Court Opinion

ID: 9755503
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-28 20:39:41.5318+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:28:08.033590
License: Public Domain

DON BURGESS, Justice,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent. The trial judge correctly denied Tarkington’s plea to the jurisdiction because there are legitimate fact issues raised by the plaintiffs pleading that the incident in question falls within the scope of the Texas Tort Claims Act.
As we stated in Montgomery County v. Fuqua, 22 S.W.3d 662 (Tex.App.-Beaumont 2000, pet. denied), “[gjovernmental ‘immunity from suit defeats a trial court’s subject matter jurisdiction and thus is properly asserted in a plea to the jurisdiction.’ ” 22 S.W.3d at 665 (citing Texas Dep’t of Transp. v. Jones, 8 S.W.3d 636, 638-39 (Tex.1999)). And, as our Supreme Court recently explained: “Under [Texas Dep’t of Transp. u] Jones, we must examine the plaintiffs pleadings to decide whether sovereign immunity has been waived.” Texas Dept. of Criminal Justice v. Miller, 51 S.W.3d 583, 587 (Tex.2001). Also, in addition to reviewing the facts alleged by the plaintiff, we consider the evidence submitted by the parties “to the extent it is relevant to the jurisdictional issue.” Texas Natural Resource & Conservation Comm’n v. White, 46 S.W.3d 864, 868 (Tex.2001); see also Bland Indep. Sch. Dist. v. Blue, 34 S.W.3d 547, 555 (Tex.2000)(school district’s evidence, which was presented in an evidentiary hearing on plea to jurisdiction and was relevant to the jurisdictional issue, should have been considered by the trial court). However, where, as here, no evidence was presented to the trial court, we look solely to the pleadings to determine the jurisdictional question. See San Antonio State Hosp. v. Cowan, 2001 WL 1230610, *2 (Tex.App.San Antonio 2001).
The boys were, in my view, borrowed servants of Tarkington I.S.D. In Hoffman v. Trinity Industries, Inc., 979 S.W.2d 88, 90 (Tex.App.-Beaumont 1998), this court stated:
Texas courts recognize that the general employee of one employer may become the special employee or “borrowed servant” of another employer. Sparger v. Worley Hosp. Inc., 547 S.W.2d 582, 583 (Tex.1977). The “borrowed servant” doctrine is implicated when the nominal or general employer loans or supplies an employee to another, who is termed the special employer. Rodriguez v. Martin Landscape Management, Inc., 882 *327S.W.2d 602, 604 (Tex.App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 1994, no writ). The issue of “right of control” is pivotal under the borrowed servant doctrine because the employer who has the right of control is exempted from common law liability. Esquivel v. Mapelli Meat Packing Co., 932 S.W.2d 612, 614 (Tex.App.-San Antonio 1996, writ denied). The test for determining whether a person is the employee of the original employer or of the borrowing employer is whether the employee is subject to the specific direction and control of the loaning or the borrowing employer. Id.
Even though the documents between Pa-lacios I.S.D. and Tarkington I.S.D. specifically noted the boys were to be employees of Palacios and not Tarkington, this is not the deciding factor. Clearly, Tarkington I.S.D. had the right of control. See Exxon Corp. v. Perez, 842 S.W.2d 629, 630 (Tex.1992).
While the majority notes that Tarking-toris “employee Roberts did not bring the privately-owned vehicle into service or action, did not employ it for or apply it to a given purpose and did not perform a practical work with it”, the majority does not hold that the truck was not being used for the practical work of the school district. Nor can they, because it unquestionably was. Nor is there a requirement that the vehicle in question be a school vehicle, only that a school employee “used” or “operated” the vehicle. LeLeaux v. Hamshire Fannett Indep. School Dist., 835 S.W.2d 49, 51 (Tex.1992). “Operation” refers to “a doing or performing of a practical work,” and “use” means “to put or bring into action or service; to employ for or apply to a given purpose.” LeLeaux, 835 S.W.2d at 51; see also Mount Pleasant Indep. Sch. Dist. v. Estate of Lindburg, 766 S.W.2d 208, 211 (Tex.1989).
It is the duty of this court to sustain the judgment of the trial court if it is correct on any theory of law applicable to the case. Custom Leasing, Inc. v. Texas Bank & Trust Co. of Dallas, 516 S.W.2d 138, 142 (Tex.1974). Furthermore, a trial court cannot abuse its discretion if it reaches the right result, even for the wrong reasons. Hawthorne v. Guenther, 917 S.W.2d 924, 931 (Tex.App.-Beaumont 1996, writ denied). We do not know why the trial court denied the plea to the jurisdiction, but there being a correct theory of law under which the court might have, we are obliged to affirm that ruling. Because the majority fails to do so, I respectfully dissent.