Billings v. Atkinson

2 Citing cases

  1. Billings v. Atkinson

    489 S.W.2d 858 (Tex. 1973)   Cited 183 times
    Holding that invasion of privacy is a "willful tort which constitutes a legal injury" and that therefore damages for mental suffering are recoverable without a showing of actual physical injury

    The court of civil appeals affirmed. 471 S.W.2d 908. No complaint is made here of the affirmance of the trial court's judgment in favor of the telephone company; therefore, the question of liability of the telephone company is not before us. We reverse and render that part of the judgment of the court of civil appeals which affirmed the trial court's judgment as to respondent Atkinson.

  2. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Odem

    929 S.W.2d 513 (Tex. App. 1996)   Cited 83 times   1 Legal Analyses
    Holding that plaintiff was detained by force when employee grabbed her arm, stopped her and searched her purse

    To constitute a wrongdoing by ratification, the original act must have been done in the interest of the person so ratifying or must have been intended to further some purpose of that person. Billings v. Atkinson, 471 S.W.2d 908, 911 (Tex.Civ.App. — Houston [1st Dist.] 1971), rev'd on other grounds, 489 S.W.2d 858 (1973). But, there can be no ratification of malicious acts of an agent where the principal had no knowledge of the existence of malice or of circumstances from which malice might be inferred.