Russell v. Hankerson

771 S.W.2d 650, 1989 Tex. App. LEXIS 1381, 1989 WL 52203
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 18, 1989
Docket13-88-201-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by40 cases

This text of 771 S.W.2d 650 (Russell v. Hankerson) 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
Russell v. Hankerson, 771 S.W.2d 650, 1989 Tex. App. LEXIS 1381, 1989 WL 52203 (Tex. Ct. App. 1989).

Opinion

OPINION

DORSEY, Justice.

Appellant, Mary Russell, brought suit against appellee, Darlene Hankerson, for personal injuries she sustained when her car collided with appellee’s. The jury found each party 50% negligent and further found the negligence of both parties to be proximate causes of the collision. The jury awarded appellant $295.00 for past lost earnings, but found that appellant sustained “zero” damages for future loss of earning capacity, past and future medical expenses, physical impairment, pain and mental anguish. Appellant contends on appeal that the findings of “zero” damages are against the great weight and preponderance of the evidence. We reverse and remand.

On April 7, 1986, appellant’s car collided with appellee’s car at the intersection of Staples and Gollihar in Corpus Christi, Texas. Appellant testified that she applied her brakes just before the accident; at the point of impact, her right foot slipped off the brake and became “tangled” under the pedal.

Appellant was taken to the emergency room at Spohn Hospital later that day, where she was examined by Dr. Larry Johnson. Dr. Johnson x-rayed appellant’s foot and diagnosed her as suffering from a “probable linear cortical fracture.” He further noted in his report that the foot exhibited signs of ecchymosis, or bleeding of tissues.

Dr. Ted Williams testified by videotape deposition that he saw appellant on April 16, 1986, following a referral by Dr. Johnson. He also x-rayed the foot on May 16, 1986, but could not conclude that a fracture existed at that time.

Dr. Lawrence Wilk saw appellant on June 13, 1986. While Wilk did not testify at trial, his reports indicate that in his opinion, a fracture was not present; however, appellant had sustained a “severe soft tissue injury to the dorsum of her right foot.” The report further states that appellant could be suffering from a “Morton’s neuroma,” an ailment which may or may not be trauma-related.

Upon completion of the trial, the jury found each party 50% negligent and that negligence was the proximate cause of the occurrence. When asked the amount of money that would compensate Mary Russell for her injuries, if any, the jury answered “zero” for each element of damage *652 sought except loss of earning capacity in the past, for which it found $295.00.

Appellant argues by her first point of error that the jury’s answers to special issues nos. 6(a), 6(e), and 6(g) regarding past pain, and mental anguish, physical impairment, and medical expenses are contrary to the overwhelming weight and preponderance of the evidence.

In reviewing a point of error asserting that a finding is “against the great weight and preponderance” of the evidence, we must consider and weigh all the evidence, both the evidence which tends to prove the existence of a vital fact as well as evidence which tends to disprove its existence. See Cain v. Bain, 709 S.W.2d 175, 196 (Tex.1986); Ford Motor Co. v. Nowak, 638 S.W.2d 582, 585 (Tex.App.—Corpus Christi 1982, writ ref’d n.r.e.). So considering the evidence, if a jury finding is so contrary to the great weight and preponderance of the evidence as to be manifestly unjust, the point should be sustained, regardless of whether there is some evidence to support it. Watson v. Prewitt, 159 Tex. 305, 320 S.W.2d 815, 816 (1959) (Per Curiam); see also Pool v. Ford Motor Co., 715 S.W.2d 629, 635 (Tex.1986).

A. Past Pain, Mental Anguish and Physical Impairment

The record reflects the following evidence of pain, mental anguish and physical impairment. In his report, Dr. Johnson noted that appellant’s foot was swollen and tender to the touch, and that appellant experienced pain when her third toe was flexed. Dr. Johnson applied a partial cast and gave appellant a pair of crutches. After approximately five days, appellant was fitted with a full cast, which she wore for one week.

Dr. Williams stated in his deposition that appellant had a “painful swollen foot” which was “tender to the touch” and could not bear her full weight.

Appellant testified that she experienced pain in her foot upon exiting her car immediately after the accident. She further stated that the pain continued for four weeks after the accident, and that her foot still hurts her occasionally; as a result of her injury, she has been unable to work, go to the grocery store, perform household chores, visit her family, and take part in leisure activities. She testified at length of the difficulties caused by the cast and crutches.

In Sansom v. Pizza Hut, Inc., 617 S.W.2d 288 (Tex.Civ.App.—Tyler 1981, no writ), the court reviewed the standards to be applied when a jury finds a negligently caused accident but fails to find any damages, or finds only certain elements of damages. It held that if a plaintiff has “objective symptoms of injury,” i.e. a cut or laceration, this evidence cannot be disregarded by the jury when the defendant fails to refute it. Id. at 294. 1

Here, appellant exhibited several clear “objective symptoms of injury.” Drs. Johnson, Williams, and Wilk each verified the existence of severe swelling of the right foot and black discoloration of the area which indicated bleeding of the tissues. Although the reports of Drs. Johnson and Williams conflict as to whether the foot was fractured, we do not find the existence of a fracture to be controlling, as trauma to either bone or tissue may result in an injury. The evidence was uncontro-verted that appellant suffered a “soft tissue injury.”

Appellee cites Jackson v. Killough, 615 S.W.2d 274 (Tex.Civ.App.—Dallas 1981, no writ) and McGuffin v. Terrell, 732 S.W.2d 425 (Tex.App.—Fort Worth 1987, no writ) in support of his contention that the complained-of findings should be upheld. However, in McGuffin there were no objective symptoms that an injury had been sustained, and in Jackson the only objective *653 evidence of injury was muscle spasm. We find these cases to be distinguishable.

In the present case, all three physicians testified that the foot was swollen and discolored. The appellant testified as to its painfulness, but that evidence was supported by the doctors. A jury is not at liberty to disregard the evidence that an injury has occurred and award no damages. Lowery v. Berry, 153 Tex. 411, 269 S.W.2d 795, 797 (1954); Sansom, 617 S.W.2d at 293.

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Bluebook (online)
771 S.W.2d 650, 1989 Tex. App. LEXIS 1381, 1989 WL 52203, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/russell-v-hankerson-texapp-1989.