Hamilton v. Doty

379 P.2d 69, 71 N.M. 422
CourtNew Mexico Supreme Court
DecidedMay 22, 1962
Docket6935
StatusPublished
Cited by25 cases

This text of 379 P.2d 69 (Hamilton v. Doty) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Mexico Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hamilton v. Doty, 379 P.2d 69, 71 N.M. 422 (N.M. 1962).

Opinion

NOBLE, Justice.

Appellants appeal from a judgment awarding claimant compensation for total permanent disability entered pursuant to a jury verdict.

On November 19, 1958, the claimant 'Hamilton, while working in the scope of liis employment sustained an accidental injury resulting in the dislocation of a shoulder; limitation in the use of the arm; an inability to use his shoulder in carrying articles and in pushing water well drilling equipment; loss of sleep; and, pain in the shoulder, neck and back.

It is appellants’ position that the undisputed evidence shows only an injury to the arm, at or near the shoulder, and that the Workmen’s Compensation law limits a compensation award to loss, partial or total, of the scheduled member. They contend that there is no substantial evidence of general bodily impairment and assert as error the submission to the jury of the question of general bodily impairment and disability.

Compensation is limited to that provided by statute for an injury to a scheduled member where the impairment or disability is confined to the member. Lee v. United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co., 66 N.M. 351, 348 P.2d 271; but where impairment and disability extend to nonscheduled parts of the body, other than that naturally following in any case from mere inefficiency by reason of the loss of a member, then compensation is allowable for such bodily disability notwithstanding the cause thereof may be traced to a particular injury of a scheduled member. Mathews v. New Mexico Light & Power Co., 46 N.M. 118, 122 P.2d 410; Lipe v. Bradbury, 49 N.M. 4, 154 P.2d 1000.

There is testimony that the injury was to the shoulder and not limited to the arm. The medical testimony was conflicting, but there is medical testimony of a secondary injury to the trapezius muscle which attaches from the base of the neck down to the shoulder blade and thence to the lower rib cage on the spine, and other muscles apart from those in the arm. There was testimony that claimant suffered pain commencing in the shoulder joint and spreading around into the neck and to the spine. This pain is also suffered at night causing a loss of sleep.

Appellants rely on Gonzales v. Pecos Valley Packing Co., 48 N.M. 185, 146 P.2d 1017, which they contend is controlling and requires a reversal. That case is distinguishable upon its facts. It was said in Gonzales that the proof of disability was limited to the arm, a scheduled member. In this case, the evidence is substantial to support the finding of the jury, implicit in the verdict, that the impairment and disability was not limited to the am but extended to other parts of the body. A verdict based upon conflicting testimony will not be disturbed on appeal if supported by substantial evidence. Viramontes v. Fox, 65 N.M. 275, 335 P.2d 1071; Greene v. Esquibel, 58 N.M. 429, 272 P.2d 330. The weight of the evidence is not considered on appeal, but only whether there is any substantial evidence to support the verdict. Jensen v. Allen, 63 N.M. 407, 320 P.2d 1016.

A careful review of the evidence convinces us that the court did not err in submitting the question of general bodily impairment and disability to the jury. Mathews v. New Mexico Light & Power Co., supra; Lipe v. Bradbury, supra; Reck v. Robert E. McKee General Contractors, 59 N.M. 492, 287 P.2d 61; Hamilton v. Doty, 65 N.M. 270, 335 P.2d 1067.

The refusal to give an instruction requested by appellants, which would have charged that the jury was to first determine whether the injury was limited to a scheduled member and that in so determining the jury should not consider whether the injury affected claimant’s ability to work, is urged as error. It is well established in this jurisdiction that instructions are to be considered as a whole, and when so considered, if they fairly present the law of the case, they are sufficient. Viramontes v. Fox, supra; Blewett v. Barnes, 62 N.M. 300, 309 P.2d 976; Irwin v. Graham, 62 N.M. 72, 304 P.2d 875. By other instructions given, the jury was correctly charged that if claimant’s injury was confined to a scheduled member, such as an arm, and there was no impairment of any other part of the body, compensation is limited to that provided by the Workmen’s Compensation law for such injury to the scheduled member. The jury was likewise instructed as to what constituted an injury to a scheduled member.

The complaint in this respect is directed to the refusal to instruct on matters the jury should not consider in determining that issue. Where instructions inform the jury what they may consider in determining an issue, it is generally unnecessary to also instruct on what they may not consider. Seay v. Lea County Sand & Gravel Co., 60 N.M. 399, 292 P.2d 93. The instructions given have been carefully considered as a whole, and we think adequately charged the jury on the law applicable to the facts. A refusal to give requested instructions on matters adequately covered by other instructions given is not error. Saavedra v. City of Albuquerque, 65 N.M. 379, 338 P.2d 110; Davis v. Jones, 60 N.M. 470, 292 P.2d 773; Young v. New Mexico Broadcasting Co., 60 N.M. 475, 292 P.2d 776.

Finally, appellants urge that it was error to submit the question of total permanent disability to the jury because the evidence conclusively established that claimant had previously been awarded compensation for total permanent disability arising out of another and different injury suffered by him while working for the same defendant-employer, and while performing the same type of work, and call our attention to Hamilton v. Doty, supra. They argue that claimant, having been totally and permanently disabled by the first injury, cannot thereafter receive a second award for total and permanent disability while drawing compensation even though the second injury arises out of a subsequent and different injury. Appellee answers that the question was not preserved below.

The contention that claimant was receiving maximum compensation at the time of this injury was called to the trial court’s attention by a motion for summary judgment prior to trial on the merits and by appellants’ motion for a directed verdict on the issue of total permanent disability made at the conclusion of all the testimony.

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Bluebook (online)
379 P.2d 69, 71 N.M. 422, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hamilton-v-doty-nm-1962.