Court Opinion

ID: 9682734
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 13:15:34.881189+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:17:40.968087
License: Public Domain

On Motion for Rehearing.
We remain convinced that the judgment must be reversed and remanded for the error of the court in failing to submit to the jury a negligence issue applicable to the minor plaintiff, in connection with the issue of- negligence per se as applicable to the minor child, as raised in appellants’ fifteenth point. However, we have reached the conclusion that we were in error in our further holding that the court in defining proximate cause as applicable to the minor plaintiff, should instruct the jury that the element of foreseeability or anticipation should be measured by the age, intelligence, experience and capacity of the child involved. We based our decision upon what we deemed to ‘ be the holding of the Supreme Court in Dallas Ry. & Terminal Co. v. Rogers, 147 Tex. 617, 218 S.W.2d 456, but, after a careful review of that case, we have concluded that while the opinion did mention the fact that the court defined proximate cause as that which reasonably would have been anticipated by a person of ordinary prudence, and while the court also noted that respondents objected to these instructions, along with the court’s definition of negligence and proper lookout, it sbems :clear that what the Court had to say related to the degree of care required .of the child under the negligence issue, and not that the standard of care required should be repeated in the definition of proximate cause. Therefore, our opinion delivered on May 14, 1958, in this cause, insofar as it related to the court’s definition of proximate cause, is withdrawn and the following substituted in lieu thereof.
Appellants’ complaint, raised by several points, that the court in the definition of proximate cause as applied to the minor plaintiff, failed to incorporate therein an instruction that the injury, or some similar injury, reasonably would have been anticipated by a child of the age, intelligence, experience and capacity of said minor, is overruled.
In Dallas Ry. & Terminal Co. v. Black, 152 Tex. 343, 257 S.W.2d 416, 418, opinion by Justice Smedley, who also wrote the opinion in the Rogers case, supra, the Supreme Court had before it a case of a carrier of passengers, in which a high degree of care is required. The trial court gave the usual approved definition of proximate cause. The respondent objected to the charge on the ground that, as applied to the bus driver, it failed to encompass the high degree of care which the driver “must” exercise in reasonably foreseeing the result, and requested that the jury be instructed that the result, or some similar result, would have been reasonably foreseen by a person in the exercise of a high degree of care in the light of the attending circumstances. The trial court refused to give this charge. The Court of .Civil Appeals held that this was reversible error.
The Supreme Court, after noting that the approved definition had been subjected to criticism by some of the text writers,, said:
“However, notwithstanding the criticism, which seems to be well founded in part at least, the test used in the trial court’s definition and the definition including the element of foresee-ableness have been uniformly approved as the rule in this state. Texas & Pacific Railway Co. v. Bigham, 90 Tex. 223, 38 S.W. 162; Gulf, C. & S. F. Railway Co. v. Bennett, 110 Tex. 262, 219 S.W. 197; San Antonio & A. P. Railway Co. v. Behne, Tex.Com.App., 231 S.W. 354; City of Dallas v. Maxwell, Tex.Com.App., 248 S.W. 667, 27 A.L.R. 927; Gulf, C. & S. F. Railway Co. v. Ballew, Tex.Com.App., 66 S.W.2d 659; Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. v. Hardy, 131 Tex. 573,. *367117 S.W.2d 418; International-Great Northern R. Co. v. Lowry, 132 Tex. 272, 277-278, 121 S.W.2d 585; East Texas Motor Freight Lines v. Loftis, 148 Tex. 242, 247-248, 223 S.W.2d 613.”
After reviewing several of the authorities, the Court said:
“We believe that adoption of the definition suggested by respondent would tend to confuse jurors rather than to help them. Definitions given in connection with special issues should be simplified.. We approve the trial court’s action in overruling the objection to the definition of proximate cause and in refusing the requested definition.”
See also, Southland Greyhound Lines v. Cotton, 126 Tex. 596, 91 S.W.2d 326.
In Kirkpatrick v. Neal, Tex.Civ.App., 153 S.W.2d 519, 525, cited and approved by the Supreme Court in the Black case, supra, a suit under the guest statute, the appellant complained of the definition of proximate cause given in the charge, because it permitted a finding of proximate cause if the result should have been foreseen by a person of ordinary prudence rather than by a person acting in heedless and reckless disregard of the rights of others. In rejecting appellant’s contention the Court said:
“It is believed that as the term ‘proximate cause’ has a well settled and long established legal meaning, that such meaning in the language usually used in expressing same is all that is required in embodying same in a charge to the jury, and this without regard to the quality of the act of negligence alleged, this going only to the degree of relief authorized by law.”
In Hill v. Texas, New Mexico & Oklahoma Coaches, 153 Tex. 581, 272 S.W.2d 91, 92, opinion by Justice Smith, the trial court in the definition of proximate cause included therein the words: “and which result or some like result ought reasonably to have been anticipated or foreseen by a very competent, cautious and prudent person in the light of the attending circumstances.” The Supreme Court held that in this particular case the error in the definition became harmless, but further said:
“We recognize that a fact situation could arise where it would be reversible error to include the element of high degree of care in the definition of proximate cause and in order to avoid possible error resulting in a reversal we hold that the element of high degree of care should be omitted. Its proper place is in the definition ■ of negligence.”
Thus it is seen that the established and approved definition of proximate .cause has been adhered to in cases involving both the greater and lesser degrees of care than in ordinary negligence cases.
Appellee’s motion for rehearing is overruled. ' '