TEXAS EMPLOYERS'INSURANCE ASSOCIATION v. Waldon

392 S.W.2d 509
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 3, 1965
Docket91
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 392 S.W.2d 509 (TEXAS EMPLOYERS'INSURANCE ASSOCIATION v. Waldon) 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.

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TEXAS EMPLOYERS'INSURANCE ASSOCIATION v. Waldon, 392 S.W.2d 509 (Tex. Ct. App. 1965).

Opinion

DUNAGAN, Chief Justice.

This is a workman’s compensation suit brought in the District Court of Hopkins County, Texas, by appellee, F. H. Waldon, against appellant, Texas Employers’ Insurance Association, to recover workman compensation benefits for accidental injury while working for the subscriber-insured, M. J. Delaney Company.

A trial by jury resulted in a verdict upon which the court rendered judgment for ap-pellee for total-permanent benefits. Appellant’s amended motion for a new trial was overruled and this appeal therefrom has been timely perfected.

By its Point No. 1 appellant complains that “The court erred in refusing to set aside the verdict of the jury since it appeared that the jury was guilty of misconduct which amounted to material error in that during its deliberations, the jurors discussed, considered and were influenced by the consideration of the legal effect of their answers to the Special Issues submitted rather than a consideration of the competent evidence before them.”

The appellant further complains by its Point of Error No. 2 that “The court erred in refusing to set aside the verdict of the jury since it appeared that the jury was guilty of misconduct which amounted to material error in that during its de *512 liberations, a juror injected new and additional evidence relating his personal knowledge of the manner in which drillers’ reports were kept.”

Points of Error Nos. 1 and 2, being complaints for alleged jury misconduct, will be discussed together.

In its amended motion for a new trial, appellant alleged that the jury was guilty of misconduct while considering its verdict, and the affidavits of two jurors were attached to said motion. The trial court heard evidence on the motion and overruled it. No findings of fact or conclusions of law on the issue of misconduct were filed by the trial court, and none were requested.

Where no expressed findings are filed, it is presumed on appeal that the trial court found all controverted facts in support of its judgment and that no misconduct occurred. Brawley v. Bowen, 387 S.W.2d 383 (S.Ct.) 1965, and cases cited therein on this point; Bass v. Aransas County Independent School District, 389 S.W.2d 165 (Tex.Civ.App.) 1965, as of this time, no writ history.

Special Issue No. 1 inquired whether Waldon sustained an injury to his body on or about August 26, 1962, and Special Issue No. 6 inquired as to whether his total incapacity to labor, if any, was permanent or temporary, to each of which the jury answered “Yes” and “Permanent”, respectively.

Upon the hearing of the amended motion for a new trial, the only jurors testifying were Mrs. Jackie McGlamery, Mrs. T. J. Wright and H. E. Mays. Mrs. McGlamery and Mrs. Wright were called by the appellant and testified in substance that, while the jury was deliberating its verdict and before any issue had been answered, there was some discussion among the jurors as to how Issues Nos. 1 and 6 should be answered for the plaintiff to get his money. Mrs. McGlamery’s testimony, in part, on this point was as follows:

“Q. Mrs. McGlamery, before Special Issue No. 1 was ever answered by the jury, was there any discussion by the jurors with reference to how the issue ought to be answered in order for Mr. Waldon to get any money from the insurance company?
“A. Well, there was some discussion. <( * * *
“Q. Mrs. McGlamery, please state whether or not before Special Issue No. 1 was answered ‘Yes’, there was any discussion or statements made by any of the jurors in your presence that the question had to be answered ‘Yes’ or Waldon wouldn’t get his money from the insurance company?
“A. There was some discussion.
“Q. Well, weren’t there statements made to that effect, Mrs. McGlamery?
“A. Yes.
“Q. Now, do you know who made the statements ?
“A. No sir.
“Q. Was it made more than once? “A. I don’t recall.
* * *
“Q. * * * Mrs. McGlamery, do you recall whether or not before Special Issue No. 6 was answered by the jury, was it discussed among the jurors as to how it ought to be answered in order for Waldon to get his money?
“A. It was discussed that he had a permanent injury.
“Q. Was it discussed, Mrs. McGlam- • ery, that the question had to be answered ‘Permanent’ or Mr. Waldon would not get his money ?
“A. It had to be answered ‘Permanent’ by the jurors.
“Q. All right. Was there any discussion among the jurors, Mrs. Me- *513 Glamery, in your presence as to what would happen if it was answered ‘Temporary’ ?
“A. If it was answered ‘Temporary’, then he wouldn’t get anything.
* * *
“Q. Was it discussed by more than one juror?
“A. It was djscussed by all of them.
“Q. Mrs. McGlamery, do you recall how the jurors stood numerically before those statements were made ?
“A. No.
“Q. Was there a division among the jurors before the statement was made?
“A. No.
“Q. Was there a division among the jurors on Special Issue No. 1 before any of the discussion was made?
“A. There was some.
"Q. Do you recall what division that was?
“A, No sir.
« ‡ }|C ‡
“Q. After this discussion was held about the issue had to be answered ‘Permanent’, did all the jurors then vote to answer ‘Permanent’?
“A. Did they all vote ‘Permanent’ ?
“Q. Yes.
“A. Yes sir.”

Mrs. McGlamery further testified that she could not recall the name or names of the jurors who stated that Issue No. 6 had to be answered “permanent” or Waldon would not get his money.

On cross examination, Mrs. McGlamery testified that her answers to the issues were based upon the evidence and that alone, and that she did not consider any other matter whatsoever outside the evidence.

The testimony of the witness, Mrs. T. J. Wright, on this point was substantially the same as Mrs. McGlamery. Juror Mays testified he did not hear such statement or discussion. Mrs.

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392 S.W.2d 509, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/texas-employersinsurance-association-v-waldon-texapp-1965.