Opinion ID: 476289
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Public Policy of Texas.

Text: 17 In refusing to extend immunity as a matter of comity, the district court was influenced by its determination that under the Texas Tort Claims Act, 16 a Texas county would not have been immune had it, rather than the Arkansas County, been the defendant in this very same matter. From this determination, the district court concluded that the public policy of Texas was at odds with extending immunity to Miller County and therefore, comity was improper. 18 With all due respect to the district court, we find this line of reasoning flawed in both its premise and conclusion. First, it is not at all clear that the Texas Tort Claims Act would in any way immunize a Texas county had it been the defendant in this matter. The Texas Tort Claims Act is a limited waiver of sovereign immunity with respect to injuries caused by the State or its subdivisions arising from the operation or use of a motor-driven vehicle [or] motor-driven equipment. 17 Although no Texas court has confronted the question, it is possible that the terms motor-driven vehicle and motor-driven equipment do not include helicopters. 18 If these terms were so interpreted, a Texas county would be completely immune from any suit involving a helicopter accident. Indeed, even if the Tort Claims Act would have applied, the waiver in that act is limited to $100,000 per person injured 19 --substantially less than the jury awarded Barry Lee in this case. It is beyond question that Texas continues to recognize the virtues of sovereign immunity from actions such as the one at issue. Had the defendant in this action been a Texas county, it is clear that it would have been completely or partially immune. Therefore, it would not be repugnant to the public policy of Texas for a Texas court to extend immunity to Miller County in this case. Even if a Texas county would not have been completely immune--a question that does not admit of a clear answer--it could hardly be said that extending immunity would be so at odds with Texas public policy as to be violative of good morals [or] natural justice. 20