California Casualty Indemnity Exchange v. Industrial Accident Commission

174 P.2d 680, 76 Cal. App. 2d 836, 1946 Cal. App. LEXIS 789
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 20, 1946
DocketCiv. No. 15502
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 174 P.2d 680 (California Casualty Indemnity Exchange v. Industrial Accident Commission) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
California Casualty Indemnity Exchange v. Industrial Accident Commission, 174 P.2d 680, 76 Cal. App. 2d 836, 1946 Cal. App. LEXIS 789 (Cal. Ct. App. 1946).

Opinion

THE COURT.

The California Casualty Indemnity Exchange is the insurance carrier for Pood Machinery Corporation and seeks by means of a writ of review to annul an award made by the Industrial Accident Commission, Panel Two (see Lab. Code, §§114, 115, as amended 1945), in favor of the dependents of the late Andrew Roberts Thompson, formerly employed by the Pood Machinery Corporation.

Prom the findings of fact appearing in the report of the referee who heard testimony we glean the following: That Mr. Thompson “while employed as a tank assembler on July 26, 1943, at Riverside, California by Pood Machinery Corporation, a corporation, sustained injury arising out of and occurring in the course of his employment, consisting of the occupational aggravation into a disabling condition of a preexistent non-disabling tuberculosis. . . . The date is hereby determined to be July 26, 1943, which is the date upon which the employee first had knowledge that the disability from which he was suffering was traceable to his employment.

“Said employee died on January 28, 1944, the cause of death being advanced bilateral pulmonary tuberculosis. . . .
“Said injury caused temporary total disability beginning July 26, 1943 to and including January 28, 1944, the date of death, entitling the employee to $25.00 per week during said time. The total period of time, after deducting the waiting [838]*838period of seven days is 25-4/7 weeks, which is a total of $639.29. Said weekly benefit is based on maximum earnings.
“Applicant Margaret G-. Thompson was a member of the employee’s household in good faith.
“The applicants are entitled to the payment of or reimbursement for the reasonable value of self-procured medical treatment in an attempt to cure or relieve the employee from the effects of his injury.
“Said employee left surviving him, totally dependent, Ada P. Thompson and Roy Dale Thompson, the minor son of the parties, as well as Margaret G-. Thompson, who are, in addition to the temporary total disability, entitled to a death benefit in the sum of $6000.00 payable at the rate of $25.00 per week beginning January 29, 1944, based upon maximum earnings.
“Ada P. Thompson is the natural mother of Roy Dale Thompson, a minor, and it is the judgment of this Commission that one-half of all benefits herein awarded should be paid directly to Ada P. Thompson for the benefit of herself and said minor child, to be received by her and disbursed in her discretion for such purpose, and the remaining one-half to'Margaret G-. Thompson.
“Statutory burial expense in a sum not to exceed $300.00 is payable to the person or firm entitled to receive the same. Jurisdiction is hereby reserved to determine the amount thereof and to whom payable in the event the parties are unable to agree thereon.”

As a conclusion of law the referee determined that payments should be made to the dependents as indicated, and provided also for the payment of attorneys’ fees.

When the report came before the Industrial Accident Commission sitting as Panel Two, it was adopted in its essential details by findings of fact entered by two members of the panel and an award was made according to the recommendation, with a proviso that the two items of $3,000 each, less the sum of $250 attorneys’ fee, be paid to Ada Thompson and Margaret Thompson, respectively, in weekly installments of $12.50 each. It was also provided in the order that the defendants should make payment or reimbursement for the reasonable value of self-procured medical treatment, provision being also made for statutory burial expense in a sum not to exceed $300. The third member of the panel dissented from the decision.

[839]*839The application for adjustment of the claim in this case stated that Mr. Thompson “sustained injury arising out of and in the course of the employment, as follows: While working in assembly pit, assembling machinery and was exposed to dust and paint fumes resulting in infection of throat and lungs, and activating pre-existing tuberculosis of the throat, larynx and lungs.”

The only medical testimony produced at the hearing was given by Dr. Prank Porter Miller. He testified that he first saw Mr. Thompson on July 3, 1943, when he was sent to him by Dr. Irwin Miller “and we X-rayed him at that time and that confirmed the diagnosis, and I am a little hazy as to what took place in those three weeks [following], whether he was thoroughly convinced of his tuberculous condition or not because he didn’t go under active management until the 7th of August, 1944, [1943], At that time we followed the invincible rule of placing him in bed. He had extremely sore throat with considerable ulceration on either larynx. In addition to that he had rather wide-spred infection involving the upper two-thirds of either lung. As yet very little tissue destruction. He was placed in bed and was in bed continuously until his death. Treatment which we used was bed rest. He was given tuberculin and treatment to relieve the throat condition, which became progressively worse. The chest condition advanced a bit until it was only with great difficulty that he could swallow.” He also testified that “as far as advanced manifestation of the disease, he would come under the classification laid down by the National Association as an advanced case because tuberculosis of the throat does not occur as an early manifestation,” and further that “practically all of those cases have been active pretty nearly a year at least before they reach the point where they consult a physician.” This same doctor furnished a written report on this case which was before the commission, in which he stated “I can only reiterate from the conclusions that we formulated at the last hearing. It was alleged by the applicant that the dust and fumes were a predisposing factor to his tuberculosis. In that, I am not in accord, as I do not believe the dust and fumes which are around the assembly line are excessive and furthermore they do not predispose to this form of pathology.

“I do feel that there is one factor that should receive con[840]*840sideration. There is no question hut what this man had an active tuberculosis for a number of months, antedating the cessation of work. It was my testimony at the hearing that the continuance of this work would naturally be an aggravating factor in his tuberculosis. In fact, for this condition to remain stationary or to improve, it would necessitate complete bed rest. Contrary to the bed rest is continuance on the job, which undoubtedly aggravated his condition.”

In view of the statement of Dr. Miller that he did not believe that the dust and fumes constituted a predisposing factor to decedent's tuberculosis, counsel for the commission necessarily places his sole reliance for sustaining the decision of the panel upon the closing paragraph of the report which we have just quoted. His argument fails, however, in the light of decisions heretofore reached in this state and elsewhere.

In G. L. Eastman Co. v. Industrial Acc. Com. (1921), 186 Cal. 587 [200 P. 17], the court was considering a case in which an award of compensation was made by the Industrial Accident Commission and expressed itself as follows (p.

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Bluebook (online)
174 P.2d 680, 76 Cal. App. 2d 836, 1946 Cal. App. LEXIS 789, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/california-casualty-indemnity-exchange-v-industrial-accident-commission-calctapp-1946.