In this case of first impression, the El Paso court of Appeals held that the contractor, who built an overpass under contract with the Texas Department of Transportation (“TXDOT”), was immune from liability for injuries sustained by plaintiff when he fell from an overpass. A.S. Horner, Inc. v. Navarrette, No. 08-18-00044-CV, 2021
Uncategorized
Texas Court of Appeals Modifies Written Terms of Will after Decedent’s Death
The case of Odom v Coleman shows that all may not be lost if a mistake is made in drafting a will. 615 S.W.3d 613 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2020, no pet.). In this case, the court modified a will under Tex. Est.…
Homebuyers Waived their Contractual Rights to Complain about Defects in Home they Purchased
As you probably have read or heard in the news, we currently are in a seller’s residential real estate market. There is often a bidding frenzy over a home as soon as it is listed, and buyers frequently waive provisions in the standard real estate form contract hoping that their bid will be accepted. The…
Owner of Vicious Horse Protected from Liability under Texas Farm Animal Act
In Texas, the owner of a farm animal is immune from liability for injuries caused by the animal to third parties if the Farm Animal Act applies, as shown by Lobue v. Hanson, 14-19-00175-CV, 2021 WL 1567731, at *1 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] Apr. 22, 2021, no pet.). In this case, the Defendant…
Dallas Court of Appeals Upholds $17 Million Verdict in Favor of Decedent’s Estate and Family in Wrongful Death Action
Introduction. In this case, the widow and family of Mr. Deol (deceased) sued a truck driver, Defendant Gregory, and her employer, Defendant New Prime, for negligently causing Deol’s wrongful death, in a multi-vehicle trucking accident. Gregory v. Chohan, 615 S.W.3d 277, 295 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2020, no pet. h.)]. The trial court entered judgment for $17…
Utility Company Not Liable to Landowner for Injuries Allegedly Caused by Hole from Removal of Utility Pole
The summary judgment personal injury case of AEP Tex. Cent. Co. v. Arredondo, 612 S.W.3d 289 (Tex. 2020) addressed in my previous blog article (previous article) made its way to the Supreme Court of Texas (SCOTX). This case involved injuries to a landowner who stepped into a hole allegedly created when the…
Amputee’s Personal Injury Claim Barred by Workers Compensation Exclusive Remedy Defense
An injured employee’s exclusive remedy for injuries sustained on the job is to recover workers compensation benefits, except when the employer intentionally causes the injuries. Berkel & Co. Contractors, Inc. v. Lee, 612 S.W.3d 280 (Tex. 2020). This SCOTX case shows how exceedingly difficult it is to prove this exception.
This case involved a…
General Contractor’s Breach of Contract Verdict Overturned for Failure to Give Contractual Termination Notice
Introduction. In Chambers County v. Pelco Construction Co., the general contractor unilaterally terminated its contract after the project owner stopped work for 40 days. No. 01-18-00832-CV, 2020 WL 7776078, at *1 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] Dec. 31, 2020, no pet. h.). The general contractor made payment demands upon the owner for work performed…
Concrete Manufacturer’s Multi-Million Dollar Jury Award Reversed by Texas Supreme Court
Introduction. In this case, Valley Builders Supply, Inc., a manufacturer of concrete blocks, sued its competitor, Innovative Block of South Texas, Ltd, for defamation and business disparagement. At the conclusion of the trial, Valley Builders chose only to submit questions to the jury for defamation. Based upon the jury’s verdict, the trial court entered…
App Developer’s $1.8 Million Breach Contract and Other Claims against Realtor Survive Motion for Summary Judgment
Introduction. TPI Cloud Hosting, Inc. (“TPI”) and Keller Williams Realty Inc. (“KW”) entered into an arrangement for TPI to develop a mobile app for KW’s real estate agents’ business. The alleged price tag to develop this app was $1.8 million. TPI sent a $600,000 invoice for payment to KW which KW refused to pay…