Chun Wong Chee v. Yee Wo Chan Co.

26 Haw. 785, 1923 Haw. LEXIS 75
CourtHawaii Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 15, 1923
DocketNo. 1405
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 26 Haw. 785 (Chun Wong Chee v. Yee Wo Chan Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Hawaii Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Chun Wong Chee v. Yee Wo Chan Co., 26 Haw. 785, 1923 Haw. LEXIS 75 (haw 1923).

Opinions

[787]*787OPINION OP THE COURT BY

PETERS, C. X

(Perry, X, dissenting.)

This case arises out of a claim for compensation under the Workmen’s Compensation Act made by the defendant in error in respect of the death of her husband. The industrial accident board awarded compensation and plaintiffs in error appealed to the first circuit court. The circuit court, after trial had jury waived, awarded compensation. Following is the court’s decision omitting the award of the industrial accident board which the court quoted therein in full:

“Chun Chee, deceased, on August 12, 1921, was, and for some time prior thereto had been, employed as clerk and collector for Yee Wo Chan Company, general merchants doing business in Honolulu. On the date mentioned, Chun Chee, while riding in an automobile on his way to collect an overdue account for his employers, Yee Wo Chan Company, was thrown or fell from the automobile into the street, near the corner of King and Nu-uanu streets, in Honolulu, receiving personal injuries from which he died the same day. The injuries thus received by him, as disclosed by the evidence adduced at the trial in this court, arose out of and in the course of his employment with Yee Wo Chan Company.
“The widow of the deceased, Mrs. Chun Wong Chee, on behalf of herself and her two minor children, having filed notice of the injury and death of her husband and also her claim for compensation with the Industrial Accident Board of the City and County of Honolulu, pursuant to Act 221 of the Laws of 1915 as amended by Act 227 of the Laws of 1917, and the board having heard and considered the claim, on January 11, 1922, duly made and [788]*788entered tbe following finding of facts and order:” (bere follows in full tbe award of tbe industrial accident board)
“From tbe order tbns made and entered by tbe board Yee. Wo Oban Company and tbe Employers’ Liability Assurance Company, Limited, of London, England, insurance carrier of Yee Wo Oban Company, appealed to tbis court; and trial by jury being waived tbe cause was beard by tbe court.
“Upon tbe evidence adduced at tbe bearing in tbis cause I find tbe facts to be tbe same in all respects as found and set forth in tbe order made and entered by tbe Industrial Accident Board, a copy of wbicb is quoted above, and wbicb order is hereby adopted and confirmed in all respects and tbe same is made a part of tbis decision.”

Judgment was entered accordingly.

Plaintiffs in error assign tbe following errors of tbe trial court:

“1. That the circuit court erred in finding and deciding that on August 12, 1921, Cbnn Cbee, while riding in an automobile on bis way to collect an overdue account for bis employer, Yee Wo Chan Company, was thrown or fell from tbe automobile into tbe street.
“2. That tbe circuit court erred in finding and deciding that tbe injuries tbns received by him (Cbnn Cbee) as disclosed by tbe evidence adduced at tbe trial in said court, arose out of and in course of bis employment with Yee Wo Chan Company.
“3. That the circuit court erred in finding that facts shown by tbe evidence adduced in said court were tbe same in all respects as found and set forth in tbe order made and entered by the’ Industrial Accident Board.
“4. That tbe circuit court erred in adopting and confirming tbe said order.
“5. That tbe circuit court erred in rendering and entering its judgment on tbe 19th day of April, 1922, in favor of tbe claimant and against Yee Wo Chan Company and Employers’ Liability Assurance Corporation, Limited, to recover compensation in a sum not to exceed $5,000.”

[789]*789The third and fourth assignments of error need be considered only so far as they involve assignments of error 1 and 2. The conclusions of fact or rulings of law included in the award of the industrial accident board are not binding upon the circuit court on appeal and the decision of the circuit court must find support, if at all, in the evidence adduced before it. The court may, however, in “stating its reasons” for its decision required by the provisions of section 2380, R.. L. 1915, include by adoption or confirmation the conclusions of fact or rulings of law of the industrial accident board. So long as the circuit court, when rendering its decision jury waived, states its reasons therefor, it makes no difference whether those reasons are set forth independently of or by reference to and in confirmation of the award of the industrial accident board.

Assignment 1. That the deceased immediately prior to the accident was “riding in an automobile on his way to collect an overdue account for. his employers Yee Wo Chan Company,” is amply sustained by the evidence. The deceased at the time of the accident was employed as a salesman and collector by Yee Wo Chan Company of Honolulu, his hours of employment being from 8 a. m. to 9 p. m. The accident happened at about 6 p. m. On the morning of the day of the accident he had been instructed by the manager of Yee Wo Chan Company to collect an overdue bill of a customer living in Manoa, to which he replied that he was then too busy but would do so after dinner. A few minutes before the accident the deceased, while on King street near Maunakea street, was invited by a friend, driving a, private automobile along King street toward Nuuanu street, to ride with him. The deceased accepted the invitation and after getting into the automobile informed his friend that he was on his way to Circle lane where the company’s automobile was being re[790]*790paired, from which place he was going, to Manoa to collect a bill. Circle lane runs northerly from Beretania street between Punchbowl and Alapai streets and is on a direct line from the point where the deceased got into the automobile to Manoa. The automobile with the deceased as a passenger continued along King street to Nuuanu. It was while the automobile was turning northerly into Nuuanu street that the accident happened.

The finding that the deceased “was thrown or fell from the automobile” is not sustained by the evidence. This does not mean, however, that plaintiffs in error by reason thereof are entitled to a new trial. The court’s finding-may admit of the inference that the proximate cause of the injury was not the mishap that occurred while the deceased was alighting from the automobile but due to other causes over which the deceased had no control—in other words, that the deceased had not intended to leave the automobile but had intended to continue with it and was prevented from so doing by circumstances other than his voluntary act. The impression entertained by the trial court that the deceased was thrown or fell from the automobile may have influenced it in holding that the accident arose out of and in the course of his employment. However that may be, where, as here, the evidence is not conflicting, erroneous findings of fact by the trial court do not constitute reversible error. Upon that state of the case it is the duty of this court to disregard such findings and decide as a matter of law what the facts prove. Hedge v. Williams, 63 Pac. (Cal.) 721-723. See also Hendrie & Bolthoff Mfg. Co. v. Collins, 56 Pac. (Colo.) 815, 816, 817.

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Bluebook (online)
26 Haw. 785, 1923 Haw. LEXIS 75, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chun-wong-chee-v-yee-wo-chan-co-haw-1923.