McLemore v. Jackson Tile Mfg. Co.

252 So. 2d 781, 1971 Miss. LEXIS 1199
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 27, 1971
DocketNo. 46302
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 252 So. 2d 781 (McLemore v. Jackson Tile Mfg. Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McLemore v. Jackson Tile Mfg. Co., 252 So. 2d 781, 1971 Miss. LEXIS 1199 (Mich. 1971).

Opinion

RODGERS, Presiding Justice:

This is a workmen’s compensation case. It was appealed to this court from an order of the Circuit Court of the First Judicial District of Hinds County, Mississippi. The Circuit Court affirmed an order of the Workmen’s Compensation Commission denying and dismissing the appellant’s claim for workmen’s compensation benefits.

Appellant alleges in her pleadings for benefits that she was injured on November 9, 1967, while employed by the Jackson Tile [782]*782and Manufacturing- Company. She filed Commission Form B-5, 11 on December 15, 1967. Appellees filed their responsive pleadings, and an order was entered by the Commission approving the claim for attorneys’ fee of Stanfield and Wallace on January 3, 1968.

Thereafter, on March 27, 1968, the appellant filed a motion to dismiss her claim without prejudice. On March 27, 1968 the Commission entered its order dismissing appellant’s claim without prejudice as to any future rights of appellant. On April 1, 1968 the Travelers Insurance Company mailed a Commission Form B-31 to the claimant and to the Workmen’s Compensation Commission at the same time. This form had printed thereon the following words:

“(27) If receipt is not signed by injured, explain why.”

After the foregoing printed words, the following words were typed:

“The original hereof this date mailed to Commission, a copy hereof this date mailed to claimant, postage prepaid.”

On May 26, 1969, appellant-claimant filed Form B-5, 11 for additional benefits as the result of the accident of November 9, 1967 claim for injury which had been previously dismissed without prejudice. The appel-lees filed their response in which they contended that the statute of limitations had run so that the appellant’s claim for medical expenses was barred by Section 21 (§ 6998-27, Miss.Code 1942 Ann.1952) of the Mississippi Workmen’s Compensation Law, as amended. The claim was heard upon a motion to dismiss. An order was entered by the attorney referee dismissing the claim upon the ground that the Commission did not have jurisdiction of the claim after the expiration of one year from the filing of the Commission Form B-31. The appellant appealed to the full Commission and on November 13, 1969, the Commission affirmed the order of the attorney referee. The appellant then appealed to the Circuit Court of Hinds County, Mississippi, and the Circuit Court affirmed the order of the Workmen’s Compensation Commission.

The appellant contends on appeal to this Court that the Circuit Court was in error in affirming the order of the Workmen’s Compensation Commission because, it is said, that filing of the B-31 by the appel-lees was sufficient to set in motion the statute of limitations set forth in the Workmen’s Compensation Act. The appellant also contends that notice of the filing of the Commission’s Form B-31 should have been given to appellant’s attorney of record inasmuch as he was an “interested party” within the meaning of the Workmen’s Compensation Act.

The first issue to be examined is whether or not the Commission’s Form B-31 was sufficient under the facts in this case to set in motion the statute of limitations.

The statute of limitations mentioned in the argument is set out in Section 6998-27, Mississippi Code 1942 Annotated (1952) and is in the following language:

“Upon its own initiative, or upon the application of any party in interest on the ground of a change in conditions or because of a mistake in a determination of fact, the commission may, at any time prior to one (1) year after date of the last payment of compensation, whether or not a compensation order has been issued, or at any time prior to one (1) year after the rejection of a claim, review a compensation case. * * * ”

We have previously pointed out that this section must be read in conjunction with Section 6998-19 (g), Mississippi Code 1942 Annotated (1952). See cases cited in International Paper Company v. Evans, 244 Miss. 49, 140 So.2d 271 (1962).

The pertinent part of the foregoing section is in the following language:

“ * * * But no case shall be closed nor any penalty be assessed without notice to all parties interested and without giving to all such parties an opportunity to be heard.”

[783]*783The pertinent Workmen’s Compensation Commission procedural rule, Rule B-17, in effect on April 1, 1968, was in the following words:

“CLOSING CASE. The requirements for the filing of Commission Form B-31 (Final Report and Settlement Receipt), shall be deemed by the Commission to have been met upon receipt by the Commission of such form, signed by claimant, provided, however, that the form so filed is in accordance with the requirements of Section 13(g) of the Act and contains the information specified therein. In the event Form B-31 is unsigned because of the refusal or negligence of the claimant to do so, said unsigned form shall be filed with the Commission, after which notice by certified mail shall be given to the claimant advising him to date that the unsigned B-31 was filed with the Commission. Further, the insurer shall submit to the Commission their postal receipt showing the date such certified letter was received by claimant.
“In the event the original B-31 so filed does not contain the medical information provided for in the form, due to the inability of the carrier-employer to obtain the same, an additional B-31 shall be filed as soon as possible and the additional B-31 shall not only contain the medical information not encompassed in the original form but shall contain all information required by the Form B-31.”

A careful study of Mississippi Workmen’s Compensation Commission’s procedural rule, Rule B-17, above set out, reveals that this rule is in fact divided into three parts. The first part is as follows:

“ * * * In the event Form B-31 is unsigned because of the refusal or negligence of claimant to do so, said unsigned form shall be filed with the Commission * * * ” (Emphasis added)

This part of the rule can mean but one thing, the employee must be given an opportunity to sign the form or, if he neglects to do so, the employer or carrier may then file the unsigned form.

The next part of the rule is significant.

“* * * jn the event Form B-31 is unsigned because of the refusal or negligence of claimant to do so, said unsigned form shall be filed with the Commission, after which notice by certified mail shall be given to the claimant advising him to date that the unsigned B-31 was filed with the Commission * * * ” (Emphasis added)

The third part is also significant wherein it is said:

“ * * * Further, the insurer shall submit to the Commission their postal receipt showing the date such certified letter was received by claimant.” (Emphasis added)

The rule, then, obviously means that before the B-31 Form is filed, the employee must be given a chance to sign it, but if he fails to sign it within a reasonable time because of negligence (not sickness or incapacity), the employer or carrier may file the unsigned Form B-31 with the Commission.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
252 So. 2d 781, 1971 Miss. LEXIS 1199, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mclemore-v-jackson-tile-mfg-co-miss-1971.