Croxen v. Wicks

207 P.2d 537, 69 Idaho 391, 1949 Ida. LEXIS 248
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedJune 24, 1949
DocketNo. 7490.
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 207 P.2d 537 (Croxen v. Wicks) 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
Croxen v. Wicks, 207 P.2d 537, 69 Idaho 391, 1949 Ida. LEXIS 248 (Idaho 1949).

Opinion

KEETON, Justice.

Marie Croxen, widow of Lelun R. Croxen, deceased, filed a claim before the Industrial Accident Board to recover compensation under the Workmen’s Compensation Law, claiming that deceased met his death due to an injury “caused by an accident arising out of and in the course of his employment.”

Cecil Wicks, employer, and Idaho Compensation Company, his surety, were made defendants. The Industrial Accident Board ruled “that the fatal accident * * * did not arise out of and in the course of decedent’s employment” and held “that the claim for death benefits by the surviving widow, Marie Croxen, is denied.”

The facts in the case were not disputed.

About July 6, 1947, deceased was employed to haul logs with a truck owned by the deceased, which he serviced and repaired at his own expense. Defendant Wicks paid the deceased $6 per thousand, with a minimum guarantee of $1 per hour as wages- for an agreed average of eight hours per day. Wicks had been engaged in logging for several years. His crew consisted of eight to ten workmen. Decedent transported logs to a mill, also to a siding on the Spokane-International Railroad, a distance of thirteen or fourteen miles from the logging site. No camp was maintained by the employer, nor did he furnish the crew with lodging or board.

*393 Deceased lived at Sagle, Idaho, and it was his custom to leave his residence at about 6:00 A.M. driving his truck from Sagle northerly through Sandpoint then northeasterly to the logging site, a total distance of approximately twenty-seven miles.

Decedent worked on days when Wicks directed, and prior to the day on which the fatal accident occurred had been laid off about a week and was returning to work at Wicks’ request. The testimony of Wicks on this point is as follows:

“Q. Now this particular morning, is it a fact that he was killed on his way from his home to your logging operations? A. Yes.
“Q. And he was supposed to report that morning, and you had told him to report that morning and go to work, hadn’t you? A. Yes.
* * * * * *
“Q. Mr. Croxen was living at Sagle when he reported to work — when he came to your employment? A. Yes.
“Q. Was there any requirement that he live in Sagle when he reported to work for you? A. I didn’t make any requirement.
“Q. He could have lived at Sandpoint if he chose? A. I presume he could.
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“Q. How long had the work been suspended just before his death, and how long had he been off work? A. About a week, I think.
“Q. What time was he to report to work on the morning of his death? A. The same as usual. Nothing was said about that. I just told him to come to work the next morning.
“Q. What time did he ordinarily report to work? A. Usually around seven, or a little after.”

Employer Wicks did not furnish the deceased with transportation nor did he have any facilities for servicing or repairing deceased’s truck, and the employment contemplated the use of the truck as well as the deceased’s own services. Deceased’s place of abode, and customary manner and method of travel therefrom to the logging site were within the employer’s knowledge.

Deceased while driving his own truck from his home en route to work on the morning of September 11, 1947, was killed by a Northern Pacific eastbound freight train on its main line at a point where the main line intersects the highway known as Sagle Crossing, about a mile from deceased’s residence and approximately twenty-six miles from the site of deceased’s employment.

Respondents denied liability solely on the ground that the fatal accident did not arise out of and in the course of deceased’s employment by Wicks.

In deciding the case and denying liability the Board relied on State ex rel. Gallet v. Clearwater Timber Company, reported at 47 Idaho 295, 274 P. 802, 66 A.L.R. 1396.

*394 In appellant’s brief, appellant specified error in the Board’s ruling as follows:

“The Board erred in ruling compensation to be excluded in the case because the accident occurred on a public highway crossing of a railroad.”

In the case relied on in denying liability, State ex rel. Gallet v. Clearwater Timber Company, supra, an employee of the Clear-water Timber Company was driving his own automobile from his home in Lewiston :to his work. In driving across a railroad crossing his automobile was struck by a .•passenger train, and an employee by the name of Pierce, killed. Pierce was following the most direct and practical route on bis way to work and was traveling on a road open to the public, as well as the employees of the employing company. In construing the act, this Court called attention to the wording of Section 43-1001, I.C.A., which reads:

“If a workman receives personal injury caused by an accident arising out of and in the course of any employment covered by the Workmen’s Compensation Law his employer or the surety shall pay compensation in the amounts and to the person or persons hereinafter specified.”

Appellant seeks to distinguish the case of State ex rel. Gailet v. Clearwater Timber Company, supra, by asserting that Pierce was driving his own automobile from his home in Lewiston to his work, while Croxen in the case at bar was not merely going to work, but was performing his contract of employment in driving the instrumentality necessary to the performance of the contract. In other words, Croxen was bringing his truck from his home to the logging operation.

Appellant further claims that while Pierce in the case cited was on his way to work, Croxen was performing his work and therefore his accidental death arose out of his employment.

In support of appellant’s contention, he cites In re Coleman, 53 Idaho 339, 23 P.2d 1115; Zeier v. Boise Transfer Company, 43 Idaho 549, 254 P. 209; Scrivner v. Franklin School, 50 Idaho 77, 293 P. 666; Murdoch v. Humes & Swanstrom, 51 Idaho 459, 6 P.2d 472.

In the Coleman case, supra, the deceased, as part of his employment was required to perform work in different places and as a part of his work was required to travel back and forth to perform different services for the employer, and for that purpose necessarily used a public highway, and the court in allowing an award to the deceased’s dependents, said [53 Ida. 339, 23 P.2d 1117]:

“That where one’s employment requires him to be upon the public highways, and he travels there, it is part of his employment, and an injury received at such place and under such circumstances is compensable.”

The rule announced in the case of Zeier v. Boise Transfer Company, supra, is to the effect that where an employee was on *395

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Bluebook (online)
207 P.2d 537, 69 Idaho 391, 1949 Ida. LEXIS 248, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/croxen-v-wicks-idaho-1949.