Knapp v. State Industrial Commission

154 P.2d 964, 195 Okla. 56
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedOctober 10, 1944
DocketNo. 31537.
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 154 P.2d 964 (Knapp 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
Knapp v. State Industrial Commission, 154 P.2d 964, 195 Okla. 56 (Okla. 1944).

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

This is an original proceeding in this court brought by George Knapp, hereinafter referred to as petitioner, to obtain a review of an order made by trial commissioner and on appeal adopted and affirmed by *57 the State Industrial Commission which denied a claim to compensation against the State Highway Department and its insurance carrier, hereinafter referred to as respondents.

The facts as disclosed by the record will be briefly stated. On August 9, 1941, petitioner filed with the State Industrial Commission employee’s first notice of injury and claim for compensation. In said claim petitioner alleged that he had sustained an accidental personal injury on June 18, 1941, when his foot slipped while he was building a rock wall and which had strained his stomach muscles. Petitioner further alleged that he had been given medical attention for his injury and had returned to work on June 21, 1941, and that he would not likely be disabled for more than five days.- The employer and the physician who treated petitioner for his injury filed reports to the same effect, and based upon the claim and the reports so filed the State Industrial Commission on August 19, 1941, made and entered the following findings and order, to wit: •

“The Commission having examined the reports in this cause finds: That the claimant sustained an accidental injury arising out of ánd in the course of his employment with respondent herein on the date above stated as a result thereof was not disabled from work more than five days.
“It is therefore ordered, That respondent or insurance carrier pay such medical expenses incurred by the claimant as a result of said accident, as provided under the Workmen’s Compensation Law.
“It is further ordered, that this cause be closed for the reason that no time was lost beyond the five days waiting period.”

On April 21, 1942, petitioner filed with the State Industrial Commission a motion wherein he alleged that his injury had resulted in a permanent disability and asked for a hearing thereon and an award of compensation therefor. Pursuant to said motion hearings to determine extent of disability were conducted at Bristow on September 29, 1942, and March 29, 1943, respectively, by Commissioner Wylie Snow, and at Tulsa, on May 5, 1943, by Chairman Vancil K. Greer, and again at Tulsa on June 9, 1943, by Commissioner H. H. Cook. The evidence adduced at said hearings upon the issue for determination, that is, the cause, nature and extent of the alleged disability of petitioner, was in conflict. The competent witnesses appearing for the petitioner being'of the opinion that the injury of Juné 18, 1941, had resulted in as much as 25% permanent partial disability, whereas the testimony of the competent witnesses who appeared for the respondents was to the effect that in their opinion the injury had not resulted in any disability whatsoever. The cause was thereafter referred to Chairman Vancil K. Greer for findings of fact and disposition. On review of all the records and files and evidence in, the cause said commissioner made the following findings and order, to wit:

“That the evidence introduced herein is insufficient to show that the claimant sustained a compensable accidental personal injury arising out of or in the course of his employment by the respondent on or about June 18th, 1941, as alleged in his Form Three filed herein, and, therefore, claimant’s. claim for compensation herein should be denied.
“It is therefore ordered by the commissioner that claimant’s claim for compensation herein be and the same is hereby denied.”

Appeal was had to the State Industrial Commission sitting en banc and after a full hearing the commission adopted the finding and order of the Chairman Vancil K. Greer. This is the order which we are now called upon to review.

As grounds of error and illegality in said order petitioner submits the following propositions:

“1. By order of the Commission entered August 19, 1941, the Commission found ‘that claimant sustained an accidental injury arising out of and in the course of his employment with *58 respondent herein on the date (June 18, 1941) above stated.’ This order was never appealed from, vacated or set aside and became final. The attempt of Commissioner Greer to find that ‘the evidence introduced herein is insufficient to show that the claimant sustained a compensable accidental personal injury arising out of or in the course of his employment by the respondent on or about June 18, 1941, as alleged * * *’, and the finding of the Commission that the order of Chairman Vancil K. Greer was ‘a just and proper order,’ is contrary to the final order theretofore entered by the Commission itself.
“2. The order herein complained of to the effect that ‘the evidence is insufficient to show that claimant sustained a compensable accidental personal injury arising out of or in the course of his employment by the respondent on or about June 18, 1941***,’ is directly contrary to:
“A. The pleadings of both employer and employee, including the admissions of the employer (Tr. 2);
“B. The whole of the evidence.
“3. The Commission was without power or authority to conduct hearings and take evidence in this cause in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and to oblige and compel claimant and his attorney to attend numerous • hearings there when the accident occurred in Creek County and all witnesses having knowledge of the facts were resident therein; the statute fixes venue in Creek County and none of the conditions authorizing a hearing in Tulsa existed, so that the Trial Commissioner’s attempt to help respondent build its case by requiring claimant to submit to hand-picked physicians in Tulsa and attend hearings there was arbitrary and capricious and an abuse of authority.
“4. Commissioner Vancil K. Greer was not the trial commissioner who heard claimant’s testimony; neither did he have access to a transcript of said testimony before rendering his decision, the same never having been transcribed; neither was he agreed-upon or designated as the Commissioner to determine said cause so that the purported decision of said cause by him was without authority and void and constitutes denial of due process of law.
“5. Commissioner Wylie Snow, who heard claimant’s testimony, has never determined said cause or concluded his hearings nor does the record show him otherwise disqualified nor that a substitute commissioner was agreed upon or appointed; the attempted disposition of this cause by a commissioner who heard only a portion of the testimony is unauthorized and void.
“6.

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Bluebook (online)
154 P.2d 964, 195 Okla. 56, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/knapp-v-state-industrial-commission-okla-1944.