resolving breach of contract claims. She further failed to plead or prove that the legislature consented to suit in the form of a statute or resolution. As a result, Robinson’s contract claim must fail, and we overrule her third issue.

Claim Of Sovereign Immunity Waiver

Robinson next contends that UTMB’s use of her husband’s body to train medical students constitutes “use of tangible personal property” such that the Texas Tort Claims Act’s waiver of immunity applies. For use of property to occur under the Texas Tort Claims Act, one must “put or bring” the property into “action or service.” Kerrville State Hosp. v. Clark, 923 S.W.2d 582, 584 (Tex.1996). “Use” under the Texas Tort Claims Act has been defined to mean “to employ for or apply to a given purpose.” Univ. of Texas Med. Branch v. York, 871 S.W.2d 175, 178 (Tex.1994). For the property exception to apply, the property must be the instrumentality of the harm. Texas Dep’t of Crim. Justice v. Diller,

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Robinson v. University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
171 S.W.3d 365 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2005)

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Bluebook (online)
171 S.W.3d 365, 2005 Tex. App. LEXIS 4995, 2005 WL 1529402, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/robinson-v-university-of-texas-medical-branch-at-galveston-texapp-2005.