Consumers Co. v. Ceislik

121 N.E. 832, 69 Ind. App. 333, 1919 Ind. App. LEXIS 99
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 11, 1919
DocketNo. 10,476
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 121 N.E. 832 (Consumers Co. v. Ceislik) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Consumers Co. v. Ceislik, 121 N.E. 832, 69 Ind. App. 333, 1919 Ind. App. LEXIS 99 (Ind. Ct. App. 1919).

Opinion

Batman, P. J.

Appellee filed bis claim before tbe Industrial Board, alleging that on April 13, 1918, be received personal injuries by reason of an accident arising out of and in tbe course of bis employment by appellant, and asking for an adjustment of bis compensation under tbe Workmen’s Compensation Act. Acts 1915 p. 392, §80201 et seq. Burns’ Supp. 1918. Tbe claim was beard before a single member of tbe board, who made a finding and an award in favor of appellee. Appellant, in due time, filed its application for a review of said award. Prior to tbe bearing on review appellant requested leave to [336]*336submit new and additional evidence on such hearing, and supported his request by the affidavit of its assistant secretary. This request was denied, and the full board thereafter reviewed the evidence introduced at the original hearing, and, having heard the argument of counsel, made a finding of facts on which the full board made the following award: “It is therefore considered and ordered that the plaintiff be and he is hereby awarded compensation at the rate of $10.40 per week on account of his disability to work for the injuries received other than to his right'eye, beginning on the 28th day of April, 1918, and to continue so long as the plaintiff’s injuries, other than the injury to the right eye, wholly disables him for work, not exceeding five hundred weeks and providing that the total compensation shall in no event exceed $5,000.00. It is further ordered that the question as to the degree of permanent impairment, if any, of the vision of the plaintiff’s right eye, be and the same is hereby ordered left open for future consideration. It is further ordered that the defendant pay the cost of the proceedings.”

From this award appellant has appealed and has assigned errors which require a consideration of the questions hereinafter determined.

.1. Appellant contends that denial of its request for leave to submit additional evidence on review of the original award was an abuse of discretion on the part of the board. Section 58 of the Workmen’s Compensation Act, supra, provides for filing an application before the Industrial Board for a hearing where the parties fail to reach an agreement in regard to compensation. Section 59 provides that the board, by any or all of its members, shall [337]*337hear the parties at issue, their representatives and witnesses, and shall determine the dispute in a summary manner. Such determination is final and conclusive, unless one of the parties feels aggrieved by the decision. In that event, if such award was made by less than all members of the board, the dissatisfied party may have a review thereof, by filing an application therefor within the time designated in §60 of the act, supra. On such review the parties are not given a right to submit additional evidence, but under the provisions of said §60, the board may hear additional evidence if it deems it advisable to do so. This renders the admission of additional evidence discretionary with the board, and its action in that regard is not subject to review by this court, unless the record shows an abuse of such discretion. Bimel Spoke, etc., Co. v. Loper (1917), 65 Ind. App. 479, 117 N. E. 527.

2. In the instant case the parties were given an opportunity to submit all their evidence at the first hearing before the single member of the board. On the hearing on review, appellant was not entitled as a matter of right to submit additional evidence. It recognized such fact, and sought to have the board exercise its discretion in that regard in its favor. To that end, it submitted the affidavit of its assistant secretary in support of such request, and attempted thereby to show facts which would mate a denial thereof an abuse of discretion on the part of the board. Appellant’s brief states that it is shown by said affidavit that: “Three persons, whose names appellant is ready to submit to the board, have since then (the former hearing) disclosed the fact that they were eye witnesses to circumstances that [338]*338show that appellee was not, at the time of the injury, in the service of appellant, but engaged on a personal errand of his own.” It also states that said affidavit shows that another witness has been discovered since the original hearing, whose name appellant is ready to furnish to the board, “who will, if called, disprove the testimony of appellee concerning the fact and circumstances surrounding the accident, and impeach his testimony, and show that appellee was at the time of the injury engaged in a personal mission of his own, and not on the business of the company.” This is the only evidence which appellant asked to submit on review, and the only showing as to its character, as far as disclosed by appellant’s brief. It will be observed that there is no showing as to_ what the testimony of said witnesses would be, but only a statement of a conclusion in that regard. The board had a right to know what the testimony of each of such witnesses would be, in order that it might draw its own conclusion as to what it would tend to prove or disprove, if anything. In the absence of such a showing we cannot say that the board abused its discretion in refusing to permit appellant to introduce additional evidence at the hearing on review.

3. [339]*3394. [338]*338Appellant contends that the evidence is not sufficient to sustain the finding of facts. In considering this contention it should be borne in mind that a finding of facts by the Industrial Board stands upon the same footing as the finding of the trial court or. the verdict of a jury, and when sustained by any competent evidence is conclusively binding on this court. Bloomington, etc., Stone Co. v. Phillips (1917), 65 Ind. App. 189, 116 N. E. 850; Sugar Valley Coal Co. v. Drake (1917), 66 Ind. App. [339]*339152, 117. N. E. 937. Also, that such hoard, like a court or jury, may draw reasonable inferences from the facts and circumstances in evidence. Haskell, etc., Car Co. v. Brown (1918), 67 Ind. App. 178; 117 N. E. 555. With these settled rules in mind, we have reviewed the evidence in the light of appellant’s contention, and find ourselves unable to agree that it is not sufficient to sustain the finding of facts. Every material fact found is sustained by some competent evidence. True, some of it is strongly conflicting as appellant has cited, but it is not within the province oj: this court to weigh -the same, and thereby determine its preponderance. Public Utilities Co. v. Cosby (1915), 60 Ind. App. 252, 110 N. E. 576.

5. Appellant also contends that its rights were prejudiced by the board’s consideration of incompetent evidence. If it be conceded that incompetent evidence was heard, it does not follow that the board gave it weight in arriving at its conclusion as to the facts established. The mere fact that incompetent evidence is heard is not cause for reversal, where, as in this case, there was some competent evidence which tended to establish every material fact found. United Paperboard Co. v. Lewis (1917), 65 Ind. App. 356, 117 N. E. 276.

6. [340]*3407. [339]*339Appellant’s contention that the facts found are not sufficient to sustain the award is not well taken.

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Bluebook (online)
121 N.E. 832, 69 Ind. App. 333, 1919 Ind. App. LEXIS 99, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/consumers-co-v-ceislik-indctapp-1919.