Humble Oil & Refining Co. v. Noble

1932 OK 828, 16 P.2d 1072, 161 Okla. 35, 1932 Okla. LEXIS 430
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedDecember 13, 1932
Docket23560
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 1932 OK 828 (Humble Oil & Refining Co. v. Noble) 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
Humble Oil & Refining Co. v. Noble, 1932 OK 828, 16 P.2d 1072, 161 Okla. 35, 1932 Okla. LEXIS 430 (Okla. 1932).

Opinion

ANDREWS, J.

Tliis is an original proceeding- in this court instituted by the respondent and its insurance carrier before the State Industrial Commission to review an award in favor of the claimant therein. The parties hereinafter will be referred to as the petitioners and the claimant.

The claimant was. employed by the petitioners- Humble Oil & Refining Company. While engaged in clearing- of timber a place for the construction of a reservoir, he sustained a broken leg from being struck by a falling tree. I-Ie was given hospital and medical attention. Thereafter a stipulation and receipt on form 7 of the State Industrial Commission was entered into between the claimant and the petitioner and filed with the State Industrial Commission. Thereby the claimant acknowledged receipt of the amount stipulated therein “on account of disability resulting from injury sustained by claimant on above date.” On March 9, 1927, the State industrial Commission made an order and award, which, with formal parts omitted, was as follows:

“The Commission on this date being- regularly in session, this cause comes on in its regular order to be considered pursuant to (lie stipulation and receipt filed by the parties herein, and the Commission having considered said stipulation and receipt, finds upon consideration thereof that the claimant is entitled to an award for compensation for disability resulting from an accidental injury sustained while in the course of his employment with respondent and arising o-ut of same and being particularly described in said stipulation.
“Tt is therefore ordered: That claimant herein be and he is hereby awarded compensation on the aggregate sum of $439.91, and it appearing that the claimant heretofore received payment of compensation in the total of which is a sum equal to that herein awarded.
“It is further ordered: That suc-h pay-, ment he approved and credited in satisfaction of this award.”

On September 22, 1931, the claimant filed with the State Industrial Commission a motion to reopen the proceeding on the ground of a change of condition. We quote from that motion t/he allegation as to the change of condition as follows:

“* * * He has suffered a change of condition in that his left leg is now one inch shorter than the right leg; that the left foot is held in a position of marked eversion at an angle of approximately 90 degrees ; that there is considerable soreness and a limitation of motion in his left foot. * * *”

The petitioners filed their response thereto denying that there had been any change in the claimant’s condition resulting from the injury since the date of the settlement and award.

A hearing on the motion to reopen was had before the State Industrial Commission, and on March 25, 1932, the State Industrial Commission made its findings, in part, as follows:

“(®) * * * That by reason of said accidental injury tile claimant was temporarily totally disabled from the performance of ordinary manual labor from the 20th day of July, 1926, to the 20th of January, 1,927,. or for a period of 25 weeks and two days beyond the five -days' waiting period, for which tilie claimant has heretofore been paid in the total of $439.91 and signed a stipulation and receipt for said amount which was filed with the State Industrial on February 19, 1927, and an order made thereon approving the same on the 19th day of March, 1927.
“(4) That after the order of March 9, 1927, the condition of claimant’s left foot has changed for the worse, and the claimant at this time has a permanent partial disability of 35 per cent, to his left foot

—and made an award in favor of the claimant based on a 35 per cent, permanent partial loss of the use of the left foot, and for temporary total disability of 25 weeks from September 22. 1901, to March 17, 1932. This proceeding is to review that award.

The petitioners contend that the evidence is insufficient, as a matter of law, to sustain the allegations of the claimant’s motion to reopen the case, and that the award and order of the State Industrial Commission entered on March 25, 1032, is contrary to law.

It will be noted that the findings of the State Industrial Commission in paragraph numbered 3 are materially different from its former findings. On the motion to reopen on account of a change of condition, the State Industrial Commission had before it for determination the question of whether or not) there had been a change of condition of the claimant after the date of the former award. It did not have be *37 fore it for determination the correctness of the former award. The findings upon which the former award was based had become and were final. By that award the State Industrial Commission had determined the rights of the claimant up to the date of that award. The stipulation and settlement and the award were for the disability resulting from the injury. Upon the motion to reopen, the State Industrial Commission did not hare jurisdiction to find that the stipulation and settlement and the award were for temporary total disability, rather than for the disability resulting from the injury. When the State Industrial Commission found that the former award was for temporary total disability, it. made a finding which it was not authorized to make and which was and is contrary to law.

It will be noted from the findings in paragraph numbered 4 that the State Industrial Commission found that the claimant, had a permanent partial disability of 35 per cent, to his left foot. Nowhere did the State Industrial Commission find that that permanent partial disability of 35 per cent, to the left foot was in addition to the permanent partial disability to the left foot at the time of the first award. Though there had been proof of a change of condition in the claimant’s left foot, the State Industrial Commission would have been without authority of law to make an award for any greater percentage of disability than the difference between the percentage of disability at. the time of the first award and the percentage of disability at the time of the second award. There is; nothing in this record to show that percentage.

There is nothing in this record to show any change of condition in the left foot of the claimant between the date of the first award and the date of the second award.

While the claimant testified that he was suffering considerable pain, the Workmen’s Compensation Act does not contemplate' compensation for pain and suffering. While the claimant testified that he was not able to walk without suffering pain, it is evident that he was not able to. walk without suffering pain at the time of the first award, for the record clearly shows that his broken leg had not healed at that time. We quote from his testimony as follows:

“A. Well, it was pretty sore when I was first released, it got better. Q. Now. in your opinion, that soreness matter you thought would wear off? A. Tes. sir. Q. As a matter of fact, it has not worn off? A. No, sir. Q. The ankle and your foot remains, •that is, substantially the same as it was when you were discharged in 192(7? A. Tes, sir. Q. The main difference in the soreness of the leg? A. Tes, sir. Q. Any swelling? A. When I walk and use it. Q. It swells when you walk and use it? A. Tes, sir.”

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Bluebook (online)
1932 OK 828, 16 P.2d 1072, 161 Okla. 35, 1932 Okla. LEXIS 430, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/humble-oil-refining-co-v-noble-okla-1932.