Garcia v. Tex. Indem. Ins. Co

In Garcia v. Tex. Indem. Ins. Co., 146 Tex. 413, 419, 209 S.W.2d 333, 337 (1948), Garcia had an epileptic seizure while standing on a loading dock at work. Because of the seizure, Garcia fell to the sidewalk, and the evidence reflected that Garcia likely hit his head on a post while falling. Id. at 415, 209 S.W.2d at 334. The jury found that Garcia had sustained an injury in the course and scope of his employment, but the trial court disregarded the jury's verdict and rendered judgment for the carrier. Id. at 415-16, 209 S.W.2d at 334-35. The intermediate appellate court affirmed. Id. at 414, 209 S.W.2d at 333. The supreme court framed the issue as follows: "Since Garcia's fall was due to his epilepsy, did his injury arise out of his employment? In other words, was there a causal connection between the conditions under which his work was required to be performed and his resulting injury?" Id. at 416, 209 S.W.2d at 335. As part of its holding that Garcia's injuries arose out of his employment because they were causally connected to his employment, the court stated that the only reasonable conclusion to be made from the evidence was that Garcia struck his head on a sharp corner as he fell to the ground. Id. at 418-19, 209 S.W.2d at 336. The court continued: "The post with the sharp corners, which resulted from measures taken to protect the post, was a condition attached to the place of Garcia's employment; more than that, it was an instrumentality essential to the work he was waiting to do. Since his duties required him to be near the post at that time, the danger of falling against it was a hazard to which he was exposed because of his employment; and injury and death from a crushed temple suffered when he did fall against it came to him because he was then acting in the course of his employment and under the conditions of his employment. If he had not been working he might have suffered the epileptic stroke anyhow and he might have fallen just as he did fall, but he certainly would not have fallen against this post with its sharp edges to fracture his temple and die. Danger of injury from a fall at some other place might have been no less, but it certainly was not the same." Id. at 419, 209 S.W.2d at 337 .