United Employers Casualty Co. v. Bezdek

146 S.W.2d 473
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 19, 1940
DocketNo. 11173.
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 146 S.W.2d 473 (United Employers Casualty Co. v. Bezdek) 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
United Employers Casualty Co. v. Bezdek, 146 S.W.2d 473 (Tex. Ct. App. 1940).

Opinion

GRAVES, Justice.

This appeal — in a compensation case — is from a $6,118.05 judgment against the appellant and in favor of the appellee, entered by the 10th District Court of Galveston County, both in response to a jury’s verdict on special issues, submitted and upon independent 'findings of the court itself from the evidence, as for total, permanent disability resulting to the appellee from an injury received by him on May 24, 1939, in Galveston County, Texas, while in the course of his employment as an oil well worker for Glenn H. McCarthy, Inc., for which the appellant was the compensation insurer.

The special issues, together with the jury’s answers thereto, were as follows:

“Special Issue No. 1. Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that cross-plaintiff, Joe Bezdek, on or about the 24th day of May, 1939, was employed by Glenn H. McCarthy, Inc., in drilling an oil well in Galveston County, Texas?
“Answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’, as you find the facts to be.
“Special Issue No. 2. Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that on the date in question the United Employers Casualty Company was carrying a valid policy of Workmen’s Compensation Insurance for the benefit of Joe Bezdek as an employee, if he was such employee, of Glenn H. McCarthy, Inc., to compensate him in the event of personal injury, if any, which he might sustain while employed by Glenn H. McCarthy, Inc., in drilling an oil well in Galveston County, Texas, if he was so employed?
“Answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’, as you find the facts to be.
“Special Issue No. 3. Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that on the date in question Joe Bezdek in the course of his employment in drilling an oil well in Galveston County, Texas, if he was so employed, received personal injuries?
“In this connection you are instructed that the term ‘Personal Injuries’, as used above, means damage or harm to the physical structure of the body and such disease or infection as naturally result therefrom.
“Answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’, as you find the facts to be.
“Special Issue No. 4. Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that such injury, if any, totally incapacitated Joe Bezdek to labor?
“In this connection you are instructed that the term ‘totally incapacitated’, as used above, means that the injured man, if injured, is disqualified from performing the usual tasks of a workman in such way as to enable him to procure and retain employment at ordinary work. The term does not imply an absolute disability to perform any kind of labor, but means disqualified from performing the usual tasks of a workman in such a way as to enable him to procure and retain employment.
“You will answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’, as you find the facts to be.
“Special Issue No. 5. Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that the result of his injuries, if any, is permanent?
“In this connection, you are instructed that the term ‘permanent’ means that such results, if any, will continue for the rest of his life.
*475 “You will answer ‘Yes’ or 'No’, as you find the facts to be.
“Special Issue No. 6. If you have answered Yes to Special Issue No. 4 do not answer this issue, but if you have answered No to No. 4, then answer'this issue.
“Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that such injury, if any, partially incapacitated Joe Bezdek from labor?
“In this connection you are instructed that the term ‘partially incapacitated’, as used above, means that the man is able to perform only a part of his regular labor and that his earning capacity has been reduced partially but substantially.
“Answer by giving the per cent of incapacity or by No, as you find the facts to be.
“Special Issue No. 7. If you have answered No to Special Issue No. 6, do not answer this issue, but if you have answered by giving per cent of disability, then answer this issue.
“How long will the partial disability, if any, continue?
“Answer by giving the number of weeks, if any.
“Special Issue No. 8. If you have answered Yes to Special Issue No. 3, then answer this issue, otherwise do not answer.
“From a preponderance of the evidence what do you find to be the average weekly wage of Joe Bezdek at the time of his injury, if any? You multiply the average daily wage as found by a preponderance of the evidence by 300 and divide by 52.
“You will answer by stating the amount in dollars and cents.
“Special Issue No. 9. If you have answered Yes to Special Issues 4 and 5, answer this issue, but if you have answered No to either No. 4 or 5, do not answer this issue.
“Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that manifest hardship and injustice would result if a lump sum settlement of existing liability, if any, be not made?
“Answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’, as you find the facts to be.
“Special Issue No. 10. If you have answered ‘Yes’ to Special Issue No. 9, answer this issue, but if you have answered No to Special Issue No. 9, do not answer this issue.
“What do you find from a- preponderance of the evidence is the present value of the sum of money due to Joe Bezdek, if any, if paid at this time instead of in weekly payments ?
“Answer by stating the amount in dollars and cents.
“Special Issue No. 11. From a preponderance of the evidence, how many weekly payments, if any, are now past due to Joe Bezdek, the cross-plaintiff?
“You will answer by giving the number of weekly payments, if any, as you find the facts to be.
“Answers.
“To each of the first five special issues the jury answered ‘Yes’.
“No answer was made to issues Six and Seven.
“To Special Issue No. Eight the answer was $34.61.
“To Special Issue No. 9 the jury answered ‘Yes’.
“To Special Issue No. 10, the jury answered, $7,280.00.
“The jury did not answer Special Issue No. 11.
“Whereupon in open court the cross-plaintiff filed a remittitur to reduce the amount of recovery by a lawful discount.”

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Bluebook (online)
146 S.W.2d 473, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-employers-casualty-co-v-bezdek-texapp-1940.