Court Opinion

ID: 9761137
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 01:32:44.983792+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:29:20.359247
License: Public Domain

ASHWORTH, Justice,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent.
The trial court properly excluded the testimony of Shirley Scroggins.
Pursuant to the rules then in effect, ap-pellee sought the names of persons with knowledge of relevant facts. While the name of Scroggins had been furnished as being an employee of appellant, she was not disclosed as being a potential witness. Appellant properly recognized an obligation to update its disclosure of witnesses by supplementing its answers and adding the name of Yvonne Skipper. Appellant had a duty under TEX.R.CIV.P. 168(7)(a)(2) to again supplement its answers and add the name Scroggins as a potential witness— failure to do so amounts to a knowing concealment or misrepresentation and permits trial by ambush.
Appellee was entitled to believe she was going to trial on the basis of the names furnished as constituting those who might be called as witnesses. The argument that appellee knew Scroggins was an employee of appellant and that discussions were had concerning the taking of Scroggins’ deposition by appellee begs the question. If appellant contemplated using Scroggins as a witness, it had the duty to disclose her name to appellee prior to trial as a person with knowledge of relevant facts. Appel-lee was under no duty to ask for a continuance or request to depose Scroggins prior to her testimony. Upon the ruling by the court that Scroggins would not be permitted to testify, the burden then was on appellant to withdraw its announcement of ready and request a continuance.
The trial court properly ruled that as a matter of law appellee was in the course and scope of her employment at the time of the injury. The only reason for holding that there is a fact question on course and scope of employment is the fact that appel-lee was involved in a personal phone conversation with her daughter. Any employer who places a telephone in an employee’s work area should reasonably expect that some personal calls will be made. In this case, the fact that appellee was conversing with a relative on a personal matter is of no import; she was entitled to use of the phone for appellant’s business and the fact that she may have stepped aside briefly from such business was not of such significance as to take her activity outside the course and scope of her employment.
While I agree with the majority’s holding on the third point of error, I disagree that appellant was entitled to an instruction on sole proximate cause. This is an instruction as to an inferential rebuttal issue and has no business in a court’s charge. There is but one question in this case: was the appellant negligent and was such negligence a proximate cause of appellee’s injuries. If appellant was not guilty of negligence that was a proximate cause, then it necessarily follows that something else caused the injuries. Other possible causes are of no concern to the jury and an instruction on sole proximate cause serves no purpose other than to create confusion in the minds of the jury and constitutes a comment on the weight of the evidence.
The judgment should be affirmed.