McEachern v. Pine Wood Lbr. Co.

5 La. App. 665, 1927 La. App. LEXIS 120
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 24, 1927
DocketNo. 2875
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 5 La. App. 665 (McEachern v. Pine Wood Lbr. Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McEachern v. Pine Wood Lbr. Co., 5 La. App. 665, 1927 La. App. LEXIS 120 (La. Ct. App. 1927).

Opinion

REYNOLDS, J.

This is a suit under the Employers’ Liability Act to recover compensation, for four ribs broken and medical expenses incurred.

Plaintiff alleged that while in the employ of defendant and being transported from his home to his work in an automobile owned and operated by it, he was thrown from the automobile to the ground and thereby sustained a fracture of six ribs on his left side toward the rear; that be was thereby temporarily totally dis[666]*666abled for nine weeks and his back and left side seriously, permanently impaired.

He also alleged that in consequence of the injury he had been compelled to incur medical expenses to the amount of $132.13.

He alleged that at the time of the accident he was earning $3.00 per day or $18.00 per week.

He prayed for judgment for the amount of the medical expenses and for 65 per cent of the wages he had been earning for 100 weeks with interest and costs.

Defendant deniéd that at the time of the accident plaintiff was in its employ and alleged that he had previously left its employ and entered that of one J. F. Giles.

It is admitted that the automobile from which plaintiff fell was its property, but alleged that at the time it had been borrowed for the use of J. F. Giles and was not being operated by defendant’s servants.

On these issues the case was tried and there was judgment in favor of plaintiff for $132.13 medical expenses and compensation. at the rate of $11.70 per week for 100 weeks with legal interest on each payment from the time it became due and all costs and defendant appealed.

OPINION

The first question to be determined is, was the plaintiff in the employ of the Pine Woods Lumber Company, Ltd., at the time of the accident or in that of J. F. Giles.

Plaintiff testified, pages 10, 13, 14, 15, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25:

“Q. Well, whose car was this that you were riding in?

“A. I suppose it was the Pine Woods Lumber Company.

“Q. Who were you working for at that time? 1

“A. I was working of the company.

“Q. What company?

“A. Pine Woods Lumber Company.

“Q. What kind of work were you doing?

“A. Repair work.

“Q. Well, was that carpenter work or—

“A. (Interrupting) Yes, sir; carpenter work.

“Q. Had you recently been working on the mill shed at Springhill any time just previous to this accident?

“A. Yes, sir.

* * *

“Q. What kind of work have you done since this accident?

“A. I have been working in a store for Mr. M. T. Brown at Springhill.

“Q. Does it pain you to do any strenuous work of any kind?

“A. Well, heavy lifting or something like that it hurts me.

“Q. Now, the day that this accident occurred, who was driving the truck?

“A. Mr. McDonald.

“Q. Was he employed by the Pine Woods Lumber Company?

“A. I suppose he was, yes, sir.

“Q. Had it been their custom to carry you all into your work and bring you back?

“Q. And as I understand, you were going out to this job to work in this truck at the time?

“Q. I will ask you how did they pay you for your work, whether it was by check or money?

“A. Why they paid by money in an envelope. I may have one in my pocket. Something like that. (Witness hands envelope to counsel.)

“Q. They put the money in an envelope and paid you?

“Q. Where did you get this pay?

“A. I got it from the Pine Woods Lumber Company’s office.

“Q. There in Springhill?

“Q. I will offer you a document marked [667]*667P-3 for identification and I will ask you to state what it is?

“A. State what this is?

“Q. Yes.

“A. Why this here is the envelope that they use to pay off hands with; put money in it and pay off hands with, with the company’s name above and the name of the person that it belongs to below and the amount and the date.

“Q. Did you receive that document marked P-3 from the Pine Woods Lumber Company’s office?

“Q. When did you get that?

“A. I got this — well it states 8-31-1925.

“A. Was that after you were hurt?

“Q. Well, for what work did you get this money that was in this envelope? What was it paid for?

“A. It was the last work that I did for the company.

“Q. Where were you going to work?

“A. We were going out there on the house.

“Q. Whose house was that?

“A. Pine Woods Lumber Company, I suppose.

“Q. Where was this house you were working on; how far from town?

“A. It must have been something like one mile and a half or three-quarters, something like that.

“Q. Where did you say that you are working now?

“A. Mr. Brown’s; M. T. Brown.

“Q. What does he do?

“A. He has got a mercantile business.

“Q. What are you, a clerk in the store?

“Q. What are you getting from Mr. Brown?

"A. What am I getting?

“Q. Yes. Answer the question.

“A. Well, he is just paying me sixty ■dollars ($60.00) per month.

“Q. Sixty dollars ($60.00) per month?

“Q. Does he give you any concessions of any kind?

“A. Any which?

“Q. Does he let you buy groceries there at cost?

“Q. When was. it that you started to work there?

“A. Last October. I started there the first of last October.

“Q. You get stuff at cost. Now, how much do you save over what you would spend if you bought elsewhere?

“A. Well, I reckon twelve dollars ($12.00) or fifteen dollars ($15.00) per month saving on what I buy.

“Q. Mr. McEachern, who hired you to work for the Pine Woods Lumber Company?

“A. Mr. Dean; D. A. Dean.

“Q. Was he employed by Pine Woods Lumber Company?

“A. Well, I guess so. I don’t know, I guess so, guess he is.

“Q. He has charge as foreman of the carpentering around the mill, hasn’t he?

“Q. Before you started on this house, where were you Working?

“A. We were putting up a building right there in town.

“Q. Company building?

“Q. In the quarters?

“Q. Mr. Dean had charge of you all when you were out on this house where you were going when you got hurt, did he not?

“A. Well, he went with us out there on the job and told us what he wanted done.

“Q. You all worked under instructions from Mr. Dean?

“Q. And also when you were working there on the mill — on the houses at the mill — you were working under instructions of Mr. Dean?

“Q. Mr. McEachern; it has been testified to here that you were told that this house was the property of Mr. J. F. Giles, that there was no policy. Do you remem-

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
5 La. App. 665, 1927 La. App. LEXIS 120, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mceachern-v-pine-wood-lbr-co-lactapp-1927.