King v. Illinois Steel Corp.

176 N.E. 161, 92 Ind. App. 456, 1931 Ind. App. LEXIS 58
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 15, 1931
DocketNo. 14,275.
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 176 N.E. 161 (King v. Illinois Steel Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
King v. Illinois Steel Corp., 176 N.E. 161, 92 Ind. App. 456, 1931 Ind. App. LEXIS 58 (Ind. Ct. App. 1931).

Opinion

Wood, J.

This is a proceeding brought by the appellant, Josephine King, against the Illinois Steel Corporation, appellee, before the Industrial Board of Indiana, for an award of compensation pursuant to the Workmen’s Compensation Act, based upon a claim of dependency on one Nathan Mabery, her brother, who received injuries while in the employ of appellee, which resulted in his death. The claim was filed upon a form adopted and furnished by the Industrial Board of this state. It was submitted to a single member of the board for hearing, who refused to award compensation. An application for review by the full board was made, and, upon hearing, the award for compensation was again refused. It is from this action of the Industrial Board that this appeal is taken.

The only question submitted for consideration by this court is whether or not the appellant was a dependent of Nathan Mabery, as contemplated by the Workmen’s Compensation Act, thus entitling her to compensation because of his death from injuries received as above stated.

There was no evidence introduced at the hearings before the Industrial Board except that on behalf of appellant. It is wholly undisputed, and from it the following facts are developed: Nathan Mabery was a brother of appellant; in October, 1928, he came from *458 Chicago to Gary, where he had employment of various kinds, until May 16, 1930, when he received the injuries from which he died May 21,1930; during this entire time, he occupied a room and ate his meals at the home of appellant; she made no charge for the service; appellant owned her own home, was married and living with her husband during the time in question, but he had been an invalid, unable to work for a period of four years previous to the death of Nathan Mabery, had been confined to his bed some of the time; both appellant and her husband were without means; previous to Mabery coming to her home,, appellant had kept some roomers and boarders, but, since he had been staying there, she had not had any boarders, had a man and his wife as roomers for three weeks, who paid $5 per week, another man as roomer for three weeks, who paid $3 per week, and another man as roomer, who had been there since sometime in 1929, who paid $4 per week; when Mabery came to Gary in October, 1928, he had a wife living and contributed to her support until her death in February, 1929; during the entire time he lived in the home of appellant, he gave her money with which to keep up and maintain the home, the amount and the times when the money would be given to appellant varied depending upon the amount of wages received by Mabery, and the frequency of their payment to him; if he (Mabery) was paid each week, he would usually give appellant money each week; the amount varied from $8 up, on one occasion he gave her $20, and on another' $30, and, previous to his death, he gave her his pay check from appellee in the sum of $28.30; this money was used to supply food and groceries for the home, and for such other purposes as the appellant saw fit in the home; he also paid the light, gas and coal bills, and taxes on appellant’s property; when appellant was sick, he called the doctor, paid him for his services rendered to both appellant and her *459 husband, also employed and paid for help in the home when appellant was ill; Mabery paid the bills and gave his sister money for household expenses because her husband was ill and unable to support her; except for the small amount that she received from roomers as aforesaid, appellant had no means of support other than that furnished by her brother; Mabery had neither wife nor children at the time of his death.

It was further stipulated between the parties that Nathan Mabery died on May 21,1930, as the proximate result of personal injuries received May 16, 1930, by reason of an accident arising out of and in the course of his employment by appellee, that his average weekly wage was $26.40; that a good faith effort had been made to adjust the differences, which resulted in a disagreement.

Section 38, of the Workmen’s Compensation Act, Acts 1929 p. 537 (§9483 Burns Supp. 1929), after enumerating explicitly the persons who shall be conclusively presumed to be wholly dependent for support upon a deceased employee in the application of the act, then provides that: “In all other cases, questions of total dependency shall be determined in accordance with the fact, as the fact may be at the time of the death, and question of partial dependency shall be determined in like manner as of date of- the injury.”

Unless she brings herself within the purview of the statute above quoted, by proof of sufficient facts, appellant is not entitled to compensation under the act. That is to say, whether appellant was a dependent of Nathan Mabery, within the meaning of the term as used in this act, is a mixed question of fact and law. Columbia School Supply Co. v. Lewis (1916), 63 Ind. App. 386, 115 N. E. 103; In re Carroll (1917), 65 Ind. App. 146, 116 N. E. 844.

*460 Where the evidence is conflicting, or where it is such that different deductions may reasonably . be drawn therefrom, leading to different conclusions as to the relation existing between the parties, and the Industrial Board has made a finding based on that evidence, then such finding is conclusive, if there is evidence in the record sustaining same, ^nd it must be accepted by this court. Swing v. Kokomo Steel, etc., Co. (1919), 75 Ind. App. 124, 125 N. E. 471; General, etc., Car Corp. v. McGlaughlin (1928), 87 Ind. App. 276, 162 N. E. 30; Columbia School Supply Co. v. Lewis, supra. But where, as in the instant case, the facts are all uncontroverted, in order that it may be determined what the relation was between appellant and Mabery, there must be applied to the facts, including the inferences and conclusions to be reasonably drawn therefrom, certain legal standards and principles, so a question of law is involved. It follows, therefore, that the ultimate question, where the facts are all uncontradicted, as here, whether appellant is a dependent, is a law question. Buhner v. Bowman (1924), 81 Ind. App. 395, 143 N. E. 366; Carter v. Templeton Coal Co. (1927), 86 Ind. App. 175, 156 N. E. 518; Columbia School Supply Co. v. Lewis, supra; In re Carroll, supra.

The Workmen’s Compensation Act does not define, but rather describes, dependent persons. In In re Carroll, supra, this court said: “Stated generally, a dependent is one who looks to another for support and maintenance; one who is in fact dependent; one who relies on another for the reasonable necessities of life. . . .

“To confine the inquiry to the question whether the family of the deceased workman could have supported life without any contributions from him, or whether such contributions were absolutely necessary in order that the family might be reasonably maintained, is not a fair test of dependency; but rather the inquiry should *461

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Bluebook (online)
176 N.E. 161, 92 Ind. App. 456, 1931 Ind. App. LEXIS 58, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/king-v-illinois-steel-corp-indctapp-1931.