Carroll v. Indust. Comm.

31 Ohio Law. Abs. 305, 1940 Ohio App. LEXIS 1281
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 2, 1940
DocketNo. 3110
StatusPublished

This text of 31 Ohio Law. Abs. 305 (Carroll v. Indust. Comm.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Carroll v. Indust. Comm., 31 Ohio Law. Abs. 305, 1940 Ohio App. LEXIS 1281 (Ohio Ct. App. 1940).

Opinion

OPINION

By GEIGER, J.

This matter is before this Court on appeal on question of law from a judgment rendered and final order made by the Court of Common Pleas.

Edward D. Carroll, plaintiff, who will hereafter be referred to as claimant, filed a petition against the Industrial Commission of Ohio, alleging preliminary matters and stating that while in the course of his employment he sustained a burn in his hands while working with cement; that as a direct result thereof infection developed and he was totally disabled for a period in excess of seven days. He alleges that the other matters incident to his claim entitled him to a trial in the Common Pleas Court. The defendant, who will be designated as the Commission, answered, admitting the employment of the claimant and that on or about November 24, 1936, he filed an application for compensation. The Commission also admits the other preliminary matters and denies all other allegations.

The cause was submitted to the Court without the intervention of a jury and! the Court found in favor of the Com-i mission and judgment was so enteredj

THE FACTS

The claimant on the 8th day of June, 1936, was employed as a stone mason working on the construction of a building. He had been- a stone mason for more than forty years. On the evening of June 8th, 1936, upon arriving home he noticed a stinging sensation in his arms and hands and afterwards noticed blisters. He testified that in the course of his employment on the day in question and thereafter his hands came in contact from time to time with cement which was used in laying the stone. His employment on June 8th followed a temporary lay-off. In September, he consulted a doctor about the condition of his arms and hands and the doctor diagnosed the condition as dermatitis and upon information given by the claimant to him termed it cement dermatitis. Thereupon the claimant filed his application for compensation for an accidental injury from which his then condition resulted. The claim was denied and the claimant appealed with the result above indicated.

Assignments of error are filed, all of which relate to the claim that the finding of the trial court was against the manifest weight of the evidence.

In the case at bar the cause was tried by the Court without the intervention of a jury and therefore no question arises as to error either in directing -a verdict or in the charge to a jury.

All the evidence in this case was taken at the hearing before the Commission.

[306]*306The claimant, Mr. Carroll, testified that he was working on the 8th day of June, 1936, a hot day; that his hands and face felt like they were on fire that evening, and that after washing his hands he discovered little white blisters ail over his arms, which did not get better but worse; that in September he consulted the doctor who, upon examination advised him to lay off for three months; that during the time he was employed on account of the condition of his hands, he suffered a broken rib which did not bother him much, but that he had a rash like he had smallpox and was not able to return to work until March, 1937; that he had never been so afflicted before in his work as a mason; that on the day in question he had to handle with his trowel lime cement which came in contact with his hands which were perspiring freely.

On cross-examination claimant was somewhat confused as to the time he had first consulted the doctor, but finally fixed upon the date of September 20th. He states that his rib was broken the 28th of September.

There is further confusion as shown on Page 17, as to the time when the blisters broke out. These apparent contradictions as to time do not affect the proper determination of the case.

Dr. Clifford testified that he first saw the claimant on September 20th, 1936, when he had a severe dermatitis over both hands and arms which became progressively worse and which he diagnosed as cement dermatitis, which is an irritation of the skin due to cement, which is poison to some people. It is probably the lime that gets into the pores and works under the skin, lime being a caustic; that he was quite sure from the history he gave that his condition was due to cement poisoning; that in the absence of the history disclosing the contact with the cement the dermatitis could be of. many types; that the fact that the day he started to work was very hot would open the pores allowing the cement to better get into the skin.

We have examined many cases, some of which we cite.

Renkel v Industrial Commission, 109 Oh St 152, holds that “diseases contracted in the course of employment, and not occasioned by or the result of a physical injury are not compensable as ‘injuries’.” Citing Industrial Com. v Cross, 104 Oh St 561, where it is held that the term “injury” does not include diseases which are contracted as distinguished from diseases which are occasioned by or follow as a result of physical injury.

Commission v Weimer, 124 Oh St 50, opinion by the Court at p. 52:

“This court has repeatedly ruled upon the question of the need of establishing physical injury or trauma in order to recover under the Workmen’s Compensation Act.”

holding that the term “injury” does not include disease as distinguished from diseases which follow as the result of a physical injury.

Commission v Franken, 126 Oh St 299, holds:

“The term ‘injury’ as used in the Workmen’s Compensation Law of Ohio comprehends only such injuries as are accidental in their origin and cause.”

Commission v Lombert, 126 Oh St 501, holds:

“Unless a claimant’s condition is the result of a physical injury, it is not compensable under the Workmen’s Compensation Law of Ohio.”

In Goodman v Commission, 135 Oh St. 81, at p. 82, we find:

“Whatever the rule in other jurisdictions may be, the Supreme Court of Ohio, through a long line of decisions, has consistently, defined the meaning of the term ‘injury’ as used in the Constitution and Statutes to be physical or traumatic injuries accidental in their origin and cause; the result of a sudden happening at a particular time.”

[307]*307Jasionowski v Commission, 22 Oh Ap 112, holds:

“Infection of cold sore caused by rubbing face with hands while handling carbon paper, held ‘injury’ within che Workmen’s Compensation Law.”

Physician’s affidavit that sore became infected, though hearsay, must be considered by the Industrial Commission, and such evidence should be submitted to the jury.

Industrial Commission of Ohio v Tolson et, 37 Oh Ap 282, holds:

“Whether death of mine employee was result of monoxide gas prevalent in the mine after blast was fired for the purpose of mining coal, held for jury.”
“The monoxide gas poisoning suffered by mine employee was ‘accidental’ with compensation law.”
“Mine employee died as result of monoxide poisoning sustained ‘accidental injury’.”

The latest pronouncement of the Supreme Court in Goodman v Industrial Commission, 135 Oh St 82, defines the word, “injury” to be “physical or traumatic injuries accidental in their origin and cause; the result of a sudden happening at a particular time.”

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Related

Industrial Commission v. Luger
6 N.E.2d 573 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1936)
Zillich v. Journeymen Barbers' International Union of America
11 N.E.2d 262 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1937)
Crawford v. Industrial Commission
13 Ohio Law. Abs. 185 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1932)
Rettig v. Industrial Commission
33 N.E.2d 405 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1937)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
31 Ohio Law. Abs. 305, 1940 Ohio App. LEXIS 1281, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/carroll-v-indust-comm-ohioctapp-1940.