Chmielewski v. R. I. Diesel Service, Inc.

209 A.2d 451, 99 R.I. 574, 1965 R.I. LEXIS 483
CourtSupreme Court of Rhode Island
DecidedApril 26, 1965
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 209 A.2d 451 (Chmielewski v. R. I. Diesel Service, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Rhode Island primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Chmielewski v. R. I. Diesel Service, Inc., 209 A.2d 451, 99 R.I. 574, 1965 R.I. LEXIS 483 (R.I. 1965).

Opinion

Powers, J.

This is an employee’s original petition for compensation benefits brought under the provisions of G. L. 1956, §28-35-12, as amended. It was heard iby a single commissioner who, on a finding that the petitioner had failed to prove by the credible evidence that a heart injury sustained 'by him arose out of and in the course of his employment, entered a decree denying and dismissing the petition. The cause is before us on the petitioner’s appeal [575]*575under §28-35-29 from a decree of the full commission affirming the decree of the trial commissioner.

At the oral arguments before the full commission, petitioner’s motion that the trial commissioner disqualify himself was denied by the remaining members of the commission, the trial commissioner not participating. However, he did participate in the decision on the merits of the appeal.

In his reasons of appeal petitioner has assigned twelve grounds of alleged error. They raise two issues. The first relates to the constitutionality of §28-35-28, which authorizes the trial commissioner to participate in the review on appeal to the full commission. The second concerns petitioner’s contentions that the full commission overlooked and misconceived the import of his evidence and misconceived the applicable law. We shall so consider those issues.

A number of the ultimate .facts are not in dispute. They establish that -respondent corporation operates a garage at 197 Anthony street in East Providence where heavy transportation equipment is serviced and repaired; that in addition to rendering service and mailing repairs on respondent’s premises, similar work is performed for some transportation companies at the premises occupied by them; and that among such companies was Branch Motor Express Company, hereinafter called “Branch,” 2 Dunn street, East Providence.

It is also undisputed that in the early morning of December 7, 1961 and for several months previously petitioner was employed by respondent; that his working hours were from midnight to 8 a.m.; that on said morning petitioner reported late for work; that at o-r about 4 a-m. he became ill and his foreman drove him to Roger Williams General Hospital in Providence; and that petitioner’s illness was diagnosed as a “myocardial infarction” for which he was treated and hospitalized until January 6, 1962.

[576]*576It is' also- undisputed that petitioner was treated by Dr. Walter E. Hayes and. Dr. Ezra A. Sharp; that he was still under the care of Dr. Sharp- at the time of the hearing; that during the course thereof petitioner was examined by Dr. Joseph S. Karas on behalf of -respondent; and that petitioner has not worked since December 7, 1961.’

The probative evidence is otherwise sharply contradictory. The petitioner testified that he arrived for work on the morning of December 7, 196-1 about a half hour late; that he was sent by his foreman, Milton Kaiser, the only other employee on the midnight shift, to- the premises of Branch where, working alone and without power tools, he was required to -change an inside tire on a trailer; that the type of tires used weighed three hundred to four hundred pounds each; that because it was an inside tire which was flat, he was required to take off and remount the outside and inside tires; that it was a very cold night; and that the work required an hour and a half and called for great-exertion.

The foreman on the other hand testified with equal firmness that petitioner arrived two hours late for work and was not sent out to change a tire or make any other repairs away from respondent’s premises.

The foreman’s testimony was somewhat corroborated by the absence in respondent’s records of a purchase order .from Branch which would have shown a request for the services petitioner testified that he rendered, and the absence of any invoice for such services from respondent to Branch. Although respondent is a corporation it is principally owned by Americo Lapati. The records were introduced through him and he testified that if petitioner had performed such services there would be a record of the purchase order and corresponding invoice.

On the other hand, Louis Colafra-ncesco, an employee of Branch, testified that he remembered seeing petitioner [577]*577changing the tires at albout 1:30 on the morning of December 7, 1961. A fellow employee, Henry Viera, testified that he recalled petitioner changing a tire sometime in December ¡but was unable to give the exact date.

The petitioner further testified that after changing the tires he returned to respondent’s garage where he was assigned by the foreman to finish repairs to a truck on which the day shift had 'been working. Specifically he stated that this work consisted of assembling the drive shaft by first connecting the rear end or differential with one end of the drive shaft and then connecting the other end with the transmission. This required him to work while lying on his back and lifting the seventy-five-pound drive shaft by hand.

It is also his testimony that the foreman was working-on a dump truck nearby and was “bleeding” the oil lines after putting in thirty quarts of oil. The “bleeding” required that the motor be running and this process took some thirty minutes, resulting in heavy fumes.

It was petitioner’s recollection that he had attached one end of the drive shaft to the differential and was proceeding to attach the other to the transmission when he experienced a severe headache. Allegedly he was then seized with very sharp pains in his chest, felt very weak and called five or six times for help from the foreman, who assisted him to a truck and drove him to Roger Williams General Hospital.

The foreman, however, testified to a completely different version of the pertinent events. According to him the day shift had installed the drive shaft except for coupling up the front of it with the transmission and tightening the bolts. This he described as requiring no lifting at all. In addition to such coupling, the foreman testified, petitioner bolted the top cover of the transmission, a simple tightening process achieved with an ordinary wrench.

[578]*578He also testified that the “bleeding” of the other truck took no more than three to four minutes and that petitioner did not call for help but rather walked up to him, complained that he did not feel well, and asked to be taken to the hospital.

Doctors Hayes and Sharp testified on behalf of petitioner. Each was asked an involved hypothetical question which was premised on every circumstance relating to exertion, gas fumes and adverse working conditions as related by petitioner. In response to such question both doctors gave as their opinions that petitioner’s incapacity, diagnosed as a myocardial infarction, was caused or brought on by the circumstances under which petitioner testified to have been working on the morning of December 7, 1961.

Doctor Karas testifying for .respondent held a more optimistic view of petitioner’s condition at the time of the hearing than Doctors Hayes and Sharp, but he also conceded that based on petitioner’s version relating thereto, petitioner’s illness was a result of such work and conditions. Thus his claim for compensation benefits was predicated on the nature and conditions of work as related by him and his witnesses.

The single commissioner found that petitioner’s version was not to be believed.

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Bluebook (online)
209 A.2d 451, 99 R.I. 574, 1965 R.I. LEXIS 483, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chmielewski-v-r-i-diesel-service-inc-ri-1965.