Esmeier v. Industrial Commission

459 P.2d 523, 10 Ariz. App. 435, 1969 Ariz. App. LEXIS 609
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arizona
DecidedOctober 7, 1969
Docket1 CA-IC 245
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 459 P.2d 523 (Esmeier v. Industrial Commission) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Esmeier v. Industrial Commission, 459 P.2d 523, 10 Ariz. App. 435, 1969 Ariz. App. LEXIS 609 (Ark. Ct. App. 1969).

Opinion

DONOFRIO, Presiding Judge.

This is a writ of certiorari to review the lawfulness of an award and findings of the Industrial Commission issued October 9, 1968, affirming an award and findings for noncompensable claim issued on May 24, 1968.

The petitioner, William C. Esmeier, died July 24, 1967 as the result of a subdural hematoma and brain injury received on March 19, 1967 in the automobile accident which was the basis of his claim for workmen’s compensation. Subsequently, the case was prosecuted by his son, William R. Esmeier, as special administrator of his estate.

Decedent was an automobile salesman employed by Paul Clark Ford Sales of Yuma, Arizona. The accident occurred on Sunday, March 19, 1967, at 9:59 p. m., in the 5300 block of Grand Avenue, Glendale, Arizona. Deceased stated he was blinded by oncoming headlights and ran his auto into and under a one-ton truck. He was taken to Maryvale Hospital, Phoenix, Arizona, where he was treated by Dr. George Anderson. He was released and returned to Yuma two weeks following the accident. On the following Monday at his son’s suggestion because of his continuing complaints, he went to the office of Dr. William H. Lyle who had him admitted to Park-view Baptist Hospital, Yuma, Arizona. He remained in the hospital until the first or second of May, 1967, when he was transferred to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix. There he was under the observation of Dr. Hal W. Pittman, a neurosurgeon. On April 14, 1967 Dr. Lyle filed a physician’s initial report of treatment with the Industrial Commission, indicating a diagnosis of cerebral concussion, laceration of scalp, right temporal area, multiple burns and contusions, sprain of cervical, dorsal and lumbar spine. He listed as decedent’s complaints that he was unable to think clearly, suffered from dizziness, headaches, numbness of legs and arms, and pain in the spine.

The petitioner was interviewed by an Industrial Commission investigator who filed a memorandum with the Commission dated April 26, 1967. In it he indicates that he had contacted the decedent in the Parkview Baptist Hospital, and that he had made the following statement:

“ * * * he had delivered a car to Mesa, and was on his way to show the car he was driving to a customer in or near the Glendale area, when he became blinded by oncoming headlights, went off the road and into a parked truck.”

*437 The report further recites:

“Main injuries to the claimant are to his shoulders, neck, back and head. Claimant was unable to provide the name of the party in the Glendale area, where he was going to make a demonstration. Claimant stated that since the accident his memory has not been good, and that he suffers dizzy spells at times.”

On May 4, 1967 the Legal Department memorandum again referred this case to Investigation with a request that the claimant make further effort to provide the name and address of the potential customer in Glendale. Further, that once the name and address were obtained, the potential customer should be interviewed to verify the facts. The memorandum continues,

“Otherwise we are left with the fact that the claimant has made an unexplained detour. I find it difficult to understand, difficult to believe that a Yuma agency would be sending cars to Glendale residence (sic) as a usual course of business.”

An investigation report appears in the file dated May 17, 1967. The report states that the investigator, Dixie Johnson, contacted the employer’s business manager, George Foye, who stated that “the car salesmen are on their own and claimant would be the only one who could give the name or address of the potential customer. A salesman gets a lead and dashes off.” Also, the report stated that the investigator had contacted the claimant who stated that he had delivered a car in Mesa and was on his return trip home, and that he proceeded to call on Lilly Lawler who lives one-half block off Van Burén on 20th Street. She was not at home, but she was interested in a car about the type he was driving. Since she was not home, he wanted to eat at the Range Restaurant in Glendale, and then was going to call on a customer in Tolleson. He could not remember the name, but the man was the manager or owner of the Tolleson Pharmacy. This report also stated that the claimant complained that he was still having trouble remembering.

The following memorandum appears in the Commission file under date of June 9, 1967:

“To: Cuca Culling, Acceptance Supervisor
From: Louis C. Haggerty, Legal Department
“Recommend denial of the claim based upon a finding that the claimant did not sustain injury by accident arising out of and in the course of his employment. “The history of events, as given by the claimant, appears vague and shifting and difficult of belief. But even if he did come up from Yuma on business, it would appear that he was on a wide detour.”

It is to be noted that five days following the date of this memorandum the claimant underwent brain surgery of three hours’ duration for the removal of the subdural hematoma which was causing his vagueness and speech difficulty.

On June 14, 1967, the same day that the claimant was undergoing brain surgery, the Commission issued its findings and award for noncompensable claim, a printed form which in Finding No. 4 finds that the applicant did not sustain an accident arising out of and in the course of his employment.

An electroencephalographic report made at the Barrow Neurological Institute of St. Joseph’s Hospital on June 21, 1967 concludes with this paragraph:

“IMPRESSION: The awake and sleep EEG is moderately abnormal with poor background development in suppression of amplitude over the entire left hemisphere most marked in the anterior head region. These changes suggest diffuse involvement of the central nervous system most prominent in the left hemisphere with possible focal changes maximal in the left interior head region but *438 the findings should be correlated with the clinical history to be of significance. * ‡

The record is sketchy as to what date the petitioner was discharged from Barrow Neurological Institute, and on what date he was readmitted to Parkview Baptist Hospital in Yuma, Arizona. However, Dr. Dale F.. Webb,'who testified, indicated that he had seen the decedent in the Yuma hospital in the first week in July, possibly July 4th or 5th. Decedent remained hospitalized there until his death on the 24th of July.

All the medical evidence in the record before the Commission indicated that following the accident the petitioner’s mental condition deteriorated, as did his actual physical . ability to communicate his thoughts. Dr. Webb testified with regard to the period after July 4 or 5, 1967 while he was treating the decedent,

“Q At that time, to the best of your knowledge, what was the condition of the patient ?
“A Well, he was a very poor historian, he was unable to remember, he had aphasia, he'had lost the ability to say something.

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Related

Prigosin v. Industrial Commission
534 P.2d 1060 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1975)
State Compensation Fund v. Moore
481 P.2d 306 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1971)
Kasprowiz v. Industrial Commission
480 P.2d 992 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1971)

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Bluebook (online)
459 P.2d 523, 10 Ariz. App. 435, 1969 Ariz. App. LEXIS 609, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/esmeier-v-industrial-commission-arizctapp-1969.