Beaumont Court of Appeals held Plaintiff failed to overcome emergency responder exception under Texas Tort Claim Act in vehicle accident case
Texas Dept. of Pub. Safety v. Kendziora, 09-19-00432-CV (Tex.App.—Beaumont, Nov. 5, 2020)
This is an interlocutory appeal from the denial of Texas DPS’s plea to the jurisdiction in a case involving a car accident while a DPS trooper (“Chapman”) was responding to an emergency. The Beaumont Court of Appeals reversed the denial.
Chapman was responding to a call reporting one hundred people fighting at a sports complex. En route, he approached a red light with his lights and siren activated, activated his airhorn, and slowed to a near stop while clearing the intersection. He looked both ways while crossing the intersection and cleared multiple lanes before being struck by Kendziora. Kendziora filed suit under the Texas Tort Claims Act (“TTCA”) for personal injuries sustained from that collision. DPS put forth the emergency exception defense under TTCA, which preserves immunity if the employee was in compliance with applicable law or was not acting recklessly. Chapman testified that he considered the nature of the emergency in deciding to respond immediately and urgently, while still ensuring vehicles at the intersection were stopped before proceeding. Kendziora testified that she did not hear any sirens or see any police lights prior to the collision.
The Court of Appeals held that Kendziora failed to raise a fact issue as to whether Chapman acted recklessly when he entered the intersection. She did not present any evidence showing Chapman failed to slow as necessary before entering the intersection or that he acted recklessly. Kendziora argued that the dashcam video is evidence of the reckless actions, but the video was not tendered or admitted into evidence in the lower court and was not part of the appellate record.
If you would like to read this memorandum opinion click here. Panel consists of Chief Justice McKeithen, Justice Kreger, and Justice Johnson. Opinion by Chief Justice McKeithen.
