Chandler v. Travelers Insurance Co.

369 S.W.2d 390, 212 Tenn. 199, 16 McCanless 199, 1963 Tenn. LEXIS 413
CourtTennessee Supreme Court
DecidedJune 4, 1963
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 369 S.W.2d 390 (Chandler v. Travelers Insurance Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Tennessee Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Chandler v. Travelers Insurance Co., 369 S.W.2d 390, 212 Tenn. 199, 16 McCanless 199, 1963 Tenn. LEXIS 413 (Tenn. 1963).

Opinion

Mr. Special Justice Robert S. Clement

delivered the opinion of the Court.

This case is on appeal from the Chancery Court of Giles County wherein James Roy Chandler obtained an award for permanent partial disability of fifty-two, and one-half (52%) per cent of the loss of hearing of both ears, amounting to 78.75 weeks at Thirty-Four ($34.00) Dollars per week, in keeping with the Workmen’s Compensation Law, Section 50-901, and subsequent sections. Both parties have appealed to this Court and they will, for convenience, be referred to as in the lower court.

The Complainant, a man fifty-seven years old at the time of the hearing, was injured on October 10, 1960, [201]*201while working for the Bush Building Company at Pulaski, Tennessee. It is agreed that the accident arose out of and in the course of Complainant’s line of duty. The petition alleges that Complainant was hit on the head with a steel cable that was being moved by a crane and which had become loose; that he was knocked to the ground and sustained a cerebral concussion and that he was unconscious for a period of forty-eight hours thereafter; that he returned to work about two weeks after the accident and continued to try to work even though he felt physically unable to do so and that, as a direct result of the lick on his head, he has suffered almost constantly with headaches and dizziness and that his hearing is impaired fifty-four (54%) per cent in the right ear and fifty-one (51%) per cent in the left ear. Complainant was carried to the office of Dr. K. M. Kressenberg, a company physician in Pulaski, immediately following the accident and was found to be suffering with a cerebral concussion. He was placed in the hospital for two days and Dr. Kressenberg saw him again on the 15th, 22nd and 24th day of October, at which time employee was told that he could go back to work and see how he made it. Dr. Kressenberg next saw Complainant on January 12, 1961, at which time he made an appointment for Complainant to see Dr. Joseph Capps, a neurosurgeon in Nashville, on January 18, 1961.

Dr. Kressenberg testified that he saw Complainant again on September 1, 1961, with reference to Complainant’s hearing and he was referred to Dr. "William Ken-non, an ear specialist in Nashville, who found that Complainant had a considerable hearing loss in both ears, amounting to fifty-four (54%) per cent in the right ear and fifty-one (51%) per cent in the left ear. Dr. Kressen-[202]*202berg further testified .that this bearing loss could be caused by trauma;.Dr Kressenberg testified that be again saw Complainant on January 5, 1962, and that tbe Complainant again was sent to Dr. Capps for a further, study and test to determine whether or not Complainant had any organic brain damage. According to the stipulation, Dr. Capps saw Complainant on January 18, 1961.

The Complainant was terminated by his employer on October 11, 196ÍL. The Complainant insists that he wás fired, but the émployer insists the Complainant was terminated because of lack of work.

The assignments of error submitted by the Defendants are as follows: .

No. 1. Because the evidence preponderates against the finding of the Court.

No. 2. Because the Court failed to sustain the. Motion of the defendants regarding the Statute of Limitations for payment of compensation.

No. 3. Because'the Court'failed in its finding- of fact to show that the Statute of Limitations of one year had expired. ....

No. 4. .Because the Court failed to hold that the suit was filed within the statutory time. •

No. 5. Because the Court failed to hold that the partial deafness of plaintiff occurred prior to the injury' on October 10,1960.

No. 6. Because the proof does not show that the Complainant h.ad a hearing loss of 52% per cent of both ears.

No. 7. Because the Court erred in holding that the [203]*203tolling of the Statute ran from the time of furnishing the medical treatment.

No. 8. Because the Court failed to grant the motion for a new trail.

The assignments of error submitted by the Complainant are:

No. 1. That the Court erred in failing to hold that the Complainant was one hundred (100%) per cent disabled.

No. 2. The Court erred in overruling Complainant’s supplemental bill in the nature of a Bill of Review.

No. 3. The Court erred in refusing to resolve the medical testimony in favor of the Complainant.

The main question to be resolved by the Court is No. 2 of Defendants’ assignment, which raises the question as to whether or not the Statute of Limitations had run against the Complainant before the filing of. his petition on February 20, 1962. If this Court should find that the Statute had run, then it is not.necessary to pass on the other questions raised. Therefore, we will first consider this assignment which deals with the Statute - of Limitations.

Section 50-1003, T.C.A. reads as follows:

“Limitation Of Time. — The .right to compensation under the Workmen’s Compensation Law shall.be forever barred, unless within one (1) year after the accident resulting in injury or death occurred the notice required by sec. 50-1002 is given the employer and a claim for compensation under the provisions of this law is filed with the tribunal having jurisdiction to hear and determine the matter; provided that, if within said [204]*204one (1) year period voluntary payments of compensation are paid to the injured person or his dependents, an action to recover any unpaid portion of the compensation, payable under this law, may be instituted within one (1) year from the time the employer shall cease making such payments, except in those cases provided for by sec. 50-1024.”

With reference as to whether the medical services furnished the Complainant were voluntary, it must be concluded that these services were voluntarily rendered by the Defendants because Dr. Kressenberg, who treated Complainant and directed him to Doctors Capps and Ken-non, was a company doctor.

‘ ‘ Under Compensation Law conferring upon employer having paid ‘compensation’ or having become liable therefor, right of subrogation against third party causing injury to employee, ‘compensation’ includes medical and hospitalization benefits, notwithstanding injured employee refused to accept compensation and settled with third party.” United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company v. Union Railway Company, 182 Tenn. 412, 187 S.W.2d 615.

So, we conclude that the payment for medical services was voluntary and must be considered as compensation.

The stipulation, which is signed by the attorneys for Complainant and Defendants, and is a part of the record in this cause reads as follows:

“In this cause comes the parties by their counsel and stipulate and agree as follows:
1. The date of accident — October 10,1960.
[205]*2052. The complainant was treated on various dates thereafter by Dr. K. M. Kressenberg including an examination on January 12,1961.
3. That complainant was examined by Dr.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
369 S.W.2d 390, 212 Tenn. 199, 16 McCanless 199, 1963 Tenn. LEXIS 413, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chandler-v-travelers-insurance-co-tenn-1963.