Allen v. Industrial Commission

377 P.2d 201, 92 Ariz. 357, 1962 Ariz. LEXIS 237
CourtArizona Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 28, 1962
Docket7538
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 377 P.2d 201 (Allen v. Industrial Commission) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Arizona Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Allen v. Industrial Commission, 377 P.2d 201, 92 Ariz. 357, 1962 Ariz. LEXIS 237 (Ark. 1962).

Opinion

JENNINGS, Justice.

By certiorari we here review an award of the Industrial Commission (hereinafter called Commission) denying Charles W. Allen (hereinafter called petitioner) further compensation for injuries sustained in an accident arising out of and in the course of his employment on June 1, 1956.

On June 1, 1956 petitioner was employed by Baum & Adamson Tire & Automotive Service (hereinafter called Baum & Adam-son) as a service salesman. On that date he was involved in an accident. 1 As a result of the accident, petitioner suffered the loss of his right eye by enucleation and sustained a 30% permanent partial functional disability of his right (major) hand. Petitioner subsequently returned to work for Baum & Adamson at his previous wage and performed substantially the same duties as he performed before the accident.

The Commission found that petitioner’s injuries resulted from an accident which arose out of and in the course of his employment; that his physical condition became stationary on February 12, 1958; that because petitioner sustained multiple sched *359 uled injuries, compensation had to be awarded, pursuant to A.R.S. § 23-1044, Subsection C, 2 as if such injuries were unscheduled ; and that since petitioner returned to work at the same rate of pay as that received prior to his injury he suffered no loss of earning capacity as a result of the accident. Petitioner was therefore denied further compensation. Upon rehearing the Commission affirmed its previous findings and award. Thereafter, petitioner brought the matter before this Court by writ of certiorari. We set the award aside in Allen v. Industrial Commission, 87 Ariz. 56, 347 P.2d 710 (1959). Following the decision of this Court the Commission held additional hearings and thereafter entered its findings and award wherein it was ordered that the “applicant take nothing further by reason of his claim for benefits heretofore filed herein”. The findings and award of the Commission were affirmed on rehearing and the matter again brought before this Court by writ of certiorari.

We stated in our earlier opinion of this case that the findings of the Commission should be affirmed if supported by competent evidence. However, we held that the findings of the Commission were not Supported by competent evidence and therefore set the award aside. In order for us to vary from our original position in this case it is necessary to determine whether the evidence presented to the Commission since that time is sufficient to now sustain the findings of the Commission. The petitioner contends that the evidence does not sustain the findings and therefore the award should be set aside.

The findings of the Commission are in part as follows:

“5. That following his release to a working status * * * the applicant became employed at his regular occupation with the defendant employer performing full time substantially the same duties as before the accident, at his previous salary. That the applicant has continued working at his regular occupation with the defendant employer.
“1. That during the calendar year of 1960 the applicant earned * * * [$7,102.00] as a Commercial Tire *360 Salesman for the defendant employer * * *.
* * * * * *
“7. That the applicant’s physical ■disabilities do not prevent him from performing the duties of his occupation, nor do said disabilities prevent 'him from performing the duties which lie performed prior to injury. That the applicant’s physical disabilities do not materially nor significantly decrease nor impair the quality of his performance of the duties required of him both prior and subsequent to his injury.
“8. That the applicant’s physical disabilities do not decrease his ability to secure employment related to his regular occupation performed at the time of injury, such employment as a commercial tire salesman.
* * * * * *
“10. That the applicant is considered as employable and as eligible for advancements, promotions and raises as -a commercial tire salesman by employers in Tucson, Arizona, in competition with the defendant employer * * *.
* * * * * *
“12. On the basis of the foregoing findings of fact, this Commission finds that the applicant, has an earning capacity equal to or in excess of his earning capacity prior to injury and has sustained no loss thereof by reason of his injury of June 1, 1956 nor by reason of the physical disability resulting therefrom.”

The Commission contends that Finding No. 5 is supported by the evidence. The “new evidence” upon which the Commission relies to sustain such finding is that the petitioner has continued in the employ of Baum & Adamson; that petitioner made $7,102 during the calendar year of 1960; that petitioner is earning about the same as two other employees of Baum & Adam-son ; 3 and that petitioner’s employer testified that he was satisfied with petitioner’s performance as a commercial tire salesman. ' The Commission contends that these factors support their position that petitioner has a capacity to perform and earn comparable to an experienced salesman in spite of his handicap.

The evidence which the Commission contends supports Finding No. 5 is substantially the same now as it was in the previous case. True, petitioner is making more per month now than he was before the injury. However, there is ample testimony in the record to support petitioner’s contention that “the pay for persons engaged in the business in which petitioner is employed *361 has risen considerably since the date of the injury and that the increase was due, at least in part and probably to a major extent, to general business conditions and inflation.” Ralph R. Bailey, a witness for the Commission, testified that the basic wage for commercial tire salesmen had increased by about one-third since 1956. He stated that the basic guarantee or wage “may have increased by one hundred or two hundred a month since that time.” Three other witnesses testified that the general scale of wages for commercial tire salesmen had increased since 1956 due to economic conditions.

Although petitioner’s employer testified that he was satisfied with petitioner’s performance he also stated that his reasons for retaining him on the payroll was his loyalty to a loyal employee and that he did not “feel that Mr. Allen was anywhere near as capable of doing the job after the accident as he was before.” He also testified that “we sort of had to modify our job to suit Mr. Allen’s physical requirements and physical ability.”

In support of Finding No. 7 the Commission relies upon the medical report of the doctors 4

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Mexican v. Circle Bear
370 N.W.2d 737 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1985)
Gould v. Industrial Commission
552 P.2d 457 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1976)
Arizona Public Service Co. v. Industrial Commission
492 P.2d 1212 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1972)
Corr v. Industrial Commission
490 P.2d 841 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1971)
Trzoniec v. General Controls Co.
216 A.2d 886 (Supreme Court of Rhode Island, 1966)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
377 P.2d 201, 92 Ariz. 357, 1962 Ariz. LEXIS 237, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/allen-v-industrial-commission-ariz-1962.