Bucyrus Co. v. Reisinger

133 N.E. 516, 77 Ind. App. 361, 1922 Ind. App. LEXIS 16
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedJanuary 12, 1922
DocketNo. 11,142
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 133 N.E. 516 (Bucyrus Co. v. Reisinger) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bucyrus Co. v. Reisinger, 133 N.E. 516, 77 Ind. App. 361, 1922 Ind. App. LEXIS 16 (Ind. Ct. App. 1922).

Opinion

McMahan, J.

The Industrial Board awarded appellee 190 weeks’ compensation beginning February 8, 1920. Appellant appeals from this award and contends that it is contrary to law and not sustained by sufficient evidence.

The board found that on December 19, 1919, appellee was in the employ of appellant at an average weekly wage of $24; that on said date he received a personal injury by an accident arising out of and in the course of his employment of which appellant at the time had actual knowledge; that said injury resulted in general septicaemia as a result of which appellee was confined to his bed for several weeks beginning February 8, 1920, and was wholly unable to work from that time to May 17, 1920; that such septicaemia produced a general permanent impairment of appellee’s entire body and resulted in the permanent loss of thirty-five per cent, of the use of his left arm, fifteen per cent, of the use of his right arm, fifteen per cent, of the use of each leg.

[363]*363The facts as disclosed by the evidence are as follows: December 19, 1919, appellee was and for a period of about seven years immediately prior thereto had been in the employ of appellant. While at work on said day he sustained an injury by getting a splinter of steel in one of his fingers. Appellant had knowledge of this accident and injury at the time and furnished appellee with first aid after which appellee went back to work. The injury was dressed again by appellant the next morning which was Saturday. Appellee returned to work Monday morning. His finger at that time was badly discolored and getting worse. He showed it to a representative of appellant who sent him to the first aid department for further treatment and • from there he was sent to a physician, who treated it with iodine and directed the application of poultices and sugar of zinc, telling appellee it would be all right. Appellee did not work for three days when he began working for another employer at a place much nearer his home. When he quit working for appellant he intended to go to Missouri. But there is no evidence that appellant had any knowledge that appellee had quit working for it or that he had any intention of going to Missouri. In the course of a few days his hand began to itch, and would be swollen in the morning but after he would work awhile the swelling would go down to some extent, but his finger was always discolored, sore and itched. About January 1, 1920, appellee went to a physician of his own selection, Dr. Lavelle, who continued to treat him until February 8, 1920, when he became worse on account of blood poisoning and had to go to bed. He was not able to go back to work for about three months. Abscesses developed on both hands, arms, legs, ankles, and feet, so that in the course of treatment the attending physician lanced him in twenty-two different places. His sores had to be dressed every day [364]*364and required the attention of both doctor and nurse. His condition was such that the attending physician says he didn’t “see how he ever got well.” He did not return to appellant’s physician for further treatment. In testifying upon this subject, appellee said: “I was not told to return. He (the physician) said I could come back if I wanted to. He said it would be all right in a day or two. He did not say he expected me to return if it was not all right. He said I could come if I wanted to. There was a slight swelling in my left hand all along but I thought it might be from the lancing. I didn’t pay much attention to it at the time until it started itching. I thought maybe it would go away. The swelling continued for about three weeks, when I got sick and on February 8, 1920, had to go to bed. We called Dr. Megenheimer.” Dr. Patterson, the physician to whom appellant sent appellee for treatment, testified relative to having treated appellee; that appellee should have had further treatment, and that he instructed him to return for further treatment, but that he did not do so. The evidence also shows the extent and character of appellee’s impairment as found by the board.

Appellant complains of the failure of appellee to return to its doctor for further treatment, and insists that there is no evidence appellant knew, or that it had any notice of the serious injury to appellee which manifested itself February 8, 1920, and that a notice of injury in this case, in order to be effectual, must be a notice of the injury of February 8, 1920, when the serious result of the accident manifested itself and when appellee was compelled to go to bed; that its notice and knowledge of the original injury was not sufficient. Appellant conceding that it had notice of the accident and injury December 19, 1919, contends that since appellee did not return to its physician for further treatment it had the [365]*365right to assume that he had recovered and that it was entitled to further notice when his condition became so serious that he had to quit work and go to bed.

Section 8020Í1 Burns’ Supp. 1921, Acts 1919 p. 158, provides that: “During the first thirty days after an injury the employer shall furnish or cause to be furnished, free of charge to the injured employe, an attending physician, for the treatment of his injuries, and in addition thereto such surgical, hospital, and nurse’s services and supplies as the attending physician <5r the Industrial Board may deem necessary.”

1. The requirement of this statute implies something more than passive willingness on the part of an employer to respond to a demand or request for medical aid. It implies some degree of active effort to bring to the injured employe the required humanitarian relief. A person injured by an accident is presumed to be under more or less physical disability and not in a normal condition so as to be able to look out for himself and his needs. This being true, it becomes the duty of an employer having knowledge that one of his employes has.been injured by an accident arising out of and in the course of his employment to be more than passive in his efforts to furnish the medical, aid prescribed and required by the statute. The statute requiring the employer to furnish medical services is mandatory in form. Having had knowledge of the accident and injury, and knowing that appellee needed further treatment, and having failed to make any effort to see that he got the necessary medical care, appellant is in no position to complain of the fact that it was not notified when appellee’s condition became serious as the result of the accident and injury of which it had actual knowledge. The employer here had notice of the injury. The doctor to whom it sent appellee for treat[366]*366ment knew and testified that furthér treatment was necessary. It therefore had an opportunity to take the proper steps to furnish medical aid to the injured employe, and with such knowledge as is disclosed by the evidence in this case, having failed to follow up appellee’s injury, it is in no position to complain of the failure to give it notice that the injury was growing worse. Appellant knew that appellee’s injury did not respond to first aid treatment. It sent him to a physician for treatment and knew that he needed further treatment. It knew he quit work, and having failed to do more than show a passive willingness to comply with the mandatory requirement of the statute to furnish medical aid, appellant cannot be heard to complain that it had no notice of the serious effect of the injury which nearly resulted in his death and which made him a cripple for life.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
133 N.E. 516, 77 Ind. App. 361, 1922 Ind. App. LEXIS 16, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bucyrus-co-v-reisinger-indctapp-1922.