Close v. General Construction Co.

106 P.2d 1007, 61 Idaho 689, 1940 Ida. LEXIS 55
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 22, 1940
DocketNo. 6764.
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 106 P.2d 1007 (Close v. General Construction Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Close v. General Construction Co., 106 P.2d 1007, 61 Idaho 689, 1940 Ida. LEXIS 55 (Idaho 1940).

Opinion

*691 AILSHIE, C. J.

Respondent, a married man, was employed by the General Construction Company, appellant, in highway construction work in Nez Perce county. April 13, 1931, during the regular course of his employment, a falling tree struck respondent causing a compound fracture of his right leg. Appellant was notified of the accident and injury and, April 29, 1931, claim for compensation was filed with the Industrial Accident Board. From the date of the accident to November 12, 1931, a period of 30 weeks and 6 days, respondent was totally disabled, during which time he was provided with medical and hospital attendance, and was paid compensation at the rate of .$13.10 per week, totalling $406.10.

January 15, 1932, the parties entered into a compensation agreement, approved by the accident board, whereby appellants paid respondent compensation “for his estimated permanent partial disability for work, suffered comparable to 60% of the loss of one leg at the ankle joint, being 99% of 62% weeks at $13.10 per week, totalling $810.56.” Summary and award, based on the agreement, was approved by the board January 21, 1932.

January 21, 1939, a change occurred in respondent’s condition, due to the impairment of circulation in the right foot and leg below the knee. On account of the change in condition, it became necessary, March 10, 1939, to amputate respondent’s right leg about four inches below the knee. June 12, 3939, respondent was surgically healed, with a permanent partial disability resulting from the loss of the leg by amputation. It was necessary to secure additional medical, hospital, nursing and other expenses in the sum of $461.13, together with the sum of $269.80 (compensation for total temporary disability for work from January 21 to June 11, 1939) which liability appellants have agreed to assume.

*692 August 24, 1939, counsel for the respective parties entered into a stipulation,' agreeing to the above facts as stated, but being unable to agree as to the amount of compensation to which respondent is entitled on account of the amputation of his leg, — claimant insisting that he is entitled to compensation as provided in section 43-1113, I. C. A., for 99 per cent of 140 weeks at $13.10 per week, without deducting the amount previously paid under the terms of the former agreement, namely, 99 per cent of 625/2 weeks at $13.10 per week; and appellants insisting that the latter amount should be deducted from 99 per cent of 140 weeks at $13.10 per week. Upon the stipulated facts, the matter was submitted to the board for decision. September 15, 1939, the board entered the following award:

“WHEBEFOBE, IT IS OBDEBED, AND THIS DOES OBDEB, That the claimant, C. G. Close, be, and he hereby is, awarded against the defendants, General Construction Company, employer, and State Insurance Fund, surety, and each of them, compensation for his permanent partial disability at the rate of $13.10 a week for a period of 99% of 140 weeks, and for compensation at the rate of $13.10 a week from the 21st day of January, 1939, to the 11th day of June, 1939, and for the further sum of $461.13.
“IT IS FUBTHEB OBDEBED, AND THIS DOES OB-DEB, That the defendants, General Construction Company, employer, and State Insurance Fund, surety, and each of them, immediately pay to the State Treasurer to be deposited in the Industrial Special Indemnity Fund the sum of $36.68.” From the above order, in so far as the same allows respondent compensation “in excess of 99% of 77.5 weeks at $13.10 per week; and the sum of $36.68 to the State Treasurer” for deposit in the special indemnity fund “in excess of $20.30,” defendants have appealed.

The sole question to be decided on this appeal is: Can the employer and insurance carrier have a credit of the specific indemnity awarded respondent by the board in accordance with the compensation agreement for his then existing permanent disability, comparable to 50 per cent loss of one foot by amputation, out of the subsequent specific indemnity award for the entire loss of one leg between the knee and ankle ?

*693 In other words: Must the board credit the compensation paid for partial loss of leg against a subsequent award for total loss (amputation) of the leg?

The answer to this inquiry must be found in the Workmen’s Compensation Law, and particularly in section 43-1113. The latter section contains the schedule of indemnities and, among other things, says the workman shall receive

“For the loss of: ... .
One leg between the knee and ankle.....140”

compensation allowance and, after enumerating a number of specific injuries, the statute adds:

■“In all other eases in this class compensation shall bear such relation to the amount stated in the above schedule as the disabilities bear to those produced by the injuries named in the schedule.”

Appellants place their chief reliance on the case of State ex rel. Gilmore v. Industrial Commission of Ohio, 127 Ohio St. 214, 187 N. E. 770. That was a case where the workman -was injured and suffered the loss of sight of an eye and was compensated therefor under the Ohio schedule of indemnities, and thereafter lost the eye by emicleation, all resulting from the same accident. The court held that, upon the final award “for the loss of an eye” the employer and insurance carrier should be credited with the amount previously paid for the “loss of vision of the same eye” (25 per cent). The holding in that case, however, is not exactly applicable here, for the reason that the wording of the statute is slightly different and there was involved the construction as to the intent of the legislature which was implied from an amendment that had been made by the legislature in 1931, changing the original wording from “for the loss of an eye” to the words, “for the loss of the sight of an eye”.

Respondent relies on Leach v. Grangeville Highway Dist., 55 Ida. 307, 41 Pac. (2d) 618; 99 A. L. R. 1502n., a case wherein the claimant had suffered a 90 per cent loss of vision of his left eye, for which he was awarded and paid compensation. Later on, while working for the highway district, he suffered a further injury to the same eye, necessitating enucleation of the eye. The same company was surety for both employers and defended against the final award of compensa *694 tion on the ground that a credit should be allowed against the award for loss of the eye, of the amount that had been awarded for partial loss of the vision of the same eye. This court held that credit should not be allowed, and among other things, said:

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Bluebook (online)
106 P.2d 1007, 61 Idaho 689, 1940 Ida. LEXIS 55, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/close-v-general-construction-co-idaho-1940.