Royal Indemnity Co. v. Kennedy

426 S.W.2d 615, 1968 Tex. App. LEXIS 2872
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 22, 1968
DocketNo. 16907
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 426 S.W.2d 615 (Royal Indemnity Co. v. Kennedy) 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
Royal Indemnity Co. v. Kennedy, 426 S.W.2d 615, 1968 Tex. App. LEXIS 2872 (Tex. Ct. App. 1968).

Opinion

OPINION

RENFRO, Justice.

Based upon jury findings, judgment was rendered for plaintiff Kennedy against Royal Indemnity Company for workmen’s compensation benefits for total and permanent disability.

The first point presented by defendant reads, “The trial court incorrectly defined ‘Total Incapacity’ in its charge to the jury.”

The court’s definition was, “ ‘Total Incapacity’ does not mean an absolute disability to perform any kind of labor, but a [616]*616person disaqualified from performing the usual tasks of a workman in such a way as to be able to procure and retain employment is totally incapacitated. The term implies disability to perform the usual tasks of a workman and not merely the usual tasks of any particular trade or occupation.”

Defendant’s argument, in essence, is that the definition instructed the jury that a person could be totally incapacitated without regard to whether or not he was able to procure and retain employment.

The first sentence of the court’s definition of “Total Incapacity” is the standard definition of that term as used in this jurisdiction. Texas Employers Ins. Association v. Hawkins, 369 S.W.2d 305 (Tex.Sup., 1963).

The second sentence of the definition was taken from Texas Employers' Ins. Association v. Mallard, 143 Tex. 77, 182 S.W.2d 1000 (1944), wherein the Supreme Court, referring to “total incapacity,” stated: “The term implies disability to perform the usual tasks of a workman and not merely the usual tasks of any particular one trade or occupation.” It is true those words were not included in the definition of total incapacity in Mallard, but were approved as a statement of the law after the court had disapproved of the words, “in the usual occupation which he is suited to perform,” which were included in the definition in that case.

We fail to see the vice the defendant professes to see in the definition. Properly construed, it instructs the jury that in order to prove total incapacity, as that term is defined in the first sentence, the plaintiff must go further than prove he cannot perform the usual tasks of his particular trade or occupation, but he must prove incapacity to perform the usual tasks of a workman. It seems the time-honored Supreme Court approved standard definition of “Total Incapacity” would have sufficed in this case.

It may be that inclusion of the last sentence could in some instances constitute error, nevertheless such could not be reversible error in the instant case because under the evidence the inclusion was in the defendant’s favor, and not prejudicial.

In its remaining points defendant argues that the jury’s answers finding plaintiff totally and permanently disabled are so against the overwhelming weight and preponderance of the evidence as to be manifestly unjust and wrong.

Since we must consider and weigh all the evidence to determine such points, In re King’s Estate, 150 Tex. 662, 244 S.W.2d 660 (1951), our summary of the testimony will necessarily be quite lengthy.

Plaintiff testified: he is 36 years of age. He worked for General Motors ten years. On November 4, 1963, while working as a spot welder he had occasion to move a “jig” and while moving it “got a catch” in his back. Within three or four hours he reported his injury to his foreman and was sent to the hospital where he was given heat treatment. Next day he could hardly get out of bed. The following day he returned to work and took heat treatments from the plant doctor. He hurt in his lower back below the belt line. He got no better and went to Forth Worth for treatment by Dr. Pumphrey. He got no better. Soon thereafter he went to Dr. Key and received therapy while continuing to work. Therapy treatments had no effect on his pain. He continued to work for about two years, alternating between light and heavy work, but his back hurt and he could not work without pain. The pain was present when he did lighter work and he had to return to the doctor. Dr. Key was company doctor. Plaintiff’s back grew progressively worse from the time of the original injury. He requested the Insurance Company to send him to another doctor, but the Company said it was satisfied with Dr. Key and refused his request. Before leaving General Motors he had decided to become a missionary, but he would have quit General Motors anyway because he could no longer do the work because of his back. He could [617]*617not have worked any longer. The Company paid Dr. Key. Since leaving the job his back has been getting worse. When he drives he uses a back brace. At time of trial he was raising money for the mission field in Mexico. The church pays a missionary $10 per month. Due to the condition of his back there is no job he knows of where he could do day to day work. His back hurts when he walks, mows the lawn or tries to lift weighty objects. As a result of helping to lift an ice box he was “layed up” for two weeks. He does not feel that he can ever hold down any laborer’s job in the future.

His work raising mission funds requires him to drive to several different states. He has at times let months go by without seeing a doctor, because he could not afford to pay one and the Company refused to pay anyone except Dr. Key. After leaving General Motors his income dropped from $160.15 per week to $50 per month.

Plaintiff’s wife testified plaintiff was very active and energetic before the injury, but after the injury he is always tired, has ceased to do yard and household chores and no longer hunts and fishes. He requires much more rest than formerly. In her opinion plaintiff is getting no better.

Dr. Key, orthopedic surgeon, called by defendant, saw plaintiff November 25, 1963. Plaintiff could bend forward three-fourths of the normal range. The doctor concluded plaintiff had sustained a soft tissue injury of his back. Many of the most disabling back injuries are soft tissue injuries, though he did not believe plaintiff’s injury was very serious. He saw and examined plaintiff several times up to January 3,1964. In the meantime he had prescribed therapy treatments. X-rays showed a little bit of “peaking” of the ends of the vertebrae in some areas. On January 3, plaintiff was doing pretty well. Examination showed no signs of pinched nerves in the lower extremities, his condition was good. Plaintiff visited him again in December, 1964. Plaintiff said he was still having pain in his lower back. Examination showed he had some muscle impairment. Plaintiff returned on June 1, 1965. Plaintiff could bend forward pretty well. Therapy was recommended until he returned September 11, 1965. At that time it was doctor’s opinion plaintiff was able to perform a good day’s work, but not able to perform bending and lifting jobs. He would have pain and problems and be off work if he did. In other words he would be a poor candidate for a job that involved repetitious bending and heavy lifting. He estimated plaintiff had a five per cent permanent physical impairment to the back. He last saw plaintiff January 30, 1967. His permanent percentage of disability was still five per cent. He classified the injury a sprain or some type of injury to the disc. Plaintiff’s condition is permanent. Plaintiff’s ability to procure and retain employment as a workman was not included in the doctor’s estimate of percentage of disability.

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Sipes v. General Motors Corp.
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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
426 S.W.2d 615, 1968 Tex. App. LEXIS 2872, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/royal-indemnity-co-v-kennedy-texapp-1968.