Mar 10, 2013
What is the purpose of a temporary injunction, and what must be proved to obtain a temporary injunction in Texas?
“A temporary injunction's purpose is to preserve the status quo of the litigation's subject matter pending a trial on the merits. A temporary injunction is an extraordinary remedy and does not issue as a matter of right. To obtain a temporary injunction, the applicant must plead and prove three specific elements: (1) a cause of action against the defendant; (2) a probable right to the relief sought; and (3) a probable, imminent, and irreparable injury in the interim. An injury is irreparable if the injured party cannot be adequately compensated in damages or if the damages cannot be measured by any certain pecuniary standard. Whether to grant or deny a temporary injunction is within the trial court's sound discretion. A reviewing court should reverse an order granting injunctive relief only if the trial court abused that discretion. The reviewing court must not substitute its judgment for the trial court's judgment unless the trial court's action was so arbitrary that it exceeded the bounds of reasonable discretion.” Butnaru v. Ford Motor Co., 84 S.W.3d 198, 204 (Tex. 2002)(citations omitted).