Travelers Insurance Co. v. Marmolejo

374 S.W.2d 280, 1963 Tex. App. LEXIS 1928
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 25, 1963
DocketNo. 7297
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 374 S.W.2d 280 (Travelers Insurance Co. v. Marmolejo) 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
Travelers Insurance Co. v. Marmolejo, 374 S.W.2d 280, 1963 Tex. App. LEXIS 1928 (Tex. Ct. App. 1963).

Opinion

NORTHCUTT, Justice.

This is a workman’s compensation case in which the jury found appellee totally incapacitated for a period of eighty weeks and temporarily incapacitated for a period of one hundred weeks. Appellee alleged that on March 21, 1960, while employed by Conner Construction Company and in the course of his employment for said company in unloading steel pipe a heavy joint of pipe suddenly swung around and struck the ap-pellee on the left leg with such force that both leg bones were broken just above the ankle. He then alleged these injuries extended to and affected other portions of his body setting out the many effects and suffering and that the injuries were such that he was totally disabled. Appellee did not seek compensation for any specific injury but sought to recover upon his being totally and permanently disabled by reason of an extension of the effects of his injuries into his body generally.

It is undisputed that appellee was injured while in the course of his employment and it is admitted that appellant paid appellee as compensation herein $35 per week for a period of sixty-nine weeks, a total of $2,415. Appellant pleaded appellee’s disability, if any, wholly terminated at the expiration of the sixty-nine weeks and that such disability that appellee ever had was temporary and partial and caused solely by tem[281]*281porary partial disability and incapacity to appellee’s left foot and was confined to the left foot and did not extend to or affect any other portion of his body.

The case was submitted to a jury upon thirty-one special issues. We will refer only to the issues here in question. The first issue submitted to the jury was as follows: “Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that the injury to plaintiff’s foot on March 21, 1960, extended to or affected parts of the body other than the foot, thereby causing incapacity?” The jury answered “Yes.”

Appellant presented three objections to the submission of Special Issue One and all three were overruled by the trial court. The three objections were as follows:

“Defendant objects to the submission of Special Issue No. 1, in the Court’s Charge, and more specifically objects to that portion of Special Issue No. 1, which inquires whether the injury to plaintiff’s foot extended to or affected parts of the body, because under the law said issue should read ‘extended to and affected’ and therefore is improper and prejudicial to this defendant.”
“Defendant further objects to Special Issue No. 1 because the same is too general, and if answered in the affirmative would not make liability upon this defendant for any general injury, because an affirmative answer to the same could mean that the injury extended to the leg, or the foot, or other parts of the body and defendant would not know what his liability was based upon. Defendant further objects to Special Issue No. 1 because the same is not an ultimate issue.”
“Defendant further objects to Special Issue No. 1, because an affirmative answer to the same would not be sufficient to hold defendant liable for a general injury, and if answered ‘Yes’, would not establish an ultimate fact upon which a judgment could be based.”

The first three points of error presented here complain of the overruling of those objections. Since all three of these points of error are germane to the same matter and were presented together, we will determine them together.

Appellee presented his case upon the theory that the injury to his left foot extended to and affected other portions of his body which resulted in total and permanent incapacity and disability. Appellant’s first objection is that in submitting whether the injury extended to or affected parts of the body was error because it should have been extended to and affected as required under the law. (Emphases ours.) In the case of Lumbermen’s Mut. Casualty Co. v. Zinn, 220 S.W.2d 906, the issue was submitted “or” instead of “and”. That issue was approved in the Zinn case and a writ was refused by the Supreme Court. We overrule appellant’s first point of error.

Under appellant’s second assignment of error it is contended Issue One is too general because an affirmative answer could mean the injury extended to the leg or other parts of the body and the appellant would not know what his liability was based upon. As we see this issue, it is not whether the injury affected an arm or the back or any specific part of the body but whether the injury affected any portion of the body so as to cause incapacity. If the injury caused incapacity, it is immaterial what portion of the body was affected. The Supreme Court in the case of Denbow v. Standard Acc. Ins. Co., 143 Tex. 455, 186 S.W.2d 236, suggested a very simple manner of presenting such an issue. That suggestion was as follows: “Did the injury, if any, to Denbow’s left wrist affect parts of his body other than his hand and wrist, thereby causing disability?” It is said in the case of General Accident Fire & Life Assur. Corp. v. Murphy, Tex.Civ.App., 339 S.W.2d 392 (NRE) as follows:

“Of course, if the injury and its effects are limited to a specific member, compensation is limited to that pre[282]*282scribed for loss' of br injury to the specific member. If, however, the injury to the specific member extends to the body generally, or perhaps it is more accurate to state, if the effects of the injury extend to other parts of the bo'dy and cause disability, compensation is recoverable for the disability thus caused to the other part of the body affected. Meyer v. Great American Indemnity Co., 154 Tex. 408, 279 S.W.2d 575; Consolidated Underwriters v. Langley, 141 Tex. 78, 170 S.W.2d 463.”

Appellant’s second point of error is overruled.

Appellant’s third point of error contends that Special Issue No. One does not establish an ultimate fact. As to appellee’s cause of action, the ultimate fact is whether the injury affected other parts of his body as to cause incapacity. The jury found the injury affected other parts of ap-pellee’s body than the foot thereby causing incapacity. Great American Indemnity Co. v. Sams, 142 Tex. 121, 176 S.W.2d 312 (Supreme Court) it is stated :

“The trial court properly refused to submit the requested issue. One of the controlling, issues made by the pleadings and proof was whether the injury was general or specific. Compensation for a specific injury is provided ip, .Section 12 of the. compensation law, Vernon’s Ann.Civ.St. art. 8306,. but if the . injury affects other portions . of the,. -body and;causes incapacity, compensa-.. tion.is recoverable and may exceed the amount provided for in Section 12; for in such case the injury is general and not confined to the specific member .as provided .in. Section 12. Consolidated Underwriters v. Langley, [141 Tex. 78] 170 S.W.2d 463.

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Related

Texas Employers Insurance Ass'n v. Smith
469 S.W.2d 486 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1971)
Travelers Insurance Company v. Marmolejo
383 S.W.2d 380 (Texas Supreme Court, 1964)
TEXAS EMPLOYERS'INSURANCE ASSOCIATION v. Charles
381 S.W.2d 664 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1964)

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374 S.W.2d 280, 1963 Tex. App. LEXIS 1928, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/travelers-insurance-co-v-marmolejo-texapp-1963.