Southern Surety Co. v. Houston Lighting & Power Co.

203 S.W. 1115, 1918 Tex. App. LEXIS 530
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 16, 1918
DocketNo. 349.
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 203 S.W. 1115 (Southern Surety Co. v. Houston Lighting & Power 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
Southern Surety Co. v. Houston Lighting & Power Co., 203 S.W. 1115, 1918 Tex. App. LEXIS 530 (Tex. Ct. App. 1918).

Opinion

HIGHTOWER, C. J.

This suit was filed in the district court of Harris county by Southern Surety Company and Southwestern Surety Insurance Company, as plaintiffs, against Houston Lighting & Power Company, 1905, and Mrs. Rowena Hauck, a single woman, John W. Parker, and K. C. Barkley, as defendants. All defendants answered and each interposed a general demurrer and general denial to the plaintiffs’ petition, and each of the general demurrers was sustained by the trial court, from which action of the trial court this appeal has been properly prosecuted.

In order that there may be no mistake as to the statement of the cause of action, or .claimed cause of action, relied on by appellants, we here copy their petition in full, to wit:

“Come now Southern Surety Company and Southwestern Surety Insurance Company, hereinafter styled plaintiffs, complaining of the Houston Lighting & Power Company, 1905, and Mrs. Rowena Hauck. a feme sole, John W. Parker, and K. C. Barkley, defendants, and for cause of action show to the court:
“(1) Southern Surety Company is a corporation organized under the laws of the state of Missouri for the purpose of conducting an insurance business, and said corporation has now, and had at all times hereinafter mentioned, a permit to do business in the state of Texas, including within its charter power and its said permit the right to insure subscribers under the Texas Workmen’s Compensation Act, hereinafter more fully referred to.
“(2) Southwestern Surety Insurance Company is a corporation organized under the laws of the state of Oklahoma, having until the date it ceased business, hereinafter referred to, a permit to do business in the state of Texas, with charter powers and authority under its permit to insure subscribers under the Texas Workmen’s Compensation Act, hereinafter more fully referred to.
“(3) Houston Lighting & Power Company, 1905, is a corporation organized under the laws of the state of Texas, with its principal office and place of business in Houston, Harris county, Tex., and with Hon. E. B. Parker, a resident of Houston, Harris county, Tex., as its president, upta whom service may be had.
“(4) Mrs. Rowena Hauck is a resident citizen of Houston, Harris county, Tex., and a feme sole.
“(5) Messrs. John W. Parker and K. C. Barkley are resident citizens of Houston, Harris county, Tex.
“(6) On or about the - day of -, Southwestern Surety Insurance Company ceased business, and under an arrangement with Southern Surety Company to that end, transferred to said company all of its rights, franchises, property, and assets of every character; and said Southern Surety Company, under said arrangement, in consideration of such transfer, assumed all the demands, liabilities, and causes of action of every character which might or could be asserted against the said Southwestern Surety Insurance Company, including the obligation to pay compensation to injured employes under any and all compensation insurance policies theretofore issued by Southwestern Surety Insurance Company.
“(7) On, to wit, the-day of-, and prior to November 25, 1915, Southwestern Surety Insurance Company, for a consideration, issued to Prank Schott, a baker engaged in business in Houston, in Harris county, Tex., its certain policy of compensation insurance, obligating said insurance company to pay the compensation provided for in the Texas Workmen’s Compensation Act, and to otherwise comply with the provisions stipulated therein, whereby and by reason of giving adequate notice and otherwise fulfilling the conditions of the act said Prank Schott became and was on said 25th day of November, 1915, a subscriber within the meaning of said act; and said policy of insurance thus issued was in full force and effect as of that date. On, to wit, the 25th day of November, 1915, Otto Hauck, being then in the employment of said Prank Schott, a baker as aforesaid, and subscriber under said act as aforesaid, met his death as the result of an electrical shock sustained in the course of his employment, which said electrical shock was produced by electricity generated and conveyed to the plant of Prank Schott by the Houston Lighting & Power .Company, 1905, which company, under a contract and agreement with said Prank Schott, was regularly undertaking to furnish light and motor power for the operation of said bakery.
“(8) At the time of the death of Otto Hauck. aforesaid, he left surviving him as claimants of compensation and damages Mrs. Rowena Hauck, his wife, and William Hauck, his father, and Bertha Hauck, his mother.
“(9) On, to wit, the-day of-, and subsequent to the death of said Otto Hauck, Messrs. John W. Parker and K. O. Barkley, as attorneys of record, filed suit in behalf of said Mrs. Rowena Hauck, said William Hauck, and said Mrs. Bertha Hauck, to recover damages of and from the Houston Lighting & Power Company, 1905, alleging • negligence on the part of said corporation, its servants, and agents in causing the death of said Otto Hauck.
“(10) Said suit for damages and the cause *1116 of action involved was, without a trial, compromised; setüed, and adjusted, and the respective interests of the parties fixed as shown by written instruments executed, respectively, on, to wit, April 25, 1910, and April 27, 1916; a true and correct copy of each of said instruments being hereto attached and marked, respectively, Exhibit A and Exhibit B, and each of said instruments being made a part hereof as though fully copied in this paragraph.
“(11) Said Exhibit A evidences a contract and agreement by and between Mrs. Rowena Hauck, surviving wife of Otto Hauck, of the one part, and William Hauck and Bertha Hauck, parties of the second part, whereby the said William Hauek and Bertha Hauck accepted the sum of five hundred dollars ($500) out of the consideration for the compromise, adjustment, and settlement of the cause of action asserted against the Houston Lighting & Power Company, 1905, in full and complete settlement and satisfaction of any interest said parties or either of them claimed or had for damages or for compensation by reason of the death of Otto Hauck; all of their right, title, and interest against either the Houston Lighting & Power Company, 1905, or against the insurance company being assigned to the said Mrs. Rowena Hauck.
“(12) Exhibit B evidences a contract and agreement by and between Mrs. Rowena Hauck, William Hauck, and Bertha Hauck, parties of the one part, and Houston Lighting & Power Company, 1905, party of the second part, whereby, for a consideration of seventy-five hundred dollars ($7,500) and court costs paid and to be paid to the parties of the first part by parties of the second part, the aforesaid suit for damages was to be dismissed and not further prosecuted at any time in the future. Of the aggregate consideration named, thirty-five hundred dollars ($3,500) was paid in cash, and as to the remaining four thousand dollars ($4,000) and interest thereupon, said Houston Lighting & Power' Company, 1905, under and by virtue of said contract, promised, bound, and obligated itself to pay, subject to the stipulations and conditions hereinafter stated, said sum, to Mrs. Rowena Hauck, John W. Parker, and K. C.

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Bluebook (online)
203 S.W. 1115, 1918 Tex. App. LEXIS 530, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/southern-surety-co-v-houston-lighting-power-co-texapp-1918.