Texas Department of Transportation v. Olivares

316 S.W.3d 89, 2010 Tex. App. LEXIS 4457, 2010 WL 2361421
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 15, 2010
Docket14-09-00244-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by47 cases

This text of 316 S.W.3d 89 (Texas Department of Transportation v. Olivares) 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
Texas Department of Transportation v. Olivares, 316 S.W.3d 89, 2010 Tex. App. LEXIS 4457, 2010 WL 2361421 (Tex. Ct. App. 2010).

Opinions

OPINION

CHARLES W. SEYMORE, Justice.

Texas Department of Transportation (“TxDOT”) presents this accelerated appeal from the trial court’s denial of its plea to the jurisdiction. In its plea, TxDOT challenged the trial court’s subject-matter jurisdiction over claims brought by Zulei-ma Olivares, individually and as representative of the estate of Pedro Olivares, Jr., and Pedro Olivares (collectively, “appel-lees”).

TxDOT argues it is entitled to sovereign immunity relative to all of appellees’ claims. In a separate appeal, Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority (“FBCTRA”), TxDOT’s co-defendant in the underlying lawsuit, also challenges the trial court’s denial of its plea to the jurisdiction. For reasons outlined below, we affirm in part, reverse and render in part, and reverse and remand in part.

I. Background

On January 1, 2007, Pedro Olivares, Jr. and his wife were traveling westbound on the Westpark Tollway (“Tollway”) near Dairy Ashford Road in Harris County when they were struck by a vehicle driven by Michael Ladson. According to appel-lees, Ladson was traveling on the Tollway in the wrong direction after entering the westbound lanes near Gaston Road in Fort Bend County, approximately eight and one-half miles from the accident scene. Gaston Road intersects with FM 1093, a state road controlled by TxDOT, which merges into the Tollway. Pedro Olivares, Jr. sustained severe bodily injuries resulting in death.

In their second amended petition, appel-lees assert claims against TxDOT, Fort Bend County, FBCTRA, Harris County, Harris County Toll Road Authority (“HCTRA”), Brown and Gay Engineers, Inc., and Michael Stone Enterprises, Inc. The Estate of Michael Ladson has been designated as a responsible third party. Appellees allege TxDOT is liable for certain premise defects and negligent acts or omissions involving the intersection at FM 1098-Gaston Road and the Tollway. Ap-pellees also contend TxDOT is liable under a joint-enterprise theory.

TxDOT filed a combined plea to the jurisdiction and no-evidence motion for summary judgment, which was later supplemented.1 Appellees subsequently [95]*95amended their petition twice and filed a response to TxDOT’s plea. On February 19, 2009, the trial court signed an order denying TxDOT’s combined plea and motion. TxDOT now appeals the trial court’s denial of its plea to the jurisdiction.

II. INTERLOCUTORY APPEAL AND Standard of Review

We have statutorily-conferred authority to review the trial court’s interlocutory order denying TxDOT’s plea to the jurisdiction. See Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem.Code Ann. § 51.014(a)(8) (Vernon 2008) (A party may appeal an interlocutory order that “grants or denies a plea to the jurisdiction by a governmental unit.... ”). Appellate courts strictly construe statutes authorizing interlocutory appeals. See State v. Fiesta Mart, Inc., 233 S.W.3d 50, 54 (Tex.App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 2007, pet. denied). Subsection 51.014(a)(8) authorizes an appeal only when the trial court grants or denies a plea to the jurisdiction. An appellate court must consider challenges to the trial court’s subject-matter jurisdiction on interlocutory appeal, regardless of whether such challenges were presented to or determined by the trial court. See Waco Indep. Sch. Dist. v. Gibson, 22 S.W.3d 849, 850-51 (Tex.2000).2

We review the trial court’s ruling on a plea to the jurisdiction de novo. Tex. Dep’t of Parks & Wildlife v. Miranda, 133 S.W.3d 217, 228 (Tex.2004). In a plea to the jurisdiction, a party may challenge either the pleadings or existence of jurisdictional facts. Id. at 226-27; see also Rebecca Simmons & Suzette Kinder Patton, Plea to the Jurisdiction: Defining the Undefined, 40 St. Mary’s L.J. 627, 651-52 (2009).

When a defendant challenges the plaintiffs pleadings, the court’s determination turns on whether the pleader has alleged facts sufficient to demonstrate subject-matter jurisdiction. Miranda, 133 S.W.3d at 226. To make this determination, courts should glean the pleader’s intent and construe the pleadings liberally in favor of jurisdiction. Id. If the pleadings do not contain facts sufficient to affirmatively demonstrate the trial court’s jurisdiction, but do not affirmatively demonstrate incurable defects in jurisdiction, the issue is one of pleading sufficiency and plaintiffs should be afforded an opportunity to amend. Id. at 226-27. If the pleadings affirmatively negate jurisdiction, a plea may be granted without allowing plaintiffs an opportunity to amend. Id. at 227. The opportunity to amend pleadings that are insufficient to establish, but do not [96]*96affirmatively negate, jurisdiction arises after a court determines the pleadings are insufficient. White v. Robinson, 260 S.W.3d 463, 475-76 (Tex.App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 2008, pet. granted) (citing Tex. A & M Univ. Sys. v. Koseoglu, 233 S.W.3d 835, 839-40 (Tex.2007)).

When a defendant challenges the existence of jurisdictional facts, we consider relevant evidence submitted by the parties. Miranda, 133 S.W.3d at 227. We take as true all evidence favorable to the nonmovant and indulge every reasonable inference and resolve any doubts arising from such evidence in the nonmovant’s favor. Id. at 228. If the relevant evidence is undisputed or a fact question is not raised relative to the jurisdictional issue, the trial court rules on the plea to the jurisdiction as a matter of law. Id. If the evidence creates a fact question regarding the jurisdictional issue, the trial court cannot grant the plea, and the fact issue will be resolved by the fact finder. Id. at 227-28.

When resolution of an issue requires interpretation of a statute, we review under a de novo standard. Mokkala v. Mead, 178 S.W.3d 66, 70 (Tex.App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 2005, pet. denied). In construing a statute, our objective is to determine and give effect to the legislature’s intent. See Nat’l Liab. & Fire Ins. Co. v. Allen, 15 S.W.3d 525, 527 (Tex.2000). If possible, we must ascertain that intent from the language the legislature selected and should not refer to extraneous matters for intent not expressed in the statute. Id. If the meaning of the statutory language is unambiguous, we adopt the interpretation supported by the plain meaning of the words. St. Luke’s Episcopal Hosp. v. Agbor, 952 S.W.2d 503, 505 (Tex.1997).

III. Analysis

TxDOT contends the trial court lacks jurisdiction over appellees’ claims because they cannot demonstrate TxDOT’s sovereign immunity has been waived. Disposition of whether immunity has been waived is governed by the Texas Tort Claims Act (“TTCA”). See Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Ann. §§ 101.001-.109 (Vernon 2005 & Supp. 2009).

A. Texas Tort Claims Act

Under our common law, sovereign or governmental immunity defeat a trial court’s subject-matter jurisdiction. See Harris County v. Sykes,

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Bluebook (online)
316 S.W.3d 89, 2010 Tex. App. LEXIS 4457, 2010 WL 2361421, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/texas-department-of-transportation-v-olivares-texapp-2010.