in Re Health Care Unlimited, Inc.

The trial court in this case granted a motion'for new trial based on a juror’s communications with a party’s representative even though there was no evidence that the communications probably caused injury. In the absence of such evidence, we conclude that the trial court abused its discretion and improperly granted a new trial, and we conditionally grant relief.

The estate and survivors of Belinda Valdemar (collectively Valdemar’s Survivors) sued Relator Health Care Unlimited, Inc. (HCU) and its employee, Edna Gonzalez, after Valdemar died as a result of an automobile accident. Valdemar was a…