Ozbolt v. Lumbermen's Indemnity Exchange
Ozbolt v. Lumbermen's Indemnity Exchange
Opinion of the Court
This case was filed in the district court of Travis county, to the May term of said court, which convened May 2d and continued until the latter part of July, 1916. It was alleged that the defendant was an insurance association, with its principal place of business in Jefferson county, Tex., but, as showing venue in Travis county, it was alleged that “said association has members or subscribers in other counties of Texas, including Travis county.” On May 6, 1916, the defendant, appellee herein, in due order of pleading, filed a plea of privilege, in proper form to be sued in Jefferson county, Tex. There was a verbal agreement between counsel that this plea should be taken up and disposed of at some time toward the latter part of said term. Counsel for appellants endeavored to get an agreement with counsel for appellee to dispose of this plea early in July, but failed to do so. The plea was called up and disposed of for the term on July 12th, at which time the court, upon motion of appellee, continued said plea to the next term of the court, without prejudice to appellee. (
Appellants assign error upon three grounds as follows:
“First, that the defendant waived its plea of privilege to he sued in another county, by failing to file same on or before appearance day to the May term, 1916, of said court, and in the! agreement with plaintiffs’ counsel that a general demurrer and general denial would be filed; second, that the plea was waived and abandoned by failure to have same heard and determined at the May term, 1916, of said court, there being no legal ground or excuse for not having same so heard and determined, and the court being without discretion under the circumstances to continue same without prejudice; third, because the action arose, in. part at least, in Travis county, Tex., it being under the Employers’ Liability Act (Vernon’s Sayles’ Ann. Civ. St. 1914, arts. 5246h to 5246o), which required as a prerequisite to a right of action the doing of certain things in Travis county, Tex., where said Industrial Accident Board sits.”
The issue of venue in Travis county arises as follows: Appellants’ decedent was working for a stave company in Hardin county, Tex., and received injuries from which he died. The stave company was a subscriber of appellee, and under the Employers’ Liability Act the appellee was liable for the death of appellants’ decedent. In order to establish such liability, appellants were required, under said act, to submit their claim to the accident board at Austin, in Travis county. This they did, and said board determined the amount of appellee’s liability. Such amount not having been paid, this suit was brought, as provided by said act, to obtain judgment against appellee for same.
“The mere fact that before suit can be brought on a cause of action the matter must be submitted to some board or referee or must have some order certificate or other matter of some department of state does not give that place venue of a suit afterwards brought.”
Finding no error of record, the judgment of •the trial court is affirmed.
Affirmed.
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Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.