Cameron & Henderson, Inc. v. Franks

1947 OK 232, 184 P.2d 965, 199 Okla. 143, 1947 Okla. LEXIS 612
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedSeptember 16, 1947
DocketNo. 32847
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 1947 OK 232 (Cameron & Henderson, Inc. v. Franks) 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
Cameron & Henderson, Inc. v. Franks, 1947 OK 232, 184 P.2d 965, 199 Okla. 143, 1947 Okla. LEXIS 612 (Okla. 1947).

Opinion

RILEY, J.

This is an original proceeding brought by petitioner, Cameron & Henderson, Incorporated, employers of Hugh Franks, in whose favor the State Industrial Commission entered an order and award on September 26, 1946, arising out of an alleged accidental personal injury sustained by Hugh Franks on October 11, 1945, subject to and governed by Workmen’s Compensation Law.

Special Indemnity Fund was a party to the proceeding.

The commission found that on October 11, 1945, claimant Hugh Franks, sustained an accidental personal injury to his left arm, left shoulder, and. back, arising out of and in the course of his employment with petitioner; that. [145]*145claimant, as a result of said injury, sustained a 15% permanent partial disability to the body as a whole, for which he is entitled to compensation for 75 weeks at $21 per week, or the sum of $1,575. An award against the Special Indemnity Fund was denied for insufficiency of the evidence to justify it.

The employer, Cameron & Henderson, Incorporated, was ordered within 20 days, etc., to pay claimant-respondent Hugh Franks the whole of the award, in consequence of which this original action to review the order and award was commenced.

It is contended that the commission erred in finding that respondent had sustained a 15% permanent partial disability to the body as a whole, but petititioner says in its brief:

“While we think the overwhelming evidence is that the claimant did not suffer any disability as the result of the second injury, upon which the present award is based, to his left arm, shoulder, and back the commission found otherwise and by this finding we are bound

V

Since the record contains evidence to support the order and award as to the degree of permanent partial disability sustained by the claimant-respondent, Hugh Franks, petitioner is to that extent bound. Standard Roofing & Material Co. v. Mosley, 176 Okla. 517, 56 P. 2d 847.

It is contended also that the commission erred in ordering the employer to pay the whole of the award without giving credit to the employer for a 7 % % permanent partial prior disability to claimant’s body as a whole, for which he had been compensated.

Claimant had previously been employed by Evans-Wallower Zinc, Inc., and in the year 1945 he sustained an injury to his left arm, shoulder, and back, the same members and parts of body involved in the present injury. A settlement with claimant for that prior injury and resultant disability was made on Form 14 and approved by the commission in Case B-70153. Claimant received compensation for a 7%% permanent partial disability to his body as a whole, attributable to that prior injury.

Petitioner urges that it should not be required to again compensate claimant for his prior injury and resultant disability as there is no competent evidence to show claimant had recovered from the prior permanent partial disability although he had returned to work; that, in fact, the claimant showed evidence, exhibited and demonstrated a substantial depression of his left side near the collar bone and a malformation of the left wrist which he attributed to his first injury, and that as a result of such evidence, there being none to the contrary, it was established that claimant’s prior permanent partial disability remained as established by the commission’s prior order.

'One of claimant’s experts, Doctor Van Horn, a chiropractor, estimated a 40% disability to the body as a whole after the last accidental injury, which included the factor of the existing 7Vz% permanent partial disability. Doctor Hughes, for claimant, estimated 50% permanent partial disability resulting, from the second injury but including the factor of the existing 7%% permanent partial disability previously compensated.

Thus it is contended that the employer’s liability for the present disability to claimant’s body as a whole presents one of simple mathematical calculation, in subtraction, leaving 7 % % disability only chargeable to the employer.

In Indian Territory Illuminating Oil Co. v. Hendrixson et al. (1942) 158 Okla. 176, 13 P. 2d 137, we held:

“The difference between a permanent loss of vision prior to the injury and the permanent loss of vision after the injury constitutes the amount of permanent loss of vision resulting from the injury and must be the basis of the award to be made to this injured work[146]*146man. . . .” Nelson & Miller Engineering Co. v. Davis et al. (1933) 165 Okla. 196, 25 P. 2d 696; Douglas Aircraft Co. v. Bounds (1946) 198 Okla. 69, 175 P. 2d 342.

It is contended the award is therefore excessive on the face of the record, by 7%% and in the amount of $787.50.

The commission en banc, by its order, attributed all of claimant’s present permanent partial disability to the last injury and made an award to claimant against his last employer only, for compensation of it.

In so doing, the commission reversed and vacated the prior order and award of Commissioner Cheatham theretofore made and entered May 23, 1946.

By the order and award of Commissioner Cheatham it had been found that claimant was a physically impaired person by reason of the previous injury to the same portions of claimant’s body and that this was evidenced by an award of the commission made and entered July 10, 1943, in cause B-70153. By the previous award, it was established that claimant had at the time of the subsequent injury a 7%% permanent partial disability to his body as a whole. The prior order and award as an adjudication established, as a verity, that disability, and it is presumed to continue until such time as it is dis-established. The order and award of Commissioner Cheatham was based on a finding that as a result of the last injury claimant had suffered a 15% permanent partial disability to his body as a whole, for which compensation was awarded and ordered to be paid by the employer.

The commissioner further found that claimant’s disability was materially greater than that resulting from either of the injuries, standing alone; that he had a 25% permanent partial disability and was entitled to 125 weeks’ compensation. It was found that the constituent elements of claimant’s present permanent partial disability amounting to 25 % was made up of 7 % % attributable to the prior injury and theretofore compensated for a period of 37% weeks. The 15% compensation for 75 weeks as ordered to be paid by the employer; and the material increase of disability, resulting from the combination of both injuries, in the amount of 7%% or 37% weeks, was ordered to be paid by the Special Indemnity Fund, after deducting from the total disability so found (1) the amount of disability attributable to claimant’s last injury and assessed against the employer (15% or 75 weeks), and (2) the amount of claimant’s disability attributable to claimant’s prior injury and theretofore compensated (7%% or 37% weeks). Thus the liability of Special Indemnity Fund under the ratio as provided by applicable statute was found to be the difference, or 2%% disability to the body as a whole, in the amount of 12% weeks’ compensation at $21 per week and amounting to the sum of $262.50.

The ratio under the commissioner’s award, subsequently by the commission en banc vacated and reversed, was exactly that provided by the last legislative enactment, 85 O.S. Supp. 1945 §172.

Doctor M. A.

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Bluebook (online)
1947 OK 232, 184 P.2d 965, 199 Okla. 143, 1947 Okla. LEXIS 612, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cameron-henderson-inc-v-franks-okla-1947.