Kelly-Dempsey Co. v. State Industrial Commission

1931 OK 187, 299 P. 908, 149 Okla. 266, 1931 Okla. LEXIS 239
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedApril 28, 1931
Docket22022
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 1931 OK 187 (Kelly-Dempsey Co. v. State Industrial Commission) 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
Kelly-Dempsey Co. v. State Industrial Commission, 1931 OK 187, 299 P. 908, 149 Okla. 266, 1931 Okla. LEXIS 239 (Okla. 1931).

Opinion

ANDREWS, J.

This is an original proceeding to review an award of the State Industrial Commission in favor of the claimant therein, made on the 29th day of November, 1930.

The record shows that the claimant before the State Industrial Commission, hereinafter referred to as respondent, sustained *267 an accidental personal injury arising out of and in the course of his employment with the Kelly-Dempsey Company, hereinafter referred to as petitioner. The attending physician’s first notice was filed on February 21, 1927, and described the nature and extent of the injury as follows, “Hand blown off all but little finger.” The employer’s first notice was filed on February 23, 1927. The employee’s first notice was filed on March 16, 1927, and the nature and extent of the injury was therein described as, “Thumb and three fingers amputated at palm of hand (little finger only finger left).” It shows that he was discharged by the physician as able to return to work “March 7, 1927.” It shows a permanent loss of the use of a member.

The physician’s report was filed on March 21, 1927, and shows the nature and extent of the injury as “All fingers and thumb blown off except little finger.”

A joint petition, with formal parts omitted, as follows:

“1. That this claimant was in the employ of the respondent on February 18, 1927, and that on such date at about the hour of 3:00 p. m. he suffered an accidental injury which has resulted in partial permanent loss of the left hand, such loss being as follows, to wit: The loss of the thumb, first, second and third fingers, his hand being amputated diagonally from a point between the third and fourth fingers to a point below- the juncture of thumb with the hand, that the respondent and insurance carrier contend that the claimant was not working within the scope of his employ at the time his accident occurred, but he was attempting to blow a rabbit from a section of pipe; the claimant contending- that he was welding said pipe.
“The parties hereto respectfully show that they have agreed to a final lump settlement as provided by section 7326, Compiled Laws of 1921, such settlement to be the payment of the sum of $2,250 by the insurance carrier to the respondent in a lump sum and the payment of all hospital and medical expenses necessary on account of the accident. Parties further show that such settlement is reasonable and just and petition your honorable body to approve the same”

—was executed in the presence of the State Industrial Commission and left with the State Industrial Commission in its files, but it does not bear the filing mark of the State Industrial Commission. It bears the follows : “O. K. by L. B. Kyle.” On March 22, 1927, there was filed with the State Industrial Commission an order which, with formal parts omitted, was as follows:

“Now on this the ,19th day of March, 1927, the State Industrial Commission being regularly in session, this cause comes on to be considered pursuant to joint petition of the p'arties hereto to make final settlement in this cause under the provisions of section 7325, Compiled Oklahoma Statutes 1921, as amended by section 18, chapter 61, Session Laws of Oklahoma, 1923, and the Commission, having considered such petition, and the agreement entered into by and between the parties hereto, by the terms of which the claimant is to receive $2,250 in one lump sum, and being otherwise well and sufficiently advised in the premises, is of the opinion that said agreement is just and reasonable and in conformity with the law and should be approved and that it is to the best interest of all parties that a final award be made in this cause.
“And it appearing: That said aggregate amount of $2,260 has been fully paid;
“It is ordered: That said agreement be and the same is hereby approved and that the payment of the aggregate amount of $2,250 is in full, final, and complete settlement of all claims of the claimant herein for compensation against the respondent or insurance carrier or either of them.”

Payment of the sum of $2,250 was made to respondent, who executed a receipt therefor under date of March 16,1927. On November 21, 1927, there was filed with the State Industrial Commission a motion “to set aside the order entered in this cause on the 19th day of March, 1927, in so far as the said order purports to be a final and complete settlement of the claims of this claimant, and to re-open this case,” on four grounds: First, fraudulent inducement to the execution of the joint petition, second, that no testimony was taken at the time said order was entered ; third, that the respondent was not advised of his legal rights at the time he signed the joint petition or at the time the order was made; and fourth, that the respondent did not know and was unadvised that he was entitled to $3,600 rather than $2,250.

On the 23rd of November, 1927, the State Industrial Commission made its order filed therein on November 25, 1927, denying the motion of respondent to reopen the cause and overruling the same.

In May, 1930, the respondent filed a second motion to reopen the cause substantially identical with .the first one. On August 16, 1930, respondent filed a motion for the cause to be set down for early hearing, and on September 18, 1930, the respondent filed another motion which, with formal p'arts omitted, was as follows:

“1. That said claimant was induced to sign said purported joint petition for final settlement upon false and fraudulent repre *268 sentation made by said respondent and insurance carrier, as more fully appears upon the affidavit of the claimant attached hereto and made a part hereof as fully as is set forth herein.
“2. That there was no testimony taken at the time said purported joint petition was entered into and was supposed to have been approved by this Commission.
“3. That this claimant did not understand the contents of said purported joint petition, was not advised of his legal rights at the time he signed 'the purported joint petition for' final settlement, either at or before the time said order was made 'by this court approving- this said purported settlement.
“4. That claimant did not know nor was he advised either by the court, the representative of the respondent and insurance carrier, or anyone else that he was entitled to 200 weeks for the total loss of a hand and that, therefore, under the law is entitled to the sum of $3,600 in addition to any temporary total disability for the healing- period, but to the contrary he was told that he was entitled only to the sum of $2,250 and that was all that the law allowed for the loss of a hand, and in view of the fact he was not advised by anyone at or before said purported joint petition was entered into and approved by the Commission, he signed said purported joint petition and accepted $2,250.
“0. The claimant further states that he, not being- advised, relied solely upon what he was told when before the Commission 'by the representative of the respondent and insurance carrier.
“6.

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

Related

Special Indemnity Fund v. Simpson
1960 OK 24 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1960)
Special Indemnity Fund v. Dimpel
1949 OK 141 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1949)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1931 OK 187, 299 P. 908, 149 Okla. 266, 1931 Okla. LEXIS 239, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kelly-dempsey-co-v-state-industrial-commission-okla-1931.