Court Opinion

ID: 9668973
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 02:35:01.536608+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:15:50.801088
License: Public Domain

HUGHES, Justice
(concurring).
In my opinion Mrs. Allison had a right to rely implicitly upon the alleged statement of Dr. Blewett regarding the removal of her appendix. He had superior and peculiar knowledge of the truthfulness of this statement. If Mrs. Allison had sustained any injury or damage as a result of reliance on this statement, then, in my opinion, she could recover.
Mrs. Allison did nothing to herself of a harmful nature as a result of reliance on the false statement attributed to Dr. Blewett. It is true that she imparted this information to another doctor in the course of his examination of her. This examination of Mrs. Allison by another doctor is in the nature of an independent investigation conducted by or for Mrs. Allison and, as a matter of law, she is charged with knowledge of all that a proper examination or investigation would have disclosed. Gray v. Williams, Tex.Civ.App., Beaumont, 290 S.W. 844.
It is undisputed that a simple x-ray would have disclosed the presence of Mrs. Allison’s appendix.
The general rule is that “A person making a representation is only accountable for its truth or honesty to the very person or persons whom he seeks to influence; no one else has a right to rely on the representations and to allege its falsity as a wrong to him.” Westcliff Co. v. Wall, 153 Tex. 271,267 S.W.2d 544,546.
The right of the second doctor to rely on the alleged statement of Dr. Blewett is not before us.
It is my opinion that Mrs. Allison did not rely upon the alleged representation to her injury.