Bramlett v. Luper Transp. Co.

258 P.2d 895, 1953 Okla. LEXIS 460
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedApril 21, 1953
DocketNo. 35341
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 258 P.2d 895 (Bramlett v. Luper Transp. Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bramlett v. Luper Transp. Co., 258 P.2d 895, 1953 Okla. LEXIS 460 (Okla. 1953).

Opinion

JOHNSON, Vice Chief Justice.

This is the second time this case has been before this Court on appeal. Special Indemnity Fund v. Bramlett, 201 Okl. 415, 206 P.2d 972, 976. The substance of the Commission’s findings and order in the case which was considered by us therein was that the Commission found that on the 24th day of January, 1944, petitioner, while in the employ of Luper Transportation Company sustained an accidental injury to his right eye resulting in a 50 percent loss of the vision of that eye; that he was then a physically impaired person in that he had previously sustained complete loss of his left eye, that as a result of both injuries he had sustained a 75 percent permanent partial disability to his body as a whole and awarded compensation against the employer for the injury to his right eye, and awarded the balance of compensation to which petitioner was entitled against the Special Indemnity Fund. At the final hearing it was shown that the Luper Transportation Company had obtained a group accident insurance policy covering its employees in this and other states which it contended constituted compensation insurance within the meaning of the Workmen’s Compensation Law, 85 O.S. 1951 § 1 et seq. Special Indemnity Fund contended to the contrary and asserted that since Luper Transportation Company, petitioner’s employer, had failed to provide compensation insurance, the Commission, under the law as it then existed, was without authority to make an award against it for disability sustained by respondent but that the entire award should have been assessed against the employer, Luper Transportation Company.

In the first appeal claimant contended that if this Court should sustain the contention of Special Indemnity Fund, then it should order that the amount of the award [897]*897against the Special Indemnity Fund be awarded against his employer, Luper Transportation Company.

In Special Indemnity Fund v. Bramlett, supra, in passing upon these contentions, we said:

“(1) Since the employer of respondent has failed to provide compensation insurance for its employees the Commission was without authority to make an award against the Fund for any part of the compensation respondent was entitled to recover, but the entire amount thereof should have been assessed against the employer, Luper Transportation Company, 85 O.S.1943 Supp. § 172; Starr Coal Co. v. Evans, 199 Okl. 342, 184 P.2d 638.
“(2) It is also contended that the evidence is insufficient, to sustain the finding of the Commission that as a result of his combined injuries respondent sustained a 75 percent permanent partial disability to the body as a whole. The medical evidence amply sustains the finding of the Commission as to first and last injury disabilities. There is, however, no medical testimony which tends to establish the degree of disability sustained by respondent as the result of his combined injuries. The finding of the Commission in this respect cannot, therefore, be sustained. Special Indemnity Fund v. McMillin, 198 Okl. 412, 179 P.2d 475; Special Indemnity Fund v. George, 198 Okl. 457, 179 P.2d 919.
“(3) Counsel for respondent in their brief agree with the contention of the Fund that the record clearly reflects the Luper Transportation Company, employer of respondent, did not carry Workmen’s Compensation insurance and had not qualified to assume its own risk. It is, however, contended by counsel in the event the award be vacated as to the Fund this court should order that the entire amount of the award be reinstated as against the employer, Luper Transportation Company. We cannot do this, in the circumstances of this case.
“Award vacated as to all parties and the cause remanded to the State Industrial Commission for further proceedings in accordance with the views herein expressed.” -: ■. . . ...

Upon receipt of the mandate the Commission vacated its prior order', and assigned the case for hearing before a- trial commissioner who found that as-a result of the injury sustained by petitioner on the 24th day of June, 1944, he sustained an injury to his right eye resulting in a 23.5 percent loss of' vision of the eye; that he was then a physically ■ impaired person in that as a result of' prior injury he had 'sustained complete loss of vision of his left eye. He, however, made no finding as to the disability sustained by the petitioner as the result of the combined injuries to both eyes and entered 'an award in- his favor for the injury to his right eye alone. The award was sustained on. appeal to the Commission en banc. The record discloses that the Commission considered all hearings after receipt of the mandate as de novo and in its order stated:

“said hearings be considered de novo and all awards previously given said claimant are vacated and set aside.”

. Claimant makes three assignments of error which read as follows: .

“a. That the State Industrial Commission erred in that it failed to award adequate compensation under the proof submitted and in accordance with a prior mandate of the Supreme Court.
“b. That said Commission failed and refused to make any finding of fact as to the percent of disability sustained by petitioner as a result of his combined injuries and an award therefor against the respondent Luper Transportation Company.
“c. That the Commission erred in setting said cause for hearing in Bryan County, Oklahoma, and permitting introduction of evidence and cross examination of witnesses over objection of this petitioner.”

Claimant argues that .the compensation awarded by the Commission is inadequate-under the-medical testimony sub[898]*898mitted both in the beginning of the case (prior to the first appeal to this Court) and that introduced after the case' was remanded to the Commission which is borne out by the testimony of competent practicing physicians, two of whom examined petitioner in 1944 and 1945; that Dr; W. K. Haynie and Dr. R. E. Sawyer’s reports filed in the cause with the Commission showed a disability of from 90 percent to 95 percent as a result of the combined injuries to both eyes, and both state that claimant is totally industrially blind; that Dr. J. R. Huggins testified that only when claimant cocked his head to the left could he get the visional part of the right eye in a position to see; that this testimony was undisputed; that the percentage of disability as a result of the combination of the injuries as given by this doctor was 88 to 90 percent to the body as a whole and that claimant was totally industrially blind.

This argument is sustained by the record.

The record discloses that while the first appeal in this case was pending that respondent herein, Luper Transportation Company, paid the award for 50 percent loss of the vision of claimant’s right eye in accordance with the Commission’s findings and award on account of the injury sustained by claimant on June 24, 1944. Thus we have the employer’s acquiescence in the Commission’s finding that the evidence was sufficient to sustain the award made against it in the cause, and upon appeal in Special Indemnity Fund v. Bram-lett, supra, this Court found that the medical evidence amply sustained the finding of the Commission as to first (old injury to left eye resulting in complete loss of vision) and last injury (new injury to claimant’s right eye resulting in 50 percent loss of vision) disabilities.

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258 P.2d 895, 1953 Okla. LEXIS 460, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bramlett-v-luper-transp-co-okla-1953.