Davis v. Silver Hill Concrete Co.

258 A.2d 591, 255 Md. 482, 1969 Md. LEXIS 725
CourtCourt of Appeals of Maryland
DecidedNovember 7, 1969
DocketNo. 35
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 258 A.2d 591 (Davis v. Silver Hill Concrete Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Maryland primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Davis v. Silver Hill Concrete Co., 258 A.2d 591, 255 Md. 482, 1969 Md. LEXIS 725 (Md. 1969).

Opinion

McWilliams, J.,

delivered the opinion of the Court.

In April 1967 the Workmen’s Compensation Commission (the Commission) denied the petition of the appellant (Davis) to reopen his compensation claim for the reason that it was barred by Code, Art. 101, § 40 (c) (1964 Repl. Vol.), which requires such an application to be made “within three years next following the last payment of compensation.” 1 Davis now adjures us to set aside the order of the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County affirming the action of the Commission. We have set forth verbatim a statement of the facts upon which the parties have been able to agree and a statement of the “facts” which they agree are in dispute.

STATEMENT OF FACTS
“Appellant, while employed by Silver Hill Concrete Company, sustained an accidental injury during the course and in the scope of his employment on January 20,1958.
“Thereafter, he was unable to work until March 16, 1958, and came under the care of Dr. Dornbach.
“On February 25, 1958, appellant executed and filed a claim for compensation benefits and on March 31, 1958, there was entered an Award of Compensation granting appellant benefits of $40.00 per week during the time of [484]*484his temporary total disability to commence January 24,1958.
“After March 16, 1958, appellant lost time from work during several periods, allegedly, as a result of his injury. He was paid his full usual salary by his employer for some of these periods.
“For the time lost because of the accident, payments were made for the following periods of temporary total disability:
1-21-58 to 3-16-58 $313.55
3-28-59 to 4-29-59 $188.55
6-5-59 to 6-11-59 $40.00
6- 12-59 to 7-2-59 $120.00
7- 3-59 to 7-9-59 $40.00
7-10-59 to 7-12-59 $17.00
“Since appellant was receiving his full weekly salary from his employer, for those periods for which compensation checks were issued, appellant endorsed them over to his employer as reimbursement of that part of his salary covered by the Award. In addition, all of appellant’s medical expenses during the above periods were paid by the compensation carrier.
“Appellant returned to work on July 13, 1959. His doctor certified that he could return to work on that date. However, according to claimant, the doctor suggested claimant postpone several hearings because of the uncertainty as to the ultimate degree of permanent disability.
“From July 6, 1960, through July 9, 1962, several hearings were scheduled by the Commission to determine the nature and extent of any permanent disability sustained by claimant. These were all continued at the request of one party or the other.
■ “Throughout the period beginning when ap[485]*485pellant filed his claim in February of 1958 until December 1965 appellant was not represented by counsel.
“The hearing scheduled for July 9, 1962, was continued, and appellant was advised by letter dated July 11, 1962, from counsel representing the employer, that if he wished to proceed with a hearing to determine the extent of disability, he should contact the Commission or the carrier, who would request a hearing on his behalf if he desired.
“No further requests for hearing were made by either party until claimant requested a hearing on October 12,1965.
“On October 30, 1963, the Commission entered an Order terminating temporary total disability as of July 13, 1959. However, the Commission erroneously referred to a hearing date of June 9, 1962, at which the claimant allegedly failed to appeal. No such hearing was scheduled in June!
“On December 30,1965, appellant retained his present counsel and they requested a hearing on his behalf. Five hearings were continued for one reason or another until March 21, 1967, when the matter came on before Commissioner Valle.
“On October 11, 1966, the attorney for the carrier requested that claimant submit to a medical examination; claimant complied with this request.
“On April 12, 1967, the Commission denied appellant’s request to re-open the claim on the grounds that it was barred by the Statute of Limitations.
“An appeal was appropriately filed with this Honorable Court on April 14,1967.”
[486]*486FACTS IN DISPUTE
“Does the letter of July 11, 1962, from attorney for carrier represent a waiver of the Statute of Limitations or an equitable estoppel ?
“Claimant alleges he was totally disabled during the following periods for which he received neither wages nor compensation, and for which he claims unpaid compensation benefits:
“Week ending:
5-7-58 — one day 2-13-64 — three days
7-9-58 — three days 2-20-64 — five days
2-25-59 — one day 2- 27-64 — five days
5-22-63 — five days 3- 4-64 — two days
5- 29-63 — five days 6-10-64 — three days
6- 12-63 — five days 2-3-65 — two days
6-19-63 — four days 6-2-65 — five days
“Claimant’s hospitalization, as a result of the injury, was as follows:
1. January 1958 — compression fracture, L-l
2. March 1959 — excision of bone spur and herniated fat pad, lumbo-sacral area
3. June 1959 — excision of cyst, lumbo-sacral area
4. December 1963 — hospitalized for lumbosacral complaints
5. June 1965 — removal of herniated disc, lumbo-sacral area”

Davis puts forward two contentions. He insists that the three year period of limitations has yet to start running against him because there has been no “last payment of compensation.” (Emphasis added.) He claims he was not paid temporary total benefits for five days lost from work during the period May 1958 to February 1959, specifically one day in May 1958, three days in July 1958, and one day in February 1959. Secondly, he declares, even if his application to reopen was not timely [487]*487made, the letter of 11 July 1962 2 amounts to an equitable estoppel precluding the employer and its insurer (the appellees) from asserting limitations as a defense.

I.

The case came before the trial judge, Parker, J., on the appellees’ motion for a summary judgment. The “stipulation of facts submitted by counsel,” as recited by Judge Parker, with some editing, is substantially the same as the agreed statement of facts which we have set forth above.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
258 A.2d 591, 255 Md. 482, 1969 Md. LEXIS 725, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/davis-v-silver-hill-concrete-co-md-1969.