Foster Wheeler Corporation v. Bennett

1960 OK 186, 354 P.2d 764, 1960 Okla. LEXIS 434
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedAugust 9, 1960
Docket38718
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 1960 OK 186 (Foster Wheeler Corporation v. Bennett) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Foster Wheeler Corporation v. Bennett, 1960 OK 186, 354 P.2d 764, 1960 Okla. LEXIS 434 (Okla. 1960).

Opinion

WILLIAMS, Vice Chief Justice.

This proceeding is brought by Foster Wheeler Corporation, hereinafter referred to as Foster Wheeler or petitioner, to review an award made to Richard Jerry Bennett and Deela Cecil Bennett, guardian of Richard Jerry Bennett, an incompetent.

The record discloses that Foster Wheeler was constructing a refinery at Neodesha, Kansas, and on the 6th day of December, 1957, claimant, an employee thereof, sustained a serious injury when he was struck in the head by wire mesh. Foster Wheeler operated in Oklahoma and its Oklahoma operations were insured by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. Its Kansas operations were insured by Aetna Casualty and Surety Company.

The award of the State Industrial Court is in part as follows:

“That the claimant did, on December 8, 1957, sustain an accidental personal injury, arising out of and in the course of his hazardous employment, to his head.
“That claimant was employed in the State of Oklahoma to perform services covered by the Workmen’s Compensation Law of Oklahoma [85 O.S. 1951 § 1 et seq.] in the State of Kansas, and that such services were performed for the Foster Wheeler Corporation, who was claimant’s employer at the time of the accident; and that the Aetna Casualty & Surety Company carried a Workmen’s Compensation Policy for all liabilities occurring in and subject to the law of the State of Kansas; that Liberty Mutual Insurance Company was insurance carrier of a Workmen’s Compensation Policy for all liabilities incurred under the Workmen’s Compensation Laws of the State of Oklahoma, with the specific exception of this particular employment involved herein.
“That as far as Foster Wheeler Corporation is concerned on this particular job, since claimant has elected, within the time provided by law, to take his benefits under the Workmen’s Gompensation Law of Oklahoma, they are without compensation coverage by either of the above named insurance *766 companies, and claimant’s claim against both companies is denied.
“That claimant has been temporarily totally disabled from the date of injury to October 1, 1958, and is entitled to compensation for 43 weeks at $35.00 per week, or the total amount of $1505.-00, less any amounts paid thereon under the laws of the State of Kansas.
“That claimant’s rate of compensation is $35.00 per week for temporary total disability and $30.00 per week for permanent partial disability.
“That respondent, Foster Wheeler Corporation, is also ordered to pay all reasonable and necessary medical bills incurred for treatment of claimant.
“That claimant’s rights to award for permanent partial disability are reserved for a further hearing by the Commission.
“It is therefore ordered that claimant’s claim for compensation against Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and Aetna Casualty & Surety Company is denied.
“It is further ordered that Foster Wheeler Corporation is liable for the payment of compensation and medical bills awarded herein.
“It is further ordered that respondent, Foster Wheeler Corporation pay to claimant compensation for temporary total disability in the amount of $1505.00, less any amounts heretofore paid thereon under the laws of the State of Kansas, same being for the period of time set forth in Finding of Fact No. 4.
“It is further ordered that respondent, Foster Wheeler Corporation, pay all reasonable and necessary medical bills incurred for treatment of claimant by reason of said injury.
“It is further ordered that claimant’s rights to award for permanent partial disability are reserved for a further hearing by the Commission.
“It is further ordered that the sum of $1505.00 shall be less 20 per cent, or $301.00, which is to be deducted and paid to claimant’s attorney, Troye Ken-non, as a fair and reasonable fee herein.”

The record discloses that claimant has been paid an indefinite amount at the rate of $34 per week by the Aetna Casualty and Surety Company and medical expenses in the amount of $2,500. These payments are admitted by claimant and it is stated were made under the Workmen’s Compensation Law of Kansas (G.S.1949, 44-501 et seq.) but no evidence of any proceeding in Kansas was introduced.

Paul Jenkins testified: On the 8th day of July, 1957, he was general foreman or superintendent of crafts for Foster Wheeler; that he told the general superintendent that he needed three iron workers and was told by the superintendent to obtain them, lie then called by telephone and talked to Jack Price, agent for Labor Union Local 584 at Tulsa, Oklahoma, with which petitioner had an arrangement for employment, and told Price he needed three journeymen iron workers. Price sent claimant and two other workers. Claimant went by automobile and took a referral slip which listed his qualifications for work and the amount of hourly pay. Claimant was paid for work commencing at 8 o’clock A.M. of that day; claimant arrived at the place of work at approximately 11 o’clock A.M. It was 145 miles from Tulsa to the place of work. When claimant arrived he delivered his referral slip to D. E. Button, project superintendent for Foster Wheeler at Neodesha, Kansas and was assigned to his job.

Petitioner first argues that it had no notice of the proceeding on May 21, 1958, at which time the hearing was conducted before the trial judge at Tulsa, Oklahoma. It cites Admiralty Lead & Zinc Co. et al. v. Robinson et al., 156 Okl. 4, 9 P.2d 708; Hauschildt et al. v. Collins et al., 152 Okl. 193, 4 P.2d 99; and Nelson v. Central State Roofing Co. et al., Okl., 345 P.2d 866. These are cases in which an *767 order or award was made in the absence of the adverse party and without any knowledge of the hearing or proceedings. They are not in point. We have discussed the right to a full and complete hearing in Conrad v. State Industrial Commission et al., 181 Okl. 324, 73 P.2d 858; Amerada Petroleum Corp. v. Hester et al., 188 Okl. 394, 109 P.2d 820; Pioneer Mills Co. et al. v. Webster et al., 186 Okl. 616, 99 P.2d 507; and Barnsdall Refining Corp. v. Locker, 182 Okl. 318, 77 P.2d 749, 750. The petitioner had due notice of the filing of the claim. It was present at all times including the hearing at Tulsa, Oklahoma, on the 21st day of May, 1958, and knew that the case had been continued to the Tulsa docket and set for this date. Foster Wheeler had been advised of all the proceedings, including the setting of the case, by counsel for claimant and at no time did Foster Wheeler ask for a continuance or request any delay on the ground that it had been prejudiced by a failure to have any notice of the proceeding. In Barnsdall Refining Corp. v. Locker, supra, it is stated:

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Tovar-Mauricio v. T.R. Driscoll, Inc.
753 S.E.2d 337 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 2013)
Lenny Szarek, Inc. v. Maryland Casualty Co.
Appellate Court of Illinois, 2005
Garrison v. Bechtel Corp.
1995 OK 2 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1995)
Daleo, Inc. v. Edmonds
1994 OK 122 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1994)
Ledbetter Erection Corp. v. Workers' Compensation Appeals Board
156 Cal. App. 3d 1097 (California Court of Appeal, 1984)
Knack v. Industrial Commission
503 P.2d 373 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1972)
Monroe Allen Lumber Co. v. Ray
1972 OK 101 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1972)
Toebe v. EMPLOYERS MUT. OF WAUSAU
274 A.2d 820 (New Jersey Superior Court App Division, 1971)
Chapman v. Union Equity Cooperative Exchange
1969 OK 35 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1969)
Quality Materials Company v. Payne
1965 OK 106 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1965)
Armstrong v. Guy H. James Construction Company
1965 OK 70 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1965)
Scotty's Flying & Dusting Service, Inc. v. Neeser
1964 OK 119 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1964)
Chicago Bridge & Iron Co. v. Industrial Accident Commission
226 Cal. App. 2d 309 (California Court of Appeal, 1964)
Sapulpa Tank Company v. Cole
1963 OK 260 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1963)
Searcy v. Cherokee Motel
1961 OK 195 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1961)
Kleener Coal Company v. Hamilton
1961 OK 179 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1961)
Baldwin-Hill Company v. Lochner
1961 OK 19 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1961)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1960 OK 186, 354 P.2d 764, 1960 Okla. LEXIS 434, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/foster-wheeler-corporation-v-bennett-okla-1960.