Murch Bros. Construction Co. v. Cupp

1936 OK 391, 57 P.2d 852, 177 Okla. 102, 1936 Okla. LEXIS 749
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedMay 12, 1936
DocketNo. 26765.
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 1936 OK 391 (Murch Bros. Construction Co. v. Cupp) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Murch Bros. Construction Co. v. Cupp, 1936 OK 391, 57 P.2d 852, 177 Okla. 102, 1936 Okla. LEXIS 749 (Okla. 1936).

Opinion

CORN, J.

This is an original action brought by Murch Brothers Company and the Maryland Casualty Company to review an award of the State Industrial Commission against said petitioners and in favor of J. M. Cupp, the respondent herein, who will be referred to as the claimant.

The petitioners in their first proposition contend that the commission has no authority to make an award for nonspecific injury in the absence of proof of loss of wage-earning capacity.

The claimant was employed as a common laborer in the construction of the United States Southwestern Reformatory near El Reno, and in the course of his employment sustained an accidental injury to his back while lifting a heavy stone. After the injury he was assigned lighter work and was retained on the job several months before he was finally discharged. After leaving the employ of petitioners he still was able to do light work when he could find that kind of work to do, but was unable to perform any kind of heavy work. According to his own testimony and that of his attending physician he suffered continuous pain. He claims that he was refused employment and was unable to get regular employment on account of his physical condition resulting from the injury. The attending physician estimated his disability at 50 to 60' per cent. However, there is a conflict in the medical testimony, another physician being of the opinion that the claimant was not incapacitated at all for labor on account of the injury. The. Industrial Commission made an order awarding compensation On a basis of 25 per cent, permanent partial disability.

As contended, the injury complained of is not a specific injury as scheduled in the first portion of subdivision 3 of section 13356, O. S. 1931, but falls within the classification of the “other cases” provision of said section, as amended by section 2 of chapter 29, S. L. 1933. In order to sustain an award under the latter classification it is necessary to show, not only that claimant is partially disabled as a result of a *104 compensable injury, but also that he has thereby sustained'.a decreased earning capacity. Industrial Track Const. Co. v. Colthrop, 162 Okla. 274, 19 P. (2d) 1084; Stanolind Pipe Line Co. v. Hudson, 163 Okla. 73, 20 P. (2d) 1037; Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co. v. Streit, 164 Okla. 110, 23 P. (2d) 214.

Under the foregoing proposition the petitioners contend that the claimant did not suffer a loss of earning capacity because of the fact that the employer retained the claimant several months at the same wages he was earning at the time of the accidental injury, but there is evidence in the record of a continuation of the disability after the termination of said employment, which resulted in a loss of wage-earning capacity, the claimant being unable to obtain work, or to perform any kind of labor other than light work.

This contention involves a finding of fact of the Industrial Commission, and since there is evidence in the record reasonably tending to sustain the finding of the commission, under the rule consistently followed- by this court, said finding of fact will not' be disturbed.

In petitioners’ second proposition it is contended that the award of August 20, 1935, was a final order and the commission had no power to reopen the cause. The award referred to denied compensation for temporary partial disability, but made an award for medical expenses. The petitioners argue that the order of August 20, 1935, does not amount to an “award of compensation” such as to give the commission continuing jurisdiction to reopen the ease on a change of condition, or to make a subsequent award for permanent partial disability. They rely solely on the case of Olentine v. Calloway, 147 Okla. 137, 295 P. 608. In that case the claimant failed to show that any disability resulted from the alleged injury, and there was no finding that the claimant had sustained any injury in the course of his employment, and there was no order for medical expenses incurred as a result of said alleged injury. In short, no award of any kind was made. Therefore, the court, in said case, in distinguishing it from eases where medical expenses wore allowed, ns in the instant case, held and commented as follows:

“The jurisdiction and power of the State Industrial Commission under section 7296, supra, to review awards on the ground of a change in condition is limited. It is only authorized to end, diminish, or increase the compensation previously awarded. The word ‘award’ as used in section 7296, supra, authorizing the State Industrial Commission, upon its own motion or upon the application of any party in interest, on the ground of a change in condition, to at any time review any award, and on such review to make an award ending, diminishing, or increasing the compensation previously awarded, means the decision, determination, or judgment for money, hospitalization, crutches, or other compensation in favor of an employee, provided for in the Workmen’s Compensation Act.”

In support of this the court cites Ward v. Beatrice Creamery Co., 117 Okla. 31, 245 P. 570, and United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co. v. Industrial Commission, 115 Okla. 273, 244 P. 432, and further states:

“In the last-mentioned case, the commission ordered the respondent or the insurance carrier to pay all medical expenses incurred by the claimant as a result of said accident. Commissioner Jones, in the opinion approved by this court, says:
“ ‘The commission on this hearing found that the claimant was injured while in the employ of the respondent and in the course of his employment, but further found that he had “lost no time” by reason of the injury, and made an award requiring respondent or insurance carrier to pay all medical expenses.’
“So it will be seen that the State Industrial Commission had made an award for medical care, and an award having been made, it might be increased, on the ground of a change in condition, but in Ward v. Beatrice Creamery Co., supra, no award having been made, there was. nothing to end, ■ diminish or increase.”

The foregoing authorities and other authorities cited in these cases hold adversely to petitioners’ contention under their second proposition.

The petitioners in their third proposition contend that the evidence did not establish nor did the commission find' a change of condition, and such proof and finding is jurisdictional.

The question here raised was decided adversely to the contention of petitioners in the case of United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co. v. State Industrial Commission, supra, the situation in that case being almost identical with that of the case at bar. In that ease this court held that the commission had continuing jurisdiction, and further held, as stated in paragraph 2 of the syllabus, as follows:

“Where the Industrial Commission finds *105

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Bluebook (online)
1936 OK 391, 57 P.2d 852, 177 Okla. 102, 1936 Okla. LEXIS 749, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/murch-bros-construction-co-v-cupp-okla-1936.