Filipczak v. Erie Forge Co.

50 Pa. D. & C. 1
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Erie County
DecidedNovember 29, 1948
Docketno. 447
StatusPublished

This text of 50 Pa. D. & C. 1 (Filipczak v. Erie Forge Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Erie County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Filipczak v. Erie Forge Co., 50 Pa. D. & C. 1 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1948).

Opinion

Kitts, P. J.,

In this case Anna Filipczak, dependent widow of John Filipczak, seeks compensation for his death under the terms of the Occupational Disease Compensation Act of July 2, 1937, P. L. 2714. It is not in dispute that John Filipczak died June 11, 1939, as a result of pulmonary tuberculosis complicated by advanced silicosis. Nor is the dependency of claimant and her eight minor children in issue. Her claim was denied by the referee and by the Workmen’s Compensation Board solely upon the ground that decedent’s disability and death resulted from pulmonary tuberculosis, and that the silicosis was only a contributory or accelerating factor and not the “primary” cause of death. The action of the board must be reversed.

All the evidence in this case was produced by claimant. Defendant, although twice afforded an opportunity to produce testimony, declined so to do. The record establishes, without contradiction, that John Filipczak became totally disabled on January 2, 1939. For 14 years prior to that date, he had been in the employ of defendant as a chipper, which work required the use of a compressed air hammer to chip and clean off castings. Between 60 and 100 men doing the same type of work were employed in the same room. Only during the last two or three years that decedent worked were respirators or masks supplied to the employes.

On January 2, 1939, decedent was unable to complete his day’s work because of illness. His family physician, Dr. F. S. Shubert, was called to see him the next day and found him gasping for air and having much difficulty with his breathing. Dr. Shubert made a tentative diagnosis of silicosis. From then on his condition deteriorated steadily until his death on J une 11, 1939.

[3]*3Following the filing of a claim petition by his widow, the present claimant, defendant made application for an autopsy. Upon obtaining the written consent of claimant, the referee appointed Dr. E. L. Armstrong, who performed an autopsy, together with Dr. Shubert, on December 9, 1939. A hearing was held before the referee on February 29, 1940, at which time all the evidence now before us was placed on record.

The significant findings of fact by the referee are those as to the result of the autopsy and the cause of death. In his sixth finding of fact the referee found:

“The autopsy revealed that the decedent’s lungs were overshadowed by an advanced and diffuse tuberculous process, involving the greater portion of the lung tissue. In the areas that were comparatively free from tubercular invasion, however, the typical histological changes of advanced silicosis were demonstrated.”

In his eighth finding of fact the referee stated: “The decedent’s disability and death resulted from pulmonary tuberculosis. Any connection the silicosis had with the decedent’s death was merely contributory, and was in no way the principal cause of death.”

In his second conclusion of law the referee stated that “the death of the decedent was caused primarily by active pulmonary tuberculosis with silicosis only a contributory or accelerating cause”, and disallowed compensation.

Upon appeal to the Workmen’s Compensation Board, the board, after briefly reviewing the record, held:

“The claimant called three medical witnesses whose testimony, in our opinion, would justify an award under the Occupational Disease Act of 1987. Dr. F. S. Shubert stated definitely that the silicosis of which claimant suffered, and which was accompanied by active pulmonary tuberculosis, accelerated the death of John Filipczak.
[4]*4“As we read section 5 of the Act of July 2, 1937, compensation is payable when death is caused primarily by silicosis, as distinguished from death when silicosis is a contributory or accelerating cause, and when death is the result of silicosis accompanied by active pulmonary tuberculosis. In our opinion if active pulmonary tuberculosis is present silicosis may be a contributory or accelerating cause. There is no requirement in the 1937 Occupational Disease Act that in this event silicosis be the principal cause of death.”

The board then pointed out that defendant had erroneously relied upon the provisions of The Pennsylvania Occupational Disease Act of June 21,1939, P. L. 566, which were not applicable since both the disability and the death antedated the effective date of that act. The board further pointed out that the findings of the referee were not so comprehensive and explicit as to disclose on what facts his ultimate conclusion rested and remanded the record to the referee for the purpose of giving both parties an opportunity to present additional medical testimony.

When the record was again before the referee on February 26,1942, both sides stated that there was no further testimony to be offered and the referee, notwithstanding- the criticisms of his findings in the board’s opinion, and the statement as to the applicable law, thereupon republished his original findings of fact, conclusions of law, and disallowance verbatim.

Claimant again appealed to the Workmen’s Compensation Board and the appeal was again assigned to Commissioner Knoll. On this appeal the board completely ignored what it had theretofore said when the case was first before it. It is impossible to reconcile the two opinions. The disallowance was sustained upon the ground that the death had not resulted “primarily” from the silicosis condition.

From this action of the board claimant has prosecuted the present appeal. Claimant contends that [5]*5where the record establishes, and the compensation authorities have found as a fact, that decedent suffered from advanced silicosis under the terms of the Occupational Disease Compensation Act of July 2, 1937, P. L. 2714, sec. 5, compensation is payable even though the principal factor in causing death was pulmonary tuberculosis; that, therefore, upon the record as it now stands, she is entitled to an award. The question is further raised as to whether the proceedings had before the compensation authorities are not invalidated by reason of the fact that the provisions of section 10 of the Occupational Disease Compensation Act of July 2, 1937, were not followed. The third contention is that claimant was so lulled into a sense of security by the first opinion of the Workmen’s Compensation Board that, in all fairness, she should be permitted an opportunity to produce further medical and fact testimony. In view of the disposition which we are making of this appeal, it will not be necessary to consider this argument, although the record indicates much to give it weight.

As to claimant’s objection to the failure of the compensation authorities to follow the provisions of section 10 of the Occupational Disease Compensation Act of July 2, 1937, it seems to us that its provisions are not properly involved in the case now before us. Section 10 provides that in all claims for silicosis “except in those cases wherein there are no controverted medical issues”, the Workmen’s Compensation Board, or referee, shall appoint a medical advisory board composed of one or more duly-qualified impartial physicians or surgeons. In the instant case, defendant offered no medical testimony. The medical testimony offered by claimant was all harmonious and consistent and, under such circumstances, we are of the opinion that there was no need for the board to appoint a medical advisory board to assist it.

[6]

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Bluebook (online)
50 Pa. D. & C. 1, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/filipczak-v-erie-forge-co-pactcomplerie-1948.