Hix v. Potlatch Forests, Inc.

397 P.2d 237, 88 Idaho 155, 1964 Ida. LEXIS 289
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 4, 1964
Docket9463
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 397 P.2d 237 (Hix v. Potlatch Forests, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hix v. Potlatch Forests, Inc., 397 P.2d 237, 88 Idaho 155, 1964 Ida. LEXIS 289 (Idaho 1964).

Opinion

SMITH, Justice.

Appellant is herein referred to as the claimant, and the Industrial Accident Board as the Board.

This appeal presents the question whether the Board’s determination of the degree of claimant’s partial permanent disability (residual of a personal injury caused by a compensation-covered accident) of 76.5% of “the whole man”, and its evaluation thereof in a like percentage of 400 weeks’ *157 compensation, is incorrect as a matter of law.

The issue has to do with the applicability of one or the other of two sections of the workmen’s compensation law. The first, I.C. § 72-310(a), providing for total disability compensation (in amounts as of the time claimant sustained injury), in part reads:

“Total disability compensation.— Where the injury causes total disability for work, the employer during such disability shall pay the injured employee weekly compensation in accordance with the following schedule, subject to deductions, if any, on account of waiting period, partial disability, and limited wages, as set forth in sections 72-310(b), 72-310(c) and 72-310(d):
“(1) Workmen without Dependents. —To an injured employee without dependents, weekly compensation equal to 55% of his average weekly wages, but not more than $28.00 nor less than $12.00 per week for a period not exceeding 400 weeks, and thereafter a weekly compensation of $12.00 per week.
“ * * H= ”

The second, I.C. § 72-313, providing for specific indemnity for certain permanent injuries, in part reads:

“Specific indemnities for certain injuries.- — (a) Specific Indemnity for Permanent Injury. An employee, who suffers a permanent injury less than total, shall, in addition to compensation, if any, for temporary total and temporary partial disability, be entitled to specific indemnity for such permanent injury equal to 60% of his average weekly wages, but not more than $30 nor less than $15 per week for the periods of time stated against the following scheduled injuries respectively:
“Specific Indemnity Schedule
[Then follows the schedule of bodily members and evaluation of each in weeks of compensation to be paid for loss of each member.]
“(b) Computation of Specific Indemnity for Non-scheduled Injuries. In all other cases of permanent injury, less than total, not included in the above schedule, the compensation shall bear such relation to the periods stated in the above schedule as the disabilities bear to those produced by the injuries named in the schedule. * * * ”

The Board based its finding, as regards the extent of claimant’s partial permanent disability, upon the opinions of three physicians, i. e., Dr. R. C. Colburn, 60% of a whole man; Dr. Richard B. Gardner, 65% to 70% of a whole man, and Dr. Jerome K. Burton, 90% of a whole man. The Board selected 76.5% of “the whole man” as the fair average of those ratings, and evaluated *158 it on the basis of 76.5% of 400 weeks, or 306 weeks, compensation at $30 a week.

The Board in its findings also mentioned the rating by Dr. R. C. Colburn of claimant’s residual partial permanent disability in terms of loss and comparative loss of bodily members, i. e., 10% loss of the left foot at the ankle; 15% loss of the right foot at the ankle, and partial paraplegia comparable to 100% loss of an arm at the shoulder, I.C. § 72-313.

Claimant being dissatisfied with the award, particularly with the Board’s evaluation of its rating, perfected this appeal.

Claimant by his specifications of error raises the issue whether the Board can adopt “an arbitrary plan or basis for the computation of benefits provided for injured workmen”; and urges that the Board should have awarded him “a percentage of total permanent disability,” citing I.C. § 72-310, based upon his life expectancy; and that the Board’s award “is not based upon the mandates of the law.”

Initially, at the time of the hearing, claimant conceded that the extent of his partial permanent disability was the main issue for determination by the Board.

Claimant now contends that the Board erred in failing to evaluate its rating of 76.5% of “the whole man” into a like percentage rating of total permanent disability based upon I.C. § 72-310(a). Claimant asserts that if he had suffered total permanent disability for work, considering his life expectancy of approximately 43 years, he would have become entitled to compensation at $28 a week for the initial 400 week period, and at $12 a week during the remaining period of 1836 weeks as the balance of the period of his life expectancy, and thus he asserts his entitlement to 76.5% thereof, i. e., $25,422.48 payable during the period of his life expectancy.

Claimant does not specifically assert that the Board erred in failing to rate his permanent partial disability in terms of the specific indemnity schedule and in relation to periods stated in the schedule, I.C. § 72-313; rather, he asserts that the Board erred in failing to evaluate its determination of the rated partial permanent disability of 76.5% of “the whole man” in terms of a like percentage of total disability, I.C. § 72-310(a), on a permanent basis, I.C. § 72-311.

Failure of this Court to consider the question whether the Board erred in its rating of partial permanent disability compared to loss of “the whole man” would result, first, in lending approval to a rating of partial permanent disability not authorized by the workmen’s compensation law, nor particularly by I.C. § 72-313, although non-scheduled partial permanent injuries are required to be rated under the comparative injury clause thereof, and its mandate requires ratings thereunder of all non *159 scheduled partial permanent injuries; and second, in this Court assuming that the Board’s rating of partial permanent disability is correct, but that since the Board’s evaluation thereof is incorrect, the evaluation should be corrected consonant with claimant’s theory.

An award of specific indemnity, however, is grounded upon (1) a rating of partial permanent disability, and (2) the monetary value of the rating. Both stem from the covered injury and can not be separated. If one aspect falls by reason of being incorrect, then the other must fall.

What claimant asserts is, that the Board’s rating of 76.5% loss of “the whole man” is correct; but that its evaluation of that rating, in terms of a specific indemnity of 76.5% of 400 weeks — “the whole man” — is objectionable. He objects to any evaluation of specific indemnity under I.C. § 72-313, based upon any determination of loss or comparative loss of bodily members. He desires the total disability statute, I.C. § 72-310, to be applied on a permanent basis, with a percentage thereof to be taken, based upon claimant’s life expectancy. Thus claimant is attacking the Board’s evaluation of specific indemnity, asserting that it should be based upon a percentage of total permanent disability.

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Bluebook (online)
397 P.2d 237, 88 Idaho 155, 1964 Ida. LEXIS 289, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hix-v-potlatch-forests-inc-idaho-1964.