Texas Employers Ins. Ass'n v. Warren

149 S.W.2d 182, 1941 Tex. App. LEXIS 130
Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided March 6, 1941·No. No. 2294.·Published·Cited by 4 cases

Opinion

TIREY, Justice.

. This - is a workmen’s compensation case. Appellee brought this suit to set aside an award of the Industrial Accident Board, denying him any recovery on his claim filed before said Board. He sued for a recovery of compensation for 401 weeks and alleged that he was entitled to have the appellant redeem its liability in a lump sum. The jury returned a verdict on special issues, upon which verdict the trial court (after consideration of motion for judgment on the verdict by appellant and upon motion made by appellee and notice under Art. 2211, Vernon’s Annotated Civil Statutes, as amended in 1931, Acts 42nd Leg., ch. 77, p. 119, sec. 1, to disregard jury finding to Special Issue No. 16 of the court’s charge, and appellee’s admission that he was entitled to a weekly compensation rate of only $7 per week, the minimum amount allowed according to law, the jury having answered all other issues favorable to appellee) entered judgment in favor of appellee and against appellant for a lump sum calculated at the minimum wage rate of $7 per week.

Appellant’s first proposition is: .“Where the evidence shows that the claim for compensation was filed over two and one-half years after the alleged injury, and the only excuse was (1) that he did not. *183 know the seriousness of his injury, hut his evidence and that of his doctor and the jury found he became totally disabled eight days after such injury, and (2) that settlement negotiations were being had, and the evidence showed the only offer during the two and one-half years was $25.00, the court erred in not sustaining appellant’s motion for an instructed verdict.” We overrule this assignment. Appellee pleaded, in part, substantially as follows: That he was injured on or about October 28, 1936, while engaged in the course of his employment for the Texas Power & Light Company, and that said injury originated and had to do with the business of said company, and that he sustained the injury while doing the usual and customary duties of said employer; that within thirty days of the date of said accident and resulting injuries to him, he notified his employer, and that claim for compensation was filed with the Industrial Accident Board of the State of Texas within six months from the date of said injury. In the alternative, he alleged good cause for failure to file notice and claim within the time stated. Appellant, on October 23, 1939 (two days before this cause went to trial, all parties having announced ready), filed its first amended original answer, which pleading, among other things, denied under oath (for the first time) the allegations, in appellee’s petition that notice of injury was given within thirty days and that this claim for compensation was filed within six months. Ap-pellee, by special exceptions, seasonably invoked the provisions of Art. 8307b, Vernon’s Annotated Civil Statutes '(Acts 1937, 45 Leg., pp. 53’5, 536, ch. 261, sec. 2), to the verified plea filed by appellant. The court overruled said exceptions and the cause proceeded to trial on its merits. As we understand the provisions and effect of the above article of the statute, appellant admitted the truth of the allegations as to (1) notice of injury, and (2) claim for, compensation, by failing to deny them by verified pleadings, filed not less than seven days before the cause proceeded to trial. Traders & General Ins. Co. v. Porter, Tex.Civ.App., 124 S.W.2d 900, point 1, page 902, writ refused. See also Bedner v. Federal Underwriters Exchange, Tex.Civ.App., 133 S.W.2d 214, point 7, page 217. Said statute, in part, provides that “such denial may be made in original or amended pleadings; but if in amended pleadings such must be filed not less than seven days before the case proceeds to trial.” The verified pleading in this cause was filed only two days before it proceeded to trial. “The general rule is that where the cause of action and remedy for its enforcement are derived not from the common law but from the statute, the statutory provisions are mandatory and exclusive * * Mingus v. Wadley, 115 Tex. 551, 285 S.W. 1084, point 2, page 1087. We therefore hold that the failure of appellant to comply with the provisions of the above article of the statute concluded the issue of good cause raised by it by a legal presumption. *It necessarily follows that appellant’s fourth proposition, which complains of the court’s definition of good cause, is without merit. It likewise follows that appellant’s third proposition, to the effect that the finding of the jury that good cause existed for not filing a claim for compensation for over two and one-half years after the alleged accident was against the preponderance of the evidence, becomes immaterial.

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Texas Employers Ins. Ass'n v. Warren, 149 S.W.2d 182, 1941 Tex. App. LEXIS 130 (Tex. Ct. App. 1941).

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