Western Fire & Indemnity Company v. Bradshaw

356 S.W.2d 832, 1962 Tex. App. LEXIS 2406
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 2, 1962
Docket7119
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 356 S.W.2d 832 (Western Fire & Indemnity Company v. Bradshaw) 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
Western Fire & Indemnity Company v. Bradshaw, 356 S.W.2d 832, 1962 Tex. App. LEXIS 2406 (Tex. Ct. App. 1962).

Opinion

DENTON, Chief Justice.

This is a Workmen’s Compensation case. In response to special issues the jury found the claimant, Barbara C. Bradshaw, was totally disabled for a period of 260 weeks. Judgment was entered in accordance with the jury findings, payable in a lump sum. Appellee was an employee of the Methodist *833 Hospital in Lubbock, Texas, and alleged she was injured on January 6, 1960 while in the course of her employment. She alleged she received injuries to her lumbo sacral and cervical spine when she tripped and fell over an electrocardiograph machine. Following her fall, she was admitted to the hospital for a period of ten days. Two days after her release she was readmitted and was hospitalized for an additional 22 days. During these periods of time, Mrs. Bradshaw was given various types of treatment including physical therapy, shots and X-Rays under the supervision of several different doctors, including a psychiatrist. She resumed her employment on or about March 1, 1960, and worked until July of that year, at which time her employment was terminated by her employer. Appellant brings forward no points of error which contend the verdict is not supported by the evidence.

Appellant first complains of the action of the trial court in sustaining ap-pellee’s objection to the admission of a portion of a hospital record of appellee dated June 4, 1957. Appellant takes the position the record is admissible as a business record under Art. 3737e, Vernon’ Ann. Civ.St. Appellee’s objection was to the effect the hospital record constituted hearsay, and its admission would deprive ap-pellee of cross examination of the doctor making the entries. The proper predicate was laid for the introduction of the record by testimony of the medical record librarian of the hospital. The portion of the record appellant sought to^ introduce into evidence read as follows: “Reporting pt. complains /e headaches, pain in lower extremities — free movement of neck — reflexes normal — pt. still going to school— recommend a brain wave and see a psychiatrist. Dr. Stiles/MM.”

The rule is now well settled that by the enactment of Art. 3737e the legislature intended to create an exception to the hearsay rule. Travis Life Ins. Co. v. Rodriguez (Tex.Civ.App.) 326 S.W.2d 256 (refused n. r. e.). In addition to holding business records under Art. 3737e are exceptions to the hearsay rule, the Rodriguez case held: “It is our opinion that Art. 3737e should be interpreted and construed so as to authorize the admission in evidence of the hospital records, including the diagnosis of leukemia shown thereon * * In refusing a writ in the Rodriguez case with the notation “no reversible error,” the Supreme Court filed a per curiam opinion expressly approving the construction of Art. 3737e placed on it by the Austin Court of Civil Appeals. As far as we are able to determine this is the only direct expression of the Supreme Court on the admissibility of hospital records under this statute. Under authority of the Rodriguez case we conclude the hospital record in question was clearly admissible. See also Missouri Pacific Railroad Co. v. Watson (Tex.Civ.App.) 346 S.W.2d 640 (refused n. r. e.) ; State Automobile & Casualty Underwriters v. Reagan (Tex.Civ.App.) 337 S.W.2d 522 (no writ history).

It appears that the Rodriguez case goes further in holding a diagnosis of leukemia is admissible than we are required to hold in the instant case. We question whether or not the statement before us contains a diagnosis as such. It may be argued the notation “ * * * recommend a brain wave and see a psychiatrist” implies a diagnosis of a mental problem. If this be so, we remain of the opinion the statement is admissible under the Rodriguez case. We see no distinction, in respect to the admissibility, between a diagnosis of leukemia and a diagnosis of a mental problem. We agree with the conclusion expressed by the court in Missouri Pacific Railroad Co. v. Watson, supra, that the opinion and the Supreme Court’s approval of the opinion in the Rodriguez case did not limit the ad-missibilty of diagnostic reports to those cases where the diagnosis is the one about which physicians ordinarily do not differ.

Even though we think the doctor’s statement was clearly admissible, the exclusion of the report was harmless. Appellee was extensively cross examined concerning her *834 examination and treatment by Dr. Stiles in 1957. Although she was vague about the details of that injury, she attached very little significance to the injury she admitted she suffered at that time. To be able to rebut the appellee on this question would be of very little significance in view of the vagueness of her testimony concerning the 1957 occurrence. The statement indicated she remained in school, and the evidence is uncontradicted that the injury did not interfere with her high school activities, which included various forms of athletics. Dr. Royce C. Lewis, one of the treating doctors and a witness for appellant, testified that Mrs. Bradshaw’s back “was essentially objectively normal and that any of her complaints were most likely on an emotional basis and I felt that Dr. Miller needed to continue treatment. As a matter of fact, I told them for some reason if they didn’t like Dr. Miller or didn’t like me or something, to find another doctor but that I thought she should have psychiatric care.” This testimony, along with other evidence admitted, is cumulative of the statement in the excluded record.

In determining whether or not harm was done by the exclusion of the report, we must look to the whole case. After considering the statement of facts including the medical testimony both for and against the appellee, and the lay witnesses who testified concerning her condition, together with the excluded evidence, we conclude that the exclusion of the hospital record of 1957 did not under the facts of this case amount to such a denial of the rights of the appellant as was reasonably calculated to cause and probably did cause the rendition of an improper judgment in the case. Rule 434, Texas Rules Civ.Proc.

Appellant’s next three points of error complain of improper jury argument made by counsel for appellee. It is well settled that before a judgment is reversed because of argument of counsel two things must appear: the argument must be improper, and it must be such as to cause and probably did cause the rendition of an improper judgment in the case. Aultman v. Dallas Ry. & Terminal Co., 152 Tex. 509, 260 S.W.2d 596. As appellant made no objections to the arguments here complained of, we must also view these arguments in the light of the rule that requires timely objections to the improper argument on penalty of waiver, if the offending argument is “curable.” Ramirez v. Acker, 134 Tex. 647, 138 S.W.2d 1054; Wade v. Texas Employers’ Ins. Ass’n, 150 Tex. 557, 244 S.W.2d 197.

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356 S.W.2d 832, 1962 Tex. App. LEXIS 2406, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/western-fire-indemnity-company-v-bradshaw-texapp-1962.