Franklin v. Insurance Co. of North America

200 So. 2d 157, 1967 La. App. LEXIS 5190
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 5, 1967
DocketNo. 2628
StatusPublished

This text of 200 So. 2d 157 (Franklin v. Insurance Co. of North America) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Franklin v. Insurance Co. of North America, 200 So. 2d 157, 1967 La. App. LEXIS 5190 (La. Ct. App. 1967).

Opinion

CHASEZ, Judge.

Jack Franklin, a laborer, petitioned the Civil District Court for Workman’s Compensation benefits on December 21,1965, alleging that he was entitled to $35.00 per week, not to exceed 400 weeks, beginning from June 28, 1965, when he sustained severe injuries to his right elbow and to his back in the course and scope of his employment with King and Company, Incorporated, while carrying some sheetrock with a fellow workman. Named defendant was the Insurance Company of North America, who insured Jack Franklin’s employer.

After trial the Court rendered judgment in favor of the defendant, dismissing the plaintiff’s suit, stating in his reasons which were dictated into the record, that the plaintiff failed to show that the injury and accident which he suffered occurred in the course and scope of his employment. Further, the Court concluded that no disability was proven as a result of the alleged injury. From this judgment the plaintiff appeals.

The plaintiff and two witnesses testified that the accident occurred at the Cotton Exchange Building in New Orleans. Jack Franklin stated unequivocally that it occurred on June 28, 1965. Earl Harris testified that it occurred in the “latter part of June, 1965”. He stated he was the party carrying the sheetrock with Jack Franklin. Kemper Brown testified he was present when the accident occurred, and that it happened in June, 1965.

The record indicates that the nature of the witnesses’ employment with King and Company was sporadic. Earl Harris testified that he continued working with King and Company for about a month and a half, or two months after the plaintiff’s accident. Kemper Brown said he stopped working with the Company late in 1965.

When the defendants presented their case they introduced evidence to show that the accident could not have happened at the time stated. The pertinent daily work record of the company (which accounted for all jobs except deliveries) and the payroll records, which would account for all jobs, were introduced into evidence and revealed that Jack Franklin did not work on June 28, 1965, and had not worked at the Cotton Exchange since May 27th and 28th, 1965, and that Kemper Brown worked there on May 27th and 28th, 1965, and Earl Harris worked there on May 27, 1965. The payroll supervisor stated, as records further showed, that Earl Harris’ last working day with the Company was June 2, 1965 and Kemper Brown’s last day was June 23, 1965.

The plaintiff argues that his case has been proved with sufficient certainty since the plaintiff should not be held to strict accountability for his dates and the three men actually did work at the Cotton Exchange on May 27th. However, the plaintiff not only confused his dates, but the two witnesses did also, and Earl Harris stated that the accident occurred at a time when he was not even working for the Company, since his employment terminated on June 2, 1965. And even if we were to overlook the fact that all three men were in error as to the date of the accident, there still is a discrepancy between the witnesses’ statement of when they terminated their employment with the Company and the time they actually did, regardless of whether the date of the accident be taken as in May or June.

This situation then is markedly different from those in Gisevius v. Jackson Brewing Co., 152 So.2d 231 (La.App.1963); Ortego v. Southern Industries Co., 88 So.2d 73 (La.App.1956); Gagliano v. Boh Bros. Const. Co., 44 So.2d 732 (La.App.1950) where the discrepancies concerning the time of injury were more readily explainable than here.

It is also noteworthy in this connection that the plaintiff omitted to mention the name of Earl Harris, who was helping him cary the sheetrock, as a witness during the taking of his deposition prior to trial.

A motion to remand has been filed in this Court by the plaintiff-appellant for the purpose of the taking of additional evidence, the testimony of one Alex Ander Anderson, who supposedly was the only [159]*159other eyewitness to the accident. His affidavit states that he does not know the exact date of its occurrence. The brief of plaintiff asserts that the witness was not called by the plaintiff at the trial since he was still employed by the defendant and thus the latter should bear the presumption that the witness’s testimony would have been adverse to its position. We do not accept this argument. The burden of proof was upon the plaintiff and the knowledge of this witness’s existence was in his possession at the time of trial, much more so than in the possession of the defendant. This witness should have been called by the plaintiff at the time of trial, and there is no reason why this case should be remanded at this late date, since there was no valid reason why he could not have been presented heretofore.

We believe that it should be noted here that in the District Court the plaintiff was ably represented by counsel other than counsel who presented the case to this Court. Apparently plaintiff’s counsel did riot believe it necessary to examine the witness, Anderson, in the presentation of his case.

The motion filed in this Court to remand the case is denied.

We think, as did the trial Court, this disposes of the case, but we will also briefly review the medical evidence adduced on the trial.

Doctor Richard Faust, a general surgeon, was the first to see the plaintiff, on July 16, 1965, and six times thereafter, ending August 17, 1965, at which time the plaintiff unilaterally discontinued treatment under him. Except for the last visit, the plaintiff’s elbow was aspirated of fluid and injected with medication, the diagnosis being olecranon bursitis, which is a swelling of the olecranon bursa, in the vicinity of the elbow joint. Doctor Faust found no disability of the plaintiff, although he admitted that the recurrence of fluid in the bursa indicated that he may have been bumping it, and he did not know whether this would be occasioned by his employment or not. Since the plaintiff did not so indicate he gave him no disability. As a matter of fact, the plaintiff discontinued working on August 2, 1965. At the last visit, August 17, 1965, Doctor Faust concluded that the ailment was being cured since there was no fluid to be aspirated.

Having mentioned a back complaint to Doctor Faust for the first time on August 10, 1965, he was sent to Doctor Irving Red-ler, but through error wound up in the office of Doctor Louis Ensenat, a general surgeon, who treated him on August 20, 1965 and thereafter through November 10, 1965, when he operated on the plaintiff and removed the bursa. The plaintiff was also seen by Doctor Ensenat after this operation.

The plaintiff eventually did see Doctor Redler, an orthopedic surgeon, on August 27, 1965, September 17, 1965, and June 9, 1966. From his examination of August 27, 1965, Doctor Redler concluded that the bursitis had subsided. He felt that the plaintiff was fit for work, and the same conclusions were reached on the plaintiff’s second visit. He had found no residual disability of the back as a result of his examination.

On the occasion of Doctor Ensenat’s first examination, August 20, 1965, the doctor estimated that the post-traumatic olecranon bursitis would necessitate the plaintiff’s remaining away from his job for only three days. However he found that the condition of the bursa (and what he diagnosed as severe lumbosacral strain of the back) had become aggravated.

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Related

Gisevius v. Jackson Brewing Co.
152 So. 2d 231 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1963)
Gagliano v. Boh Bros. Const. Co.
44 So. 2d 732 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1950)
Ortego v. Southern Industries Co.
88 So. 2d 73 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1956)

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Bluebook (online)
200 So. 2d 157, 1967 La. App. LEXIS 5190, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/franklin-v-insurance-co-of-north-america-lactapp-1967.