Tally v. Texas Employers' Ins. Ass'n

93 S.W.2d 1209, 1935 Tex. App. LEXIS 1390
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 28, 1935
DocketNo. 10096.
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 93 S.W.2d 1209 (Tally v. Texas Employers' Ins. Ass'n) 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
Tally v. Texas Employers' Ins. Ass'n, 93 S.W.2d 1209, 1935 Tex. App. LEXIS 1390 (Tex. Ct. App. 1935).

Opinion

PLEASANTS, Chief Justice.

This is the second appeal in this suit, which is a suit by appellant against the appellee for compensation under the Workmen’s Compensation Law of this state (Vernon’s Ann.Civ.St. art. 8306 et seq.). The claim for compensation was duly presented to the Industrial Accident Board, and upon its consideration the board made and entered the following award (omitting formal portions) :

“That it has been definitely proven that the injury of which complaint is made herein resulted in hernia, which appeared suddenly and immediately following its infliction, and that it did not exist in any degree prior to infliction of same and was' accompanied by pain for which compensation and the benefits to accrue under the provisions of the Employers’ Liability Law exist in favor of J. J. Tally and against the Texas Employers’ Insurance Association and it is so ordered, adjudged and decreed by the said Board.
“That said ■ J. J. Tally has been examined by Dr. J. M. Mitchner, a physician and surgeon of Houston, Texas, at the instance of the Board and his report filed herein indicates the advisability for performance of an operation, and that said J. J. Tally is a fit subject to undergo such operation; that in view of the findings of the examining physician made in writing to the effect that there is nothing in the physical condition of claimant which will render his submission thereto more than ordinarily unsafe, the Board is of the unanimous opinion and so finds that said J. J. Tally submit to operation at the hands of a doctor to be agreed upon by and between said J.- J. Tally, and the Texas Employers’ Insurance Association, same to take place on a date that is not earlier than January 7th, 1929, and that is not later than February 7th, 1929, unless by agreement between the interested parties, at a hospital to be designated by the operating surgeon on a date to be mutually arranged and agreed upon by and between said operating surgeon and the said J. J. Tally between the dates set out above, unless by agreement between the interested parties same is undergone on an earlier date, and the expense incident to and associated with said operation in the reasonable amount thereof to be borne and paid by the Texas Employers’ Insurance Association; that said J. J. Tally is entitled to recover from and have paid to him by the said Texas Employers’ Insurance Association an additional compensation for and on account of said injury in accordance with the facts that develop in the event he undergoes operation, that is to say if said operation is submitted to and the same results successfully and effects a cure, said J. J. Tally will be entitled to recover from and have paid to him by the Texas Employers’ Insurance Association compensation at the fixed rate of $13.85 per week for the definite and fixed period of 26 weeks, same beginning to accrue on. the date of said operation and being . pay *1210 able weekly thereafter as each of said installment payments accrue and mature until the full period of 26 weeks have expired; and it is so ordered, adjudged and decreed by the said Board.
“That in the event no appeal is taken by either party within the time permitted by law and the said J. J. Tally submits to operation, and the same fails to effect a cure, then that he be compensated under the general provisions of the law for whatever incapacity that may be found to exist; that in the event the interested parties — -in the event of the applicability of this section of the award — fail to agree upon the rate of compensation to apply herein, the same will be subject to the further action of the Board in reference to that particular feature of the matter, and it is so ordered, adjudged and decreed by the said Board.
“That in the event no appeal is taken by either party within the time permitted by law, and in the further event said claimant refuses to submit himself to operation herein ordered and directed performed, that the said J. J. Tally recover compensation of and from the Texas Employers’ Insurance Association for the period of one year or fifty-two weeks beginning on September 22nd, 1928, the date of infliction of injury, at 60% of the difference between $23.08, his average weekly wage earning capacity before he suffered injury herein complained of and his average weekly wage earning capacity during said period of one year for which award is herein made, and it is so ordered, adjudged and decreed by the said Board.
“That in the event no appeal is taken and in the event an operation is undergone and the parties who furnish said operation and the Texas Employers’ Insurance Association are unable to agree upon the reasonable value of the items of service which enter into furnishing said operation, then in such event said feature will be subject to further consideration and action by the Board, and it is so ordered, adjudged and decreed by the said Board.”

The appellee gave notice of appeal from this award, and in due time filed suit in the county court of Harris county to set it aside.

Appellant answered this suit by plea to the jurisdiction and by cross-action in which he sought to recover lump-sum compensation for total and permanent incapacity, on the ground that appellee had refused to furnish him the surgical operation ordered by the board.

Appellee excepted to this cross-action on the ground that it sought recovery for an amount in excess of the jurisdiction of the court. This exception was sustained" by the court. Only one issue was submitted to the jury on the trial of the cause, in response to which the jury found that a reasonable charge for hospital and medical expenses for an operation upon appellant for hernia was $272.

The court rendered judgment setting aside the award of the Accident Board, but declined to give judgment for appellant for the $272 on his cross-action, on the ground that the total amount claimed in his petition was in excess of the jurisdiction of the court.

Appellant appealed from this judgment, and when this appeal reached the Supreme Court on writ of error from this court, the Commission of Appeals in a clear and able opinion by Judge Leddy, which was' approved by the Supreme Court, held that the trial court had no jurisdiction of the case because the judgment of the Accident Board was not a final judgment and therefore no appeal could be taken therefrom. 48 S.W.(2d) 988. On this ground the Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the trial court and of this court and dismissed the case.

Upon the issuance of the mandate of the Supreme Court and the dismissal of the cause in the county court, the appellant renewed his claim for compensation before the Accident Board for an amount within the jurisdiction of the district court. After a hearing on this claim, the board rendered an award in favor of appellant. From this award the appel-lee gave proper notice and in due time perfected his appeal to the court below by filing a petition asking that the award be set aside and the cause tried de novo.

The appellant answered this petition by a general demurrer, special exceptions, and general denial, and by cross-action in which he sought judgment against appel-lee for a sum in excess of the amount awarded him by the Accident. Board as compensation for the injury received in the performance of the duties of his employment.

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Related

Texas Employers' Ins. Ass'n v. Tally
122 S.W.2d 1095 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1938)
Tally v. Texas Employers' Insurance
102 S.W.2d 180 (Texas Supreme Court, 1937)
Heard v. Texas Compensation Ins.
87 F.2d 30 (Fifth Circuit, 1936)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
93 S.W.2d 1209, 1935 Tex. App. LEXIS 1390, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tally-v-texas-employers-ins-assn-texapp-1935.