McIntyre v. B. F. Goodrich Co.

137 N.E.2d 567, 74 Ohio Law. Abs. 200
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 15, 1955
DocketNo. 4522
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 137 N.E.2d 567 (McIntyre v. B. F. Goodrich Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McIntyre v. B. F. Goodrich Co., 137 N.E.2d 567, 74 Ohio Law. Abs. 200 (Ohio Ct. App. 1955).

Opinion

[201]*201OPINION

By STEVENS, PJ.

This proceeding is an appeal on questions of law from a verdict and judgment of the Court of Common Pleas of Summit County.

In the trial below a verdict was returned by the jury in favor of plaintiff, finding him to be entitled to participate in the Workmen’s Compensation Fund of Ohio, upon which verdict judgment was duly entered. The legal propriety of that judgment is here challenged.

The evidence of record discloses that the claimant became an employee of defendant employer at its Akron plant on December 23, 1945. He was given the position of a helper on a bias machine, moving stock from the machine to a table. While -so engaged, on December 28, 1945, he suffered injury to his right leg and knee.

On June 26, 1946, the employer reported said accident to the Industrial Commission of Ohio, and claimant made application to his employer for compensation and medical service for injuries claimed to have resulted from said accident.

On February 19, 1946, employer reported to the Indusgtrial Commission payment to claimant of $71.19 as compensation for temporary total disability of 3-4/7 weeks—from January 12, 1946, to February 5, 1946. In the interim between 1946 and March 8, 1949, numerous applications were filed by the employee and denied by the Commission.

On March 8, 1949, claimant filed with the Commission an application for modification of award and additional compensation beyond the date of last payment, by reason of his injury of December 28, 1945; and on August 30, 1950, the Commission denied said application, for the reason that “proof of record fails to show claimant has suffered any disability in excess of that for which he has been previously compensated.”

On September 5, 1950, claimant filed an application for a rehearing of his claim.

On September 19, 1950, the Commission entered the following order:

“On this day, to wit, September 19, 1950, this claim came before the Commission and it was ordered that the Commission’s record of its findings herein of August 30, 1950, be corrected to conform to the Commission’s order and intention and made to read as follows, to wit:
“ ‘This day, to wit, August 30, 1950, this claim coming on for further hearing for consideration of the Commission upon an Application for Modification of Award and Additional Compensation Beyond the Date of Last Payment, filed March 8, 1949, by the Claimant herein, together with the other proof of record, upon consideration thereof it is the finding of the Commission that proof of record does not show that the Claimant’s disability was due to or the result of the injury upon which this claim is predicated.
“ ‘It is, therefore, ordered that the Application for Modification of Award and Additional Compensation, filed herein by the Claimant under date of March 8, 1949, be and the same are hereby dismissed.’” (Emphasis ours.)

On September 25, 1950, the Commission entered this order:

“On this day this claim came before the Commission upon an Appli[202]*202cation for Rehearing filed on September 5, 1950, and in accordance with the provisions of §1465-90 GC of the Workmen’s Compensation Act, and upon consideration thereof the Commission grants the Claimant a rehearing and appoints a Referee to take testimony.”

After the hearing, the Commission, on January 28, 1952, ordered the claim to be dismissed because the claimant was not disabled as the result of an injury sustained in the course of and arising out of employment.

On March 4, 1952, claimant filed his petition on appeal in the Court of Common Pleas of Summit County, Ohio, and thereafter, on June 5, 1952, an amended petition was filed, wherein it was alleged that a rehearing was had upon the denial of his application, filed March 8, 1949, for modification of award and additional compensation beyond date of last payment and that same was disallowed.

To that petition employer filed an answer, setting up the following special defenses:

1. That the Commission was without right or authority to make its order of September 25, 1950.

2. That there was no legal authority for such a rehearing proceeding.

3. That the trial court did not have jurisdiction of the subject matter of the appeal.

Upon trial, the matter was submitted to a jury, which found that claimant was “entitled to compensation according to the Workmen’s Compensation Laws of Ohio.” Judgment was entered upon the verdict as returned by the jury on January 12, 1954. Motions for judgment notwithstanding the verdict, and for a new trial, were filed and overruled.

These errors are assigned by appellant:

1. The Common Pleas Court erred in assuming jurisdiction of the appeal.

2. Error in the admission of evidence.

3. The verdict and judgment are manifestly against the weight of the evidence.

4. Error in refusing to submit appellant’s requested findings of fact Nos. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.

5. Error in giving appellee’s special request to charge before argument, and error in the general charge.

6. Error in refusal to direct a final judgment for defendant, and in overruling appellant’s motion for a new trial.

We address ourselves first to the claim of appellant that the Common Pleas Court was without jurisdiction to entertain the appeal from the order of the Industrial Commission.

Sec. 4123.51 R. C., in part, provides:

“The Industrial Commission shall have full power and authority to hear and determine all questions within its jurisdiction, and its decisions thereon are final, except as provided in this section. * * * In all claims for compensation on account of injury, or death resulting therefrom, if the Commission denies the right of the claimant to receive [203]*203compensation or to continue to receive compensation, the order ol the Commission shall state the grounds on which the claim was denied. If the claim was denied on any of the following grounds:
“(D) The claimant’s disability is not the result of the injury.
“* * * the claimant may, within thirty days after the receipt of notice of such finding of the Commission, file an application with the Commission for a rehearing of his claim * *

Sec. 4123.52 R. C., provides, in part:

“The jurisdiction of the Industrial Commission over each case shall be continuing, and the Commission may make such modification or change with respect to former findings or orders with respect thereto, as in its opinion is justified. * * *
“This section does not deprive the Commission of its continuing jurisdiction to determine the questions raised by any application for modification of award which has been filed with the Commission after June 1, 1932 * *

It seems to us scarcely debatable that, under the provisions of §4123.52 R. C., the Commission had an express statutory grant of authority to modify or change its former finding or order, if, in its opinion, such change was justified.

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Bluebook (online)
137 N.E.2d 567, 74 Ohio Law. Abs. 200, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcintyre-v-b-f-goodrich-co-ohioctapp-1955.