Court Opinion

ID: 9447146
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-03 22:26:45.257094+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:30:54.937163
License: Public Domain

TUTTLE, Circuit Judge
(specially concurring).
I agree with the holding of this Court that the judgment must be reversed and the case remanded for a new trial, but with the greatest deference I cannot concur in that part of the opinion which holds that the part of the death certificate which expresses the opinion of the medical examiner that death was caused by suicide is admissible under the Texas law.
My concurrence in the result arises from my agreement with the majority that when the insurance company introduced the original death certificate1 showing that in the opinion of the medical examiner death resulted from suicide, *265it was permissible for the appellant to attack that opinion by the subsequent testimony of the medical examiner. I do not think that the amended certificate in which he changed his opinion as to the cause of death was itself admissible in evidence.
I think the policy considerations given by the Supreme Court of Texas for not permitting the medical examiner to prejudge this question of such vital importance, as stated in Boehme v. Sovereign Camp Woodmen of the World, 98 Tex. 376, 84 S.W. 422, quoted in the majority opinion, apply equally under the present Texas statute.
I would, therefore, reverse on the facts of this case not to permit the amendment to the death certificate to be tendered in evidence, but to permit appellant to present the medical witness himself to impeach his own initial opinion that death was caused by suicide.

. It had a right to introduce this death certificate just as it was submitted to it because it was a part of the original proof of death filed by the beneficiary. It was tendered, however, without being limited to that purpose alone and was admitted in evidence by the trial court without restricting the effect of it to be considered by the jury.