Travelers Insurance Co. v. Wyatt

488 S.W.2d 897, 1972 Tex. App. LEXIS 2371
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 12, 1972
DocketNo. 8097
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 488 S.W.2d 897 (Travelers Insurance Co. v. Wyatt) 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. Wyatt, 488 S.W.2d 897, 1972 Tex. App. LEXIS 2371 (Tex. Ct. App. 1972).

Opinions

DAVIS, Justice.

A compensation case. Appellee, Jimmie Lee Wyatt, was injured in the course of his employment for Dickey Clay Manufacturing Company, hereinafter referred to as “employer,” in Texarkana, Bowie County, Texas, on August 19, 1968. He was carried to Dr. W. B. Harrell, M.D., who im[898]*898mediately treated him for the injury. After medical treatment, including physiotherapy treatments, appellee was released for work on October IS, 1968. Appellee continued to work for his employer at the same kind of work that he was doing at the time of the injury until April 9, 1969, when he told his foreman that his leg was hurting him again. He was sent back to Dr. Harrell. There was no complaint about his leg hurting him at any time while he was on the job from October 15, 1968, until April 9, 1969. Dr. Harrell examined the appellee and said that he could not find anything wrong with him except maybe his knee was a little stiff and there was a little tenderness in the old scar. He sent him back to the physiotherapist who gave him a few treatments and he was released to go back to work about two weeks later. Appellee went back to work for his employer and did the same kind of work until March 16, 1970. During the course of work he did not complain to his foreman or to the employer about his leg hurting him or his suffering any disability whatever.

Appellee did not return to work after March 16, 1970. On March 27, 1970, he went to see Dr. C. G. Smith, M.D., an Orthopedic surgeon in Texarkana, Texas. According to the report that appellee gave Dr. Smith, he had received an old injury to his leg and had recently received a new injury. Dr. Smith wrote a letter to the Industrial Accident Board June 16, 1970, in which he stated: “He re-injured his knee doing the same kind of work shortly before he was seen in my office.” In Dr. Smith’s summary and conclusion he said: “This patient has had two injuries to his knee.”

Appellee alleged that he had filed his claim with the Industrial Accident Board more than six months after the injury and that a good cause existed therefor. He alleged that the doctors had told him that he would be all right and that he believed what they said. As to whether or not the doctors told him that he would be all right, appellee signed a written statement on September 13, 1968, which reads as follows:

“9-12-68 Texarkana, Texas
“My name is Jimmie Lee Wyatt, age SO, married and reside at Route 4, Box 614, Texarkana, Ark. Phone 645-2125. This is out highway 67 and hit (sic) F.R. 296. I have been employed with the Dickey Clay Mfg. Co. for about two years. My average weekly wage is $70.00. Before that I was employed with H. E. Wright Const. Co. for twelve years. I elect to take my coverage of workmen’s compensation under the Arkansas Comp. law. I live 25 miles out and I am having to come to the doctor each day since I got hurt and I have missed only three days. This does not count Sunday. On August 19, 1968, about 9:30 P.M. right after the supper break, I was taking a 24"' pipe off the line and the chain broke, the pipe fell and hit my leg. This was my left leg and I was taken right on to the emergency room of Wadley Hospital. I have been going to Dr. Harrell and he has sent me to Dr. Smith for physical therapy. Dr. Harrell said if I did not go I would have a stiff leg. I have been going every day for the treatment and this should continue through next week. I have read the above statement and it is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.
/s/ Jimmie Wyatt”

This shows that appellee knew that he was entitled to Workmen’s Compensation benefits and that he would have to do something toward filing a claim to get it. This statement was signed less than a month after the injury.

When appellee did file his claim for Workmen’s Compensation, if he did file such claim, he filed it against The Travelers Insurance Company, as the Insurer, with the Industrial Accident Board of the State of Texas. The Industrial Accident Board granted him leave to file the claim late and granted him certain compensation [899]*899benefits. Appellant perfected its appeal and filed suit in the District Court of Bowie County, Texas.

Appellee filed an answer and a cross-action. Appellant filed an answer which was verified under Rule 93, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure in which it alleged that there was no good cause for not filing the claim with the Industrial Accident Board within six months period provided by statute. Rule 93, Sec. (n)(2), (7) T.R.C.P. Appellant alleged in this verified pleading, that the claim for Workmen’s Compensation was not filed with the Industrial Accident Board of the State of Texas within six months from the date of the claimed accidental injury, and that good cause did not exist for the failure to file the claim for Workmen’s Compensation before the Industrial Accident Board of the State of Texas within six months from the date of injury and denied that good cause existed up until the time said claim was filed.

The case was tried before a jury. Ap-pellee did not prove the date of the filing of his claim for Workmen’s Compensation with the Industrial Accident Board at all. Under the pleadings, we think the proof of the date of filing of the claim for Workmen’s Compensation is mandatory. Anyway, the jury answered all special issues in favor of the appellee. Appellant has perfected its appeal and brings forward five points of error.

Appellant says the trial court erred in holding that the appellee established good cause for delay in the filing of his claim for Workmen’s Compensation; in holding that the appellee established that good cause for delay in the filing of his claim for Workmen’s Compensation existed until such time as the claim was filed; in holding that the appellee established that good cause for delay in the filing of his claim for Workmen’s Compensation existed until such time as the claim was filed when there was no showing in the record as to the date when such claim was filed; in holding that the trial court was vested with jurisdiction to determine this cause since the appellee failed to establish that good cause for delay in the filing of this claim for Workmen’s Compensation existed until such time as the claim was filed in view of appellant’s verified denial of the filing of such claim with the Industrial Accident Board within six months from the date of the claimed accidental injury; and, in holding that the trial court was vested with jurisdiction to determine this cause since the appellee failed to establish that good cause for delay in the filing of his claim for Workmen’s Compensation existed until the date the claim was filed in view of appellant’s verified denial of the existence of good cause for delay in the filing of such claim until it was filed.

After all of the evidence had been presented by both sides, after both sides had rested, and before the trial judge had read his written charge to the jury, appellant, as defendant, made its motion for an instructed verdict for the following reasons and upon the following grounds:

“Plaintiff’s evidence has failed to show the date upon which a claim was filed with the Industrial Accident Board of the State of Texas, in the face of a verified denial of a timely filing of such claim within six months of the injury, and consequently there is logically no possible way for the plaintiff to have shown by the evidence that good cause for failure to file his claim existed up until the time of the actual filing of same with the Industrial Accident Board.

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Bluebook (online)
488 S.W.2d 897, 1972 Tex. App. LEXIS 2371, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/travelers-insurance-co-v-wyatt-texapp-1972.