Travis v. Vandergriff

384 S.W.2d 936, 1964 Tex. App. LEXIS 2431
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 19, 1964
DocketNo. 4294
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 384 S.W.2d 936 (Travis v. Vandergriff) 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
Travis v. Vandergriff, 384 S.W.2d 936, 1964 Tex. App. LEXIS 2431 (Tex. Ct. App. 1964).

Opinion

TIREY, Justice.

This is a tort action wherein appellees recovered judgment against appellants for the death of their father in an automobile accident about May 3, 1963. Testimony was tendered to the effect that the accident occurred on highway 287 (two traffic lanes, one east — one west) approximately one mile west of Ennis, Texas; that appellants were enroute from Corsicana to Fort Worth; that the car driven by Mrs. Travis collided with John Petruy, father of appellees, on such highway, and that Petruy was injured in said accident and died in the hospital in Ennis about thirteen days later. After the parties rested the court presented its charge to the jury containing special issues regarding the primary negligence of Mrs. Travis, contributory negligence of Petruy and dis[937]*937covered peril and damages. The jury found primary negligence and proximate cause against Mrs. Travis, contributory negligence and proximate cause against Petruy, and discovered peril against Mrs. Travis. The court overruled appellants’ motion for judgment non obstante veredicto and granted appellees’ motion for judgment for the sum of $3727.80 because the jury had found against Mrs. Travis on discovered peril.

Appellants’ point one is:

“The trial court erred in refusing to grant appellants’ motion for mistrial after Wilhemina Dixie Vandergriff injected insurance into the case.”

We overrule this contention for reasons hereinafter briefly stated.

Mrs. Vandergriff was the eleventh witness tendered by the appellees in this cause, and her testimony was to the effect that Mr. Petruy was her father; that she was independent executrix of the estate; that she had paid the hospital and doctor bills incurred, as well as the funeral expenses; that her father’s eyesight was such that he could see, but not any great distance; that he took normal steps when he walked and did not use a cane; that he could walk but sometimes used a cane; that he kept his cane as some kind of “security stick”; that while she was at his bedside she recognized he was suffering pain, and also testified to the effect that her father had not eaten after he was injured. On cross-examination she testified to the effect that her father died on April 11th; that he walked to town many times; that he was on the way to his daughter’s house at the time he suffered the accident, from which he died; that the father did not contribute to her or the other children, but that they contributed some to his support and maintenance. Thereafter, counsel for appellants propounded the following questions to Mrs. Vandergriff:

“Q. Do you recall when you first thought about filing a lawsuit in this case?
“A. Yes, sir, I sure did. When the adjusters came by and offered so’ little that it was a disgrace, and I thought ‘If that is the best they can do, we sure will file suit.’ And I am sure they wouldn’t want the jury to know what they offered either.
* * * * * #
“Mr Beall: We move for a mistrial in the case. He was instructed — (counsel did not approach the bench to make such motion). (Parenthesis ours.)
“The Court: Overrule the objection. I instruct the jury to disregard that part of her answer that was not responsive-
“Q. So then you hired a lawyer ?' (emphasis added)
“A. Mr. Moore had drawn up my parents’ wills—
'“The Court: Now, you have answered him I think.”
Appellants in their brief say:
“This was an unresponsive answer to the question asked and appears to have been premeditated and intentionally made for the sole purpose of advising; the jury that the appellants are covered by insurance and to prejudice the minds of the jury against the insurance company.
“Before the commencement of the trial attorney for appellants presented its oral motion in limine requesting the court to order the appellees attorney to instruct the appellees and appellees’ witnesses not to mention or otherwise refer to the fact that the appellants are covered by liability insurance, which motion was granted and it was so ordered, * * * but in spite of the express order of the court, Mrs. Vandergriff burst forward unresponsively and advised the jury in no uncertain terms that adjusters had been out to see her in an attempt to settle the case and that the amount of money [938]*938offered in settlement was considered by the appellees to be a disgrace. It is bad enough that the appellee advised the jury that the appellants had ■ liability insurance coverage, let alone the additional fact that the insurance company had attempted to settle the case and pay Mr. Petruy’s alleged injuries, which is in itself reasonably calculated to inform the jury that the insurance company had, in effect, admitted liability for the injuries.
“The question asked by appellants’ attorney calls for a mere ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. There was no invitation by the appellants’ attorney for the witness to add an additional four lines of testimony.
“After this statement was made by Mrs. Vandergriff, appellants’ attorney duly and timely moved for a mistrial * * * but the court overruled the motion and merely instructed the jury to disregard that part of Mrs. Vander-griff’s answer that was not responsive * * * without having allowed the appellants’ attorney to continue his objection.”

The statement of facts does not show that appellants’ attorney made any effort to stop the witness from further answers at the end of the first sentence when she said, specifically:

“Yes, sir, I sure did.”

Nor does it show that appellant excepted to the ruling of the court, nor did he request further instructions from the trial court with reference to the answers made by the witness.

We have made a careful examination of the record as a whole with reference to the error complained of, and we are of the view that appellants have not carried their burden under Rules 434 and 503, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. In Walker v. Texas Employers’ Insurance Association, 155 Tex. 617, 291 S.W.2d 298, we find this statement: :

“The rule of ‘presumed prejudice’ has not prevailed in this state since the adoption of Rules 434 and 503, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, in 1941. Aultman v. Dallas Ry. & Terminal Co., 152 Tex. 509, 260 S.W.2d 596, 600.”

In the case at bar Mrs. Vandergriff, one of the plaintiffs, was being interrogated on cross-examination by appellants’ counsel with reference to the question as to when she first thought about filing this lawsuit; that question was wholly immaterial and irrelevant as to the cause of the injury, as to the liability, and as to the amount of damages. It does not ap-^ pear from the record just what counsel for appellants had in mind in asking the question. We think it fair to assume, although it is not shown by the record, that counsel knew that Mrs. Vandergriff had been contacted by appellants’ adjuster, and that the adjuster had failed to make a settlement.

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Bluebook (online)
384 S.W.2d 936, 1964 Tex. App. LEXIS 2431, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/travis-v-vandergriff-texapp-1964.