TEXAS EMPLOYERS'INSURANCE ASSOCIATION v. Leathers
Troy Alvie Leathers (respondent) filed a workmen's compensation claim in 1962 for injuries suffered in a 1954 electric switch accident, alleging total and permanent incapacity due to dizzy spells. He claimed good cause for late filing, stating he initially believed his injuries were not serious and later that his dizzy spells were due to an unrelated congenital heart condition, only discovering a connection after his brother informed him. The Texas Employers' Insurance Association (petitioner) denied disability and good cause. The trial court granted summary judgment for the petitioner, finding Leathers failed to meet the standard of ordinary prudence by not inquiring about the cause of his dizzy spells from doctors over seven years. The Court of Civil Appeals reversed, but the Supreme Court of Texas reversed the Court of Civil Appeals' judgment and affirmed the trial court's decision, concluding Leathers' conduct did not demonstrate ordinary prudence in diligently pursuing the cause of his disability.