Deaver v. Armstrong Rubber Co.

170 N.W.2d 455, 1969 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 882
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedSeptember 5, 1969
Docket53416
StatusPublished
Cited by39 cases

This text of 170 N.W.2d 455 (Deaver v. Armstrong Rubber Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Deaver v. Armstrong Rubber Co., 170 N.W.2d 455, 1969 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 882 (iowa 1969).

Opinion

MASON, Justice.

This is an appeal by Donald R. Deaver, claimant in a workmen’s compensation proceeding, from judgment of the Polk district court reversing the deputy industrial commissioner’s decision awarding claimant additional compensation in a review-reopening.

Plaintiff was injured on the job July 22, 1963, while working for Armstrong Rubber Company when a steel molding ring weighing approximately 30 pounds slipped from a shelf striking his head. Aside from the few days in which Deaver attempted to work he was off the job from the date of the accident until sometime in the middle of November.

August 7 the employer’s liability insurance carrier filed a memorandum of agreement as to compensation with the commissioner. It was approved. Section 86.13, Code, 1966. March 9, 1964, the carrier filed a report of workmen’s compensation benefit payments disclosing claimant had been paid $308.85 in weekly benefits and had been furnished professional and hospital services in the care and treatment of his injuries totaling approximately $432.10.

April 14, 1965, Deaver filed the petition in review-reopening against his employer and its insurance carrier for recovery of additional benefits under sections 86.34 and 86.35 of the Iowa workmen’s compensation act for the results of the injuries sustained July 22, 1963, alleging he was then permanently and totally disabled for industrial purposes under the provisions of this act.

Hearings were held July 28, 1965 and April 20, 1967, with the last evidentiary deposition in the matter being taken September 7.

In these hearings claimant contended that at all times subsequent to the employment injury incurred at Armstrong he was plagued by headaches and tension which forced him to miss work frequently and in one instance required him to leave the regional managership with Kenron Manufacturing Company. Therefore, he was entitled to permanent partial disability benefits under the Iowa workmen’s compensation law because of impaired income producing ability.

In his decision the deputy commissioner declared the issue was whether claimant sustained a permanent disablity as the result of the July 22 incident and if so, to what extent.

On a review-reopening hearing before the deputy commissioner claimant has the burden of establishing by a preponderance of the evidence that he suffered an impairment or lessening of earning capacity as a proximate result of his original injury, subsequent to the date of the award or agreement for compensation under review, which entitles him to additional compensation. Wagner v. Otis Radio & Electric Co., 254 Iowa 990, 993-994, 119 N.W.2d 751, 753; Olson v. Goodyear Service Stores, 255 Iowa 1112, 1120, 125 N.W.2d 251, 256-257; Giere v. Aase Haugen Homes, Inc., 259 Iowa 1065, 1070, *458 146 N.W.2d 911, 914; and Gosek v. Garmer and Stiles Co., Iowa, 158 N.W.2d 731, 732, and citations in these opinions.

December 8 the deputy commissioner filed his decision in the review-reopening proceedings finding claimant was suffering from a condition of manic depressive psychosis caused by the accident of July 22, 1963, which resulted in a permanent partial disability to the body as a whole to the extent of 25 percent.

Dr. Victor J. Cardenas, M.D., a Des Moines psychiatrist, the only medical witness called by plaintiff, described this mental illness as shown in the record of the transcript of evidence:

“In response to a question for a brief description of manic depression reaction the doctor stated that a manic depressive reaction is a mental illness that is characterized by swings in mood and one of these phases of the disease, the patient is primarily depressed. He is retarded in his thinking and his movements. He feels sad inside. He cannot sleep well. He doesn’t eat well. He usually loses his appetite; at times loses weight. He might have crying spells and feel rather hopeless. In a way, this is the type of an enlarged reaction common to what everybody has, high and low periods, the difference being that it gets out of proportion.”

The deputy further found that at the time of the hearing Deaver was earning essentially the same amount as he did at the time of injury; however, he stated further examination of the evidence demonstrated Deaver was capable of earning substantially more. Since the claimant’s disability was outside the schedule it was to be evaluated as industrial which included considerations of age, education and ability to perform work. Citing Martin v. Skelly Oil Co., 252 Iowa 128, 106 N.W.2d 95. He defined disability for purposes of the workmen’s compensation act to mean impairment or lessening of earning capacity. Citing Diederich v. Tri-City R. Co., 219 Iowa 587, 258 N.W. 899; Yeager v. Firestone Tire & Rubber Co., 253 Iowa 369, 112 N.W.2d 299.

“It is true the kind of disability with which the Compensation Act is concerned is industrial, not functional, disability. It is disability which reduces earning capacity, not merely bodily functions. Functional disability is an element to be considered in determining the reduction of earning capacity but it is not the final criterion. * * * [Citing authorities].” Olson v. Goodyear Service Stores, supra, 255 Iowa at 1120, 125 N.W.2d at 256.

The deputy commissioner ordered Armstrong and its carrier to pay Deaver for 125 weeks at $38 per week, plus healing period of 25 weeks at $46 per week, less the $308.85 already paid claimant.

I. January 4, 1968, Armstrong Rubber Company and its insurance carrier filed with the industrial commissioner their notice of appeal to the district court from the review decision of the deputy commissioner. Code section 86.26. Their appeal, based on three of the statutory grounds provided by section 86.30, states:

“There was not sufficient competent evidence in record to warrant the order made by the Deputy Industrial Commissioner.
“That the facts found by the Deputy Industrial Commissioner do not support the award of a permanent disability of the body.
“That the Deputy Industrial Commissioner acted in excess of his powers in awarding a healing period of twenty-five (25) weeks.”

We point out the four grounds of appeal listed in this Code section are exclusive. See Olson v. Goodyear Service Stores, supra.

That appeal was submitted on the transcript of the evidence considered by the deputy commissioner. Section 86.29.

*459 Fraud is not claimed here.

“We have repeatedly construed these provisions [section 86.30] as making the commissioner’s findings of fact conclusive on appeal where the evidence is in dispute or reasonable minds may differ on the inferences fairly to be drawn from the facts. Such findings may have the standing of a jury verdict. That is, if the evidence presents a question which should be submitted to a jury, if trial were to a jury, then the court is bound by the commissioner’s findings.

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Bluebook (online)
170 N.W.2d 455, 1969 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 882, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/deaver-v-armstrong-rubber-co-iowa-1969.