Long v. State Industrial Accident Commission

424 P.2d 236, 246 Or. 187, 1967 Ore. LEXIS 562
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 1, 1967
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 424 P.2d 236 (Long v. State Industrial Accident Commission) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Long v. State Industrial Accident Commission, 424 P.2d 236, 246 Or. 187, 1967 Ore. LEXIS 562 (Or. 1967).

Opinion

PORT, J. (Pro Tempore).

At all times herein involved, Edison McBride was the owner and operator as sole proprietor of the Hills[189]*189boro Convalescent Home. On January 7, 1963, he employed the plaintiff as a nurse’s aide. She worked in that capacity continuously thereafter under the direct supervision of Mrs. Hines, the head nurse. Early in November, 1964, Mr. McBride began the transfer of some of the patients and some of his staff from Hillsboro Convalescent Home to the newly constructed Hillaire Convalescent Home. Both of these homes were operated during this period under the direction and supervision of Edison McBride.

At all times during plaintiff’s employment, Mr. McBride, doing business as a sole proprietorship under the assumed name of Hillsboro Convalescent Home, was a covered employer by the SIAC having made and filed the election required under ORS 656.034. He was at all times in good standing, and all payments required by law to be made to the Commission on behalf of and by his employees, including the plaintiff, had been made to and accepted by it. All sums paid by Mr. McBride on behalf of plaintiff and his other employees during November 1964, including the contributions of the employees, were retained by the Commission, whether a particular employee was working at Hillsboro Convalescent Home or Hillaire Convalescent Home.

On November 30, 1964, while working within the scope of her employment on the premises denominated Hillaire Convalescent Home, plaintiff sustained an injury. Claim therefore was timely filed with the defendant. On January 5, 1965, the Commission rejected the claim on the ground:

“There is no evidence that said claimant was employed subject to provision of Oregon Workmen’s Compensation law at the time of said alleged accident injury.”

[190]*190At the Circuit Court trial plaintiff testified she was employed by Edison McBride at all times including the time of the accident — and never by anybody else. Mr. McBride testified on direct examination the plaintiff worked for him from January 7, 1963, to December 7, 1964. On cross examination he stated:

* * * #
“Q Is it your testimony that she was an employee of you, personally, at the time that she worked at the Hillaire Convalescent Home?
“A Yes.”
# # * & *

At the conclusion of plaintiff’s case the court upon appropriate motion entered its judgment of involuntary nonsuit upon the ground that it affirmatively appeared:

“* * * a new entity was created by employer of plaintiff, and therefore that plaintiff was not working in an employment covered by Oregon’s Workmen’s Compensation Law, * *

Plaintiff appeals therefrom. The question then is whether there is any evidence which would have warranted submission of this matter to the jury.

On December 17, 1963, George Suniga and Edison McBride entered into a written agreement entitled:

“Joint Adventure Agreement for the Construction of Hillaire Convalescent Home and the Creation of Hillaire Convalescent Home, Inc.” (Emphasis ours.)

Paragraph I provides:

“These articles of joint adventure shall control and determine the rights, duties and obligations of the parties hereto, to the exclusion of all other agreements, from and as of December 17th, 1963, with reference to the construction of the aforesaid [191]*191convalescent home until the formation and active operation of the corporation hereinafter referred to.” (Emphasis ours.)

Paragraph II provides:

“Each of the parties hereto will devote in the future such of his personal time and efforts to the joint adventure and the furtherance of the construction of the building and creation of the corporation as required in or necessary to the efficient performance of those aims, and for which they shall receive no compensation except as provided for herein.” (Emphasis ours.)

Paragraph III provides:

“The undersigned GEORGE SUNIGA agrees:
“(1) To enter into a construction contract with EDISON McBRIDE for the construction of the convalescent home according to the terms and specifications thereof. * * *.” (Emphasis ours.)
# # # * *
“(5) To maintain an account with the State Industrial Accident Commission of the State of Oregon covering the parties hereto as employers during the construction of the convalescent home for the protection of all employees of the party engaged in said construction, and in addition to provide liability insurance for the parties hereto in the amount of $50,000.00 for the benefit of the parties for any liability arising out of and by virtue of such construction not covered by the Industrial Accident coverage hereinabove referred to.” (Emphasis ours.)

Paragraph IV(2) provides:

“* * * Upon completion of the construction of the nursing home and formation of the corporation as set out above, * * *”

certain acts not here relevant would be performed.

[192]*192The Commission here asserts first that plaintiff was employed by the “joint adventure” of George Suniga and Edison McBride, and not by Edison McBride dba Hillsboro Convalescent Home; and second, that even if she were the employee of Edison McBride only, he was not a covered employer with respect to those of his employees working at the Hillaire Convalescent Home during the period prior to the creation and incorporation of Hillaire Convalescent Home, Inc., which did not take place until December 21, 1964. Plaintiff obviously was not and could not have been an employee of the corporation at any time prior to her injury since the corporation had not yet come into existence. Furthermore, due to the injury her employment by Mr. McBride terminated December 6, 1964.

We have previously held that a joint adventure is never presumed, hence the burden of establishing it is upon the party who alleges it; and that whether in a given situation a joint adventure exists is a question of fact for the jury:

“ * * unless, in the opinion of the Court, but one inference can be drawn by reasonable men.’ ”

This rule has equal application in determining whether a challenged activity is within the scope of the joint adventure. Furthermore, as this court pointed out in Fenton v. SIAC, 199 Or 668, 264 P2d 1037 (1953), in determining the relationship established by a joint adventure agreement, the contract must be taken in its entirety.

In determining whether plaintiff was an employee of the joint adventure, as claimed by defendant, the written agreement of the parties, substantially set [193]*193forth above, reveals that at the very least this must be considered a jury question. It seems clear that this agreement related only to the construction of Hillaire Convalescent Home, Inc. Only following the creation

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Bluebook (online)
424 P.2d 236, 246 Or. 187, 1967 Ore. LEXIS 562, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/long-v-state-industrial-accident-commission-or-1967.