Maryland Casualty Co. v. Industrial Commission

266 P. 11, 33 Ariz. 490, 1928 Ariz. LEXIS 227
CourtArizona Supreme Court
DecidedApril 9, 1928
DocketCivil No. 2709.
StatusPublished
Cited by25 cases

This text of 266 P. 11 (Maryland Casualty Co. v. Industrial Commission) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Arizona Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Maryland Casualty Co. v. Industrial Commission, 266 P. 11, 33 Ariz. 490, 1928 Ariz. LEXIS 227 (Ark. 1928).

Opinion

LOCKWOOD, J.

— James M. Treahey, hereinafter called the applicant, on May 7th, 1926, filed with the Industrial Commission of Arizona an application for compensation for an injury causing hernia which he alleg’ed had occurred while he was employed by one F. H. Keddington as a binder in a bookbinding establishment in Tucson, Arizona, Maryland Casualty Company, a corporation, hereinafter called petitioner, was the insurance carrier of compensation liability for Keddington. A hearing was had, findings made by the Commission, and an award made, after which the petitioner asked for a rehearing. This was granted, and upon such rehearing the Commission again made findings and an award, whereupon petitioner filed its application with this court for a writ of review.

There are some six grounds set up in petitioner’s brief in support of its contention that the award should be set aside. They read as follows:

“I. That the Industrial Commission of Arizona was without jurisdiction to make an award.

“II. That the applicant, James M. Treahey, failed forthwith to report the alleged accident to *492 Ms employer, F. H. Keddington, as required by subsection D of section 79 of tbe Workmen’s Compensation Law of the state of Arizona [Laws 1925, c. 83].

“III. That tbe Industrial Commission of Arizona abused its discretion in finding No. 9 in relieving tbe applicant, James M. Treahey, from loss or forfeiture of compensation by reason of bis failure to report immediately tbe accident and injury claimed to bave been sustained by him, for tbe reason that there is no evidence to show any excuse or reason for tbe failure to so report.

“IV. That tbe applicant, James M. Treahey, did not sustain an injury by an accident arising out of and in tbe course of bis employment causing tbe disability described in tbe award of tbe Industrial Commission of Arizona dated May 31st, 1927, and that of said commission on rehearing dated October 14th, 1927.

“V. If applicant suffered disability from hernia, it was not traumatic hernia, as shown by bis application and tbe evidence and proof submitted in support of bis claim.

“VT. That the evidence and claim of tbe plaintiff filed with tbe Industrial Commission of Arizona, and all of tbe proof submitted in support of bis said claim show that tbe plaintiff is not entitled to compensation under tbe terms of section 71 of the Workmen’s Compensation Law of tbe state of Arizona.”

We shall consider them in their order.

We bave held in tbe case of Federal Mut. L. Ins. Co. v. Industrial Commission, 31 Ariz. 224, 252 Pac. 512:

“It is true tbe commission is not a court. . . . It is nevertheless a tribunal established by the Legislature, and having bestowed upon it tbe right to determine questions of fact and to apply tbe existing law thereto. . . .
“This court will not, in a proceeding brought under section 90 of tbe act [Laws 1925, c. 83], review or consider any matter which was not fairly presented to tbe commission for its determination,”

*493 A proceeding on a writ of review from an award of the Industrial Commission is in effect an appeal from the decision of such Commission, and, except when otherwise provided by statute or the rules of this court, should be governed by the same principles as appeals from the superior court. We therefore will consider in matters of this kind the specific grounds of objection set up by the petitioner as taking the place of assignments of error in the ordinary appeal, and any objection not so set up will be deemed as waived.

The first objection above set forth is, of course, general, and depends upon the ruling on the others.

The second is that the applicant failed to report the alleged accident “forthwith” to his employer as required by subdivision (c), section 79, Workmen’s Compensation Law (Laws 1925, chap. 83). This subdivision reads, so far as material, as follows:

“(c) Whenever any accident occurs to any employee, it shall be the duty of the employee to forthwith report such accident and the injury resulting therefrom to the employer. ...”

The evidence shows that the accident occurred on the 18th of December, 1925, but that it was not reported until March, 1926. Counsel have spent a good deal of time in discussing how soon a report must be made and the meaning of the word “forthwith” in the subdivision above quoted. We are satisfied that a delay of three months is not “forthwith.” The law provides that, if the report of the accident is not made “forthwith,” no compensation is to be paid for the injury. It also provides, however :

“But it shall be within the discretion of the Arizona Industrial Commission to relieve said injured person or his dependents from such loss or forfeiture of compensation, if the said Arizona Industrial Com *494 mission shall be of the opinion, after investigation, that the circumstances attending the failure on the part of the employee, or of his physicians, to report said accident and injury are such as to have excused the said employee and Ms physician for such failure to so report, and that such relieving- of the employee or his dependents from the consequences of such failure to report will not result in an unwarrantable charge against said state compensation fund or accident benefit fund.”

The Industrial Commission in this case found:

“(9) The circumstances attending the failure of the applicant to report said accident and injury to his employer sooner are such as to have excused said employee for such failure to so report and the relieving of said employee from the consequences of such failure to sooner report said injury and accident will not result in an unwarrantable charge against the state compensation fund or the accident benefit fund, or other insurance carrier.”

It is urged as the third ground of objection that the Commission abused its discretion in such findings. We have examined the transcript of the evidence in regard to this matter, and we are satisfied that such discretion was not abused. The applicant gave what in our opinion was a good reason for having delayed the making of his report.

The fourth objection is that the injury complained of by applicant was not caused by an accident “arising out of and in the due course of his employment.” This again is a matter of fact for the determination of the Commission, and its finding cannot be disturbed by us, unless there is no reasonable evidence tending to support it. Federal Mut. L. Ins. Co. v. Industrial Commission, supra. We are of the opinion the evidence fully sustains the findings on this point.

It appears from the undisputed testimony that the applicant was working at a printing-press, lifting *495 heavy paper and feeding it into the press while standing in a very cramped position.

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Bluebook (online)
266 P. 11, 33 Ariz. 490, 1928 Ariz. LEXIS 227, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/maryland-casualty-co-v-industrial-commission-ariz-1928.