Traders' & General Ins. Co. v. Bailey

62 S.W.2d 696, 1933 Tex. App. LEXIS 1048
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 1, 1933
DocketNo. 12802
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 62 S.W.2d 696 (Traders' & General Ins. Co. v. Bailey) 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
Traders' & General Ins. Co. v. Bailey, 62 S.W.2d 696, 1933 Tex. App. LEXIS 1048 (Tex. Ct. App. 1933).

Opinions

LATTIMORE, Justice.

On September 14, 1931, appellee was injured while working for the Independent Crushed Stone Company, for which company appellant carried workmen’s compensation insurance. Some dynamite exploded driving bits of rock and dirt into appel-lee’s hand and arm and chest and knocking him unconscious, and on the trial of the case he contended it had injured the valvular action of his heart.

Without any order by the Industrial Accident Board, appellant began to pay ap-pellee compensation of $7 a week in accordance with the terms of the Workmen’s Compensation Law (Rev. St. 1925, art. 8306 et seq., as amended). In October the appellee was carried to a physician of the appellant’s "choosing who told appellee that, in his opinion, he (appellee) would suffer about eight weeks more of disability.

Appellee thereupon suggested that he would settle in full for $100, and signed a compensation settlement agreement on October 8, 1933 as follows:

“Compromise Settlement Agreement.
“Board No.-
“W. M. Bailey, Employee, vs. Independent Crushed Stone Co. Employer. Traders & General Insurance Company, Insurance Company.
“Whereas, on or about the 4th day of September, 1931, W. M. Bailey sustained injury while employed by Independent Crushed Stone Company, and on said date said Independent Crushed Stone Company was insured under the Employers’ Liability Act by the Traders & General Insurance Company, and
“Whereas, the facts and circumstances connected with and surrounding the inflic[697]*697tion. of said injury, make the liability of the Traders & General Insurance Company uncertain and indefinite, or incapable of being satisfactorily established, as is made apparent from the following:
“(Make statement of appropriate facts in this space.)
“Claimant alleges to have sustained serious and permanent injuries to his left hand, left arm, head, back, left side, as well as numerous other parts of his body while employed by Independent Crushed Stone Company on or about September 4, 1931.
“Claimant further contends that he is not able to perform his usual duties in as satisfactory a manner as prior to the injury, and will always be hindered to a great ex-‘ tent in the performance of any nature of manual labor, and while at this time the extent and duration of his injury and disability is unknown, there is a possibility of this injury resulting in permanent total disability.
“The Insurance company had paid claimant compensation for a period of four weeks at rate of $7.00 weekly but deny that they owe claimant any further sum, and in fact deny each and every allegation of claimant
“Insurance Company further contends that claimant is not disabled to the extent he claims and that he is able to perform the same work now that he has ever been able, and that he has only a small degree of permanent disability, if any.
“Whereas, the nature, extent and duration of said injury is uncertain and indefinite or incapable of being satisfactorily established, as is made apparent from the following:
“(Make statement of appropriate facts in this space.)
“In view of the questionable character of this employee’s claim, both from the standpoint of liability and the nature and extent of injury, the parties hereto, in order to save the costs of litigation, have entered into an arbitrary compromise settlement, whereby the claimant understands and agrees that by his acceptance of the amount -hereinafter mentioned, the Insurance Company will be fully and finally discharged and released from any and all claims on account of this employee’s alleged injury, and for any medical expense not authorized by the Insurance Company, whether such expense was incurred in the past or to be incurred in future.
“Claimant admits in making this settlement that he is not relying upon any statements, promises, or representations made by any doctor or agent of the Insurance Company, but is making this settlement on his own free will, without outside influences.
“[Signed] W. M. Bailey, Claimant.”

Appellee thereupon, at the request of appellant, wrote an application to be sent to the Industrial Accident Board as follows:

“Oct. 8-1931.
“Traders & General Ins — Dallas, Texas.
“This is to advise that in my opinion I was hurt worse than the doctors seemed to think and I believe I am entitled to $100.00 Hundred Dollars and if you will pay that amount I think it would be a fair settlement.
“I feel that I will be able to go back to work in the next two or 3 weeks.
“[Signed] W. M. Bailey.”

On the next day appellee wrote to the Industrial Accident Board as follows:

“Jacksboro, Texas. Oct. 9-1931.
“To State Board of Insurance, Austin, Texas.
“Dear Sirs: I am writing you in regard to my claim. I was examined by the insurance company’s doctors at Dallas and they failed to show me doctor report and was urged to make final settlement and I signed up an agreement to settle for one hundred dollars ($100.00), but my mind was tired at the time and I am not sure that I am satisfied with that agreement. I would like you to make investigation of my case and if you find that I have been cheated in signing this agreement please see that I get a square deal as I feel I am not competent-in making this settlement.
“Yours for a square deal, I am
“[Signed] W. M. Bailey.”

The settlement being brought to the attention of the board, it, on 'October 10, 1931, informally let appellant know that as and ■when the $100 was paid Bailey it would approve the settlement. Thereafter, on October 20, 1931, appellant paid to appellee the $100, the latter signing at the time of delivery of the money this document:

“Compromise Settlement Receipt.
“Industrial Accident Board, Austin, Texas.
“Notice: This receipt shall be executed in triplicate, one copy of which shall be kept by the employee, one copy by the insurance company, and one copy immediately filed with the Industrial Accident Board. Each space in receipt must be completely filled out and correctly dated at time of execution. Failure to observe above instructions will result in return of this receipt.
“Received of Traders & General Insurance Company the sum of $100.00 dollars and Number 00/100 cents in full compromise settlement, Number accord and satisfactory of all compensation and claims for compensation which I have or could have against it by reason of injuries received by me on or about the - day of September - 19— while in the [698]*698employ of Independent Crushed Stone Co.

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Related

Dixon Management Corp. v. Montfort
337 S.W.2d 738 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1960)
F. W. Newsome v. Hall
161 S.W.2d 629 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky (pre-1976), 1942)
Traders & General Insurance v. Bailey
94 S.W.2d 134 (Texas Supreme Court, 1936)

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Bluebook (online)
62 S.W.2d 696, 1933 Tex. App. LEXIS 1048, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/traders-general-ins-co-v-bailey-texapp-1933.