Court Opinion

ID: 9678198
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 06:14:01.129079+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:17:02.444781
License: Public Domain

ON MOTION FOR REHEARING
In his motion for rehearing Pool argues, among other things, that our disposition of this case was erroneous because driving while intoxicated was not an ultimate issue and could not have been a proximate cause of the accident. We disagree for the following reasons. First, the issue did not inquire merely if Pool was intoxicated; it asked if he was negligent in driving his pickup while intoxicated. Thus, the ultimate issue was negligence by reason of driving while intoxicated. Second, driving while intoxicated, as distinguished from in*914toxication alone, can be an ultimate issue and can be a proximate cause of an accident. Peveto v. Smith, 134 Tex. 308, 133 S.W.2d 572 (1939); Flanigan v. Texas & Pacific Railway Company, 273 S.W.2d 110 (Tex.Civ.App.—El Paso 1954, writ ref'd n.r.e.); Western Cotton Oil Co. v. Mayes, 245 S.W.2d 280 (Tex.Civ.App.—Eastland 1951, no writ); see also, 1 State Bar of Texas, Texas Pattern Jury Charges PJC 5.31 (1969); 13 Dorsaneo, Texas Litigation Guide § 300.04(2) (1986). Third, Pool did not object to the form of the negligence issue or the submission of the proximate cause issue conditioned upon it.
The motion for rehearing is respectfully overruled.