Dyer v. James Black Masonry & Contracting Co.

158 N.W. 959, 192 Mich. 400, 1916 Mich. LEXIS 788
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 21, 1916
DocketDocket No. 82
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 158 N.W. 959 (Dyer v. James Black Masonry & Contracting Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dyer v. James Black Masonry & Contracting Co., 158 N.W. 959, 192 Mich. 400, 1916 Mich. LEXIS 788 (Mich. 1916).

Opinion

Stone, C. J.

This case is before us upon certiorari to the Industrial Accident Board; the case in its progress having regularly reached the board, which granted compensation to the claimant, from which order the respondent appeals.

Claimant was injured December 10, 1914, at the David Stott Building, in Detroit. He and his partner, John Ross, were at the time of the accident engaged in doing the glazing on the building in question under the following written contract with the principal contractor:

“Detroit, Michigan, Nov. 19, 1914.
“Sidney Dyer & John Ross,
“City.
“Gentlemen:
“We hereby accept your proposition for furnishing all labor and materials necessary (with the exceptions) dated June 2, 1914, and the plans, for the sum of three hundred and twelve ($312.00), payable on [402]*402the completion of the work and the acceptance of the architects, Marshall & Fox.
“It is understood between us that the glass is to be furnished you at the site of the said building and you are to take it from there and glaze it.
“It is also understood that you are not to glaze any glass which is called for to be done by any other contractor rather than the glazing contractors. The glazing contractors are Sidney Dyer and John Ross, working under the name of Dyer & Ross.
“It is mutually understood that the glazing contractors are to be responsible and will replace all glass broken by them in handling or setting the glass.
“James Black Masonry & Contracting Co.,
“By [Signed] A. E. Black, Vice President.
EAB : CVR
“Nov. 19, 1914.
“Accepted by Dyer & Ross, Glaz. Contractors.
“By [Signed] Sidney Dyer.”

The principal contractor, finding that it was necessary in the progress of the work to have some person assist in and look after the delivering of the glass at the building and see to the unloading of the glass, arranged with the claimant to do this work, from time to time, as the glass arrived, for which services claimant was to receive and did receive payment from the principal contractor. The glass was, in fact, delivered from time to time at the building, under a contract between the principal contractor and the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company.

The Industrial Accident Board found that in doing the work of glazing under said written contract the claimant and his partner were independent contractors. The board further found as follows:

‘‘The arrangement made with the applicant under which he was to look after the delivery and unloading of the glass fairly includes giving such reasonable assistance in unloading as he might deem necessary. It cannot reasonably be restricted to merely overseeing and directing, but fairly included any reasonable assistance in unloading the glass which was reasonably [403]*403necessary to accomplish the object for which he was employed. The injury therefore which he received in assisting in the unloading arose out of and in the course of his employment.
“The arrangement under which applicant was to look after and assist in the unloading of the glass was no part of his contract work. While it is doubtless true that the arrangement was made with him because he was doing the glazing on the building, it might have been made by the principal contractor with any other person who happened to be in the vicinity, and who could conveniently do the work at such times as the loads of glass arrived at the building. It seems clear that the applicant was the employee of the principal contractor for the work in question, and that he is entitled to compensation for the injury unless the employment was casual within the meaning of the workmen’s compensation law.
“It should be noted that this work was being done by Sid Dyer individually, and not by the firm of Dyer & Ross. It was billed as an individual account with Mr. Dyer and paid as such. The date of the contract for the glazing work was November 19, 1914; the injury occurred December 10, 1914; and it appears from the evidence that the work was not finished until the latter part of March. It also appears that the work to be done was periodic in its nature; that is, from time to time, as the loads of glass arrived at the building. The building was a large one, and the time during which this work would have continued had it not been for the accident would extend over a number of months. While it is true it was not steady work, or work that consumed a larger portion of his time, yet it recurred at intervals with the progress of the work, and would have continued until the job was finished. Under these facts we think that the employment was not casual.”

There was testimony of the claimant to the following effect:

“Q. Now, you were working there on this contract, were you?
“A. Yes, sir.
[404]*404“Q. While you were working on this contract state whether or not you were engaged to do other work.
“A. I was engaged to do other work; that is, Mr. Brennan asked me to look after the delivering of the glass, which was not in the contract. I told him, I says, ‘Well,’ I says— He says, T am pretty busy, and I would like to have you look after that work.’ I said, ‘You will have to do the signing; you will have to sign for the glass when it is delivered.’
“Q. Did you help with the delivery of the glass?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. Do you know when the first load was delivered?
“A. Why, I cannot say when the first load was delivered. It was prior to December, it was probably somewhere around Thanksgiving, that the first glass was delivered there. .
“Q. Did you help with the delivery of that?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. Did you help unload it?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. Put it in the—
“A. (interrupting). Put it in the building.
“Q. Was that part of your duty under this contract?
“A. No, sir; it was not part of my duty at all.
“Q. Was Mr. Brennan around at that time when you were doing this?
“A. Yes, sir; Mr. Brennan passed through the building while I was doing that.
“Q. When did the second load come?
“A. Well, it might have been ten days after.
“Q. Did you help with the delivery of that?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. Help unload it?

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
158 N.W. 959, 192 Mich. 400, 1916 Mich. LEXIS 788, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dyer-v-james-black-masonry-contracting-co-mich-1916.