Camp v. Department of Labor & Industries

350 P.2d 641, 55 Wash. 2d 839, 1960 Wash. LEXIS 578
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 31, 1960
DocketNo. 35244
StatusPublished

This text of 350 P.2d 641 (Camp v. Department of Labor & Industries) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Camp v. Department of Labor & Industries, 350 P.2d 641, 55 Wash. 2d 839, 1960 Wash. LEXIS 578 (Wash. 1960).

Opinion

Hunter, J.

Richard Camp was fatally injured in a logging truck accident on February 4, 1958, at Colville, Washington. On March 11, 1958, his surviving wife filed a claim for a widow’s pension with the department of labor and industries, alleging that at the time of her husband’s death he was engaged in extrahazardous employment and was an employee of one Ed Chester. On March 17, 1958, the supervisor of industrial insurance issued an order rejecting the claim on the grounds that “the deceased was not an employee of Ed Chester but that he was an independent contractor and had not elected to seek coverage under the Compensation Act covering his operations.” The respondent widow appealed to the board of industrial insurance appeals. The appeal was allowed, and after a hearing, the board sustained the action of the supervisor. Mrs. Camp appealed the board’s decision to the superior court for Stevens county. The trial court reversed the decision of the board and entered an order directing that the respondent’s claim for a widow’s pension be allowed. The department has appealed to this court.

The sole issue raised by appellant’s assignments of error is whether the deceased at the time of the accident was an employee of Ed Chester, or whether he was an independent contractor.

An independent contractor has been defined by this court on numerous occasions. In Johnston v. Seattle Taxicab & Transfer Co., 85 Wash. 551, 148 Pac. 900 (1915), we used the following language:

“ . . . The general rule is that an independent contractor is one who renders services to another in the course [841]*841of an independent occupation, representing the will of his employer only as to the result of the work and not as to the means by which it is accomplished; the chief consideration being that the employer has no right to control as to the mode or manner of doing the work; but a reservation by the employer of the right to supervise the work for the purpose of determining whether it is being done in accordance with the contract does not affect the independence of the relation. [Citations omitted.]”

In Hubbard v. Department of Labor & Industries, 198 Wash. 354, 88 P. (2d) 423 (1939), we said:

“An independent contractor is one who, while rendering service in the course of an independent occupation, represents the will of his employer only as to the result of the work, and not as to the manner or means by which it is accomplished. [Citations omitted.]
“The ultimate test by which it is determined whether the relation is that of employer and employee or that of principal and independent contractor is to inquire whether or not the employer retained the right, or had the right under the contract, to control the manner of doing the work and the means by which the result was to be accomplished. [Citations omitted.] These cases all hold that the chief, and most decisive, factor in determining whether the relationship is that of employer and employee or that of principal and independent contractor is the right of control over the work or thing to be done.”

Also, see Rapp v. Ellis, 14 Wn. (2d) 659, 129 P. (2d) 545 (1942).

With the above definition and the test to be applied, we will examine the facts of the instant case.

At the hearing before the board of industrial insurance appeals, only one witness testified, Ed Chester, who was called by the respondent as the alleged employer of Richard Camp, deceased. The departmental record discloses that Ed Chester was engaged in the logging business. At the time of the fatal accident, he had a contract with Draper Lumber ■ Company to supply the logs necessary for the operation of its mill at-Colville. Chester was required to cut timber owned by the'company in the woods near Col-ville and deliver it to the mill; he was paid a certain sum [842]*842for each thousand feet of logs delivered. All phases of the logging operation were the responsibility of Chester. He had seven men on the payroll to whom he paid an hourly wage; he deducted federal withholding and social security taxes from their wages and paid premiums for industrial insurance and unemployment compensation. Chester owned one logging truck which one of his employees operated.

The deceased Richard Camp, whom we will refer to as Camp, owned a truck and trailer, a complete outfit for hauling logs, which was in good condition and valued at between nine and ten thousand dollars. As far as the record discloses, he personally operated his own equipment.

In late January of 1958, Camp commenced hauling logs for Chester with this equipment. He received seven dollars for each thousand board feet his truck delivered to the mill. He paid all operating and maintenance expenses on his own truck. His truck was loaded in the woods by Chester’s employees. It was to be available each day with a driver, as his turn came for loading. There was only one road over which the logs could be transported to the mill. The agreement was terminable at the will of either party. No industrial insurance or other employment premiums were paid by Chester for Camp, nor did Camp elect to seek coverage under the act by paying his own premiums. Camp had received approximately one hundred twenty dollars per day, on the basis of the quantity of logs hauled. On the seventh day the fatal accident occurred, while unloading logs at the mill.

Appellant contends the essence of the agreement was Chester hiring Camp’s logging truck and a driver. He did not care who did the driving as long as the truck was made available to haul logs. This contention is clearly supported by the following testimony in the record:

“Q. And what was the arrangement you made with Mr. Camp at that time? A. Well, I agreed to hire his truck to deliver these logs to the mill, at so much per thousand. Q. The truck, of course, included Mr. Camp, is that correct? A. Included a driver. Q. And did you have the agreement with Mr. Camp that he would drive the truck? A. No, [843]*843I had no agreement as to who would drive it. . . . Q. Now, when you and he entered into this oral agreement to haul the logs, did you specifically state who was to drive the truck? A. No. Q. He did all the driving himself? A. Yes. Q. Did you have any particular voice in that, or did you have any feeling as to who was to drive the truck, or did you care? A. I didn’t care. Q. You were interested in the truck to haul the logs to the mill? A. That is right. . . . Q. I have two questions. When you made this oral arrangement or agreement with Mr. Camp in Colville that you have mentioned, did you hire Mr. Camp, or did you hire Mr. Camp and his truck, or did you hire his truck, or did you hire his truck and a driver? Which of those four things did you hire? A. Actually hired the truck and a driver. Q. Is that the agreement that he worked under, and was working under on February 4, 1958? A. That is right. . . . Q. There wasn’t any specific request that Mr. Camp drive the truck? A. No. Q. Just as long as the truck was up there with the driver? A. That is right. . . . ”

The appellant further contends Chester did not have the control over Camp in the hauling of the logs essential to an employer-employee relationship. We agree. The record shows the only control exercised over Camp by Chester was that of designating when the hauling was to be done, where the truck was to be loaded, and where the load was to be delivered.

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Related

Rapp v. Ellis
129 P.2d 545 (Washington Supreme Court, 1942)
Hubbard v. Department of Labor & Industries
88 P.2d 423 (Washington Supreme Court, 1939)
Hammerschmith v. Department of Labor & Industries
30 P.2d 649 (Washington Supreme Court, 1934)
Burchett v. Department of Labor & Industries
263 P. 746 (Washington Supreme Court, 1927)
Johnston v. Seattle Taxicab & Transfer Co.
148 P. 900 (Washington Supreme Court, 1915)

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Bluebook (online)
350 P.2d 641, 55 Wash. 2d 839, 1960 Wash. LEXIS 578, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/camp-v-department-of-labor-industries-wash-1960.