Baker v. Shufflebarger & Associates, Inc.

436 P.2d 502, 78 N.M. 642
CourtNew Mexico Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 22, 1968
Docket8403
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 436 P.2d 502 (Baker v. Shufflebarger & Associates, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Mexico Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Baker v. Shufflebarger & Associates, Inc., 436 P.2d 502, 78 N.M. 642 (N.M. 1968).

Opinions

OPINION

MOISE, Justice.

In this workmen’s compensation action judgment was entered in favor of the claimant. One of the defenses pleaded was the statute of limitations. Without a finding on this issue, the trial court nevertheless determined that claimant was entitled to recover for total and permanent disability. This ruling was appealed. Upon consideration of the appeal we remanded the case to the trial court for a finding on the question of timeliness under § 59-10-13.6, N. M.S.A.1953. Baker v. Shufflebarger & Associates, Inc., 77 N.M. 50, 419 P.2d 250 (1966).

Jesse D. Baker, the claimant, has died since the action was last appealed. His estate has been duly probated, and it has been determined that pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 8(6), (7) (§ 21-2-1(8) (6) and (7), N.M.S.A.1953) the action should be revived in the name of Dwight Baker and Russell Baker, heirs and residuary legatees under the last will and testament of Jesse D. Baker, deceased.

Upon remand of the cause the trial court entered an order making a new finding of fact numbered 6. It reads:

“That at no time during the time that he was receiving maximum compensation benefits from June 20, 1960 through August 8, 1964 did the plaintiff receive notice, nor is he charged with notice, that the payments he was receiving or would receive in the future would be for ‘permanent partial disability’, i. e. for the loss of a leg only; but to the contrary, from letters which were received by him and by his brother from Mountain States Mutual Casualty Company dated July 25 and August 20, 1962, he was advised that payments were being made for ‘permanent total disability’, which means the benefits were being paid for the injury to the scheduled member and also to parts of the plaintiff’s body not included in the schedule; and he was not informed in person that the payments he was receiving and would receive in the future were for ‘permanent partial disability’, i. e. for the loss of the leg only.”

In the order on remand the court also made an additional conclusion of law numbered 4, which reads:

“That this action was timely filed by the plaintiff; and that the claim of the plaintiff, Jesse D. Baker, is not barred by the Statute of Limitations contained in Section 59-10-13.6A; but rather, was filed within one year after the failure or refusal of the defendants to pay compensation.”

Appellants here argue that the claim was not timely filed as found by the trial court (finding 6 above), but was barred under the statute, and that the finding as made “is contrary to the documentary evidence and is without support in the record.”

There is no question that claimant (appel-lees’ predecessor), a man 72 years of age, was accidentally injured June 20, 1960, in the course of his employment by appellant-employer, or that he was paid compensation for 215 weeks through August 1, 1964, to-talling $8,170.00. The injury was to an ankle and required recurrent surgery resulting in a shortening of the leg. The trial court found, in addition to the shortened leg (and probably as a result), employee had a pelvis tilt; an abnormal curve of the spine; a loss of vascular supply to his foot; neck pain and limited neck motion, and was required to use a built-up shoe and leg brace and to take medication. Appellants challenge this finding and assert that employee refused to wear the elevated or built-up shoe and because of this fact he walked with a list and had a tilt of the pelvis.

Concerning the immediate issue, it is appellants’ position that from and after May 21, 1962, it had been made clear to employee that all future payments would be made as required for a scheduled injury to a foot at the ankle (§ 59-10-18.4(A) (32), N.M. S.A.1953), and that, under the doctrine of Gonzales v. Gackle Drilling Company, 67 N.M. 130, 353 P.2d 353 (1960), suit instituted October 29, 1964, more than two years after notice that compensation was being paid for scheduled injuries was barred under § 59-10-13.6, N.M.S.A.1953, limiting time to sue to one year after failure or refusal of the employer or insurer to pay compensation.

The argument is based on the holdings of this court to the effect that when evidence on an issue is primarily or substantially all documentary, the Supreme Court is as well positioned as the trial court to consider and weigh the evidence and determine the facts disclosed thereby. Garry v. Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Co., 71 N.M. 370, 378 P.2d 609 (1963); Newbold v. Florance, 56 N.M. 284, 243 P.2d 597 (1952); Valdez v. Salazar, 45 N.M. 1, 107 P.2d 862 (1940). See also, Commercial Warehouse Co. v. Hyder Brothers, Inc., 75 N.M. 792, 800, 411 P.2d 978, 983 (1966). For the reasons hereinafter enumerated, we conclude that appellants’ argument does not require a reversal.

Although, as already noted, appellants urge that the proof is substantially all documentary and that we should accordingly weigh it ourselves, and that the court’s findings are unsupported, we find the argument advanced to be without merit. This is amply demonstrated by some of the findings requested by them. Requested finding No. 9 refers to a conference on May 7, 1962, between defendant-insurer and plaintiff-claimant. Requested finding No. 10 deals with another conference on May 21, 1962, between plaintiff-claimant and defendant-insurer. Parol evidence of both plaintiff-claimant and defendant-insurer’s representative was offered and received in the trial covering the content of these conferences. Needless to say, a conflict was present therein as to whether it was brought home to claimant that all future payments would be for a scheduled injury so as to start the running of the one-year statute of limitations. All the evidence giving rise to these requested findings was oral, and was a substantial part of the entire proof in the case.

The documentary proof relied on by appellants as being substantially all the proof —which it was not, as already noted — consists of correspondence between appellant-insurer and Russell Baker, a brother of claimant and a practicing attorney in Chicago, Illinois, during the months of August and September, 1962, and notations on the semi-monthly checks delivered to and cashed by claimant commencing July 27, 1962. These checks generally bore notations, “Permanent Disability — Balance due ■ — ■—• weeks.” Each successive check showed in the blank place a number, starting with “105” in the July 27, 1962 check and reduced by two in each succeeding payment. In addition to this language, each check recited it was “For; Compensation;” set forth the two-week period covered, the total amount and the number of weeks for which payment had been made.

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Baker v. Shufflebarger & Associates, Inc.
436 P.2d 502 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1968)

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Bluebook (online)
436 P.2d 502, 78 N.M. 642, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/baker-v-shufflebarger-associates-inc-nm-1968.