Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co. v. Streit

1934 OK 144, 30 P.2d 465, 167 Okla. 437, 1934 Okla. LEXIS 557
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedMarch 6, 1934
Docket24971
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 1934 OK 144 (Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co. v. Streit) 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
Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co. v. Streit, 1934 OK 144, 30 P.2d 465, 167 Okla. 437, 1934 Okla. LEXIS 557 (Okla. 1934).

Opinion

CULLISO'N, V. C. J.

This is an original action in this court to review an order and award of tbe State Industrial Commission rendered and entered of record on the 4th day of August, 1933. This is the second time this case has been before this court, the petitioners having requested and obtained a review of an order and award of the Commission rendered in favor of the claimant on November 18, 1932 (164 Okla. 110, 23 P. (2d) 214).

The claimant, P. E. Streit, was employed as a lineman by the Oklahoma Gas & Electric Company, and on the 2lst day of September, 19291, sustained an accidental injury arising out of and in the course of his employment. The claimant was injured by being struck on the head by a small hand pulley dropped from the top of a telephone pole.

On November 13, 1929, claimant filed his first notice of injury, and on November 23rd the attending physician filed his report. On December 10, 1929, the employer filed an answer in the matter, admitting the accident and the wage scale of $7 per day, but denied that any disability was sustained as a result of the accident. On September 9, 1932, the claimant filed a motion for hearing, claiming to have considerable permanent disability as a result of the injury, and asking that it be determined.

The Commission entered an award for a loss of hearing, and found that the claimant’s wage-earning capacity had been lessened in the amount of $2 per day, and awarded compensation at the rate of $8 per week for a period not to exceed 300 weeks. The employer and its insurance carrier appealed to this court and assigned three errors.

The employer and insurance carrier contend that the evidence introduced at these hearings as to the cause of the employee’s present disability is not sufficient to support the finding of the Commission that it was caused by the injury.

On the 18th day of November, 1932, this court rendered the following judgment:

“The award of the Commission is vacated and the cause is remanded to the Commission with directions to take evidence upon the date of the commencement of the period of permanent partial disability, and the loss of earning capacity, if the same can be shown.”

It will be observed the cause was remanded to the Commission for the purpose of taking “evidence upon the date of the commencement of the period of permanent partial disability and "the loss of earning capacity.”

On August 4, 1933, the Commission rendered a second order and award in this cause, which, omitting the formal parts, is as follows, to wit:

“It is therefore ordered: That within 15 days from this date the respondent or insurance Carrier pay to the claimant the sum of $100 for said serious and permanent disfigurement, and pay the claimant the sum of $1,568, being compensation from October 28, 1929, to August 4, 1933, at the rate of $8 per week, and to continue to pay the claimant the sum of $8 per week for a period not exceeding 300 weeks from and after October 28, 1329, on account of the permanent partial disability and decrease in wage^earning capacity by reason of the accidental injury aforesaid, subject, however, to a reopening at any time on a change of condition by any interested party therein!
“It is further ordered: That $200 is a fair and reasonable attorney fee to be paid to Paul Arnold out of the accumulated amount now due. * * *”

Petitioners appeal from the above and foregoing award to this court, and allege six errors. As we view the case all errors specified may be considered together. There is but one question before this court for judicial determination, namely:

*439 “Was the evidence adduced at the second hearing sufficient to warrant the Commission finding that ‘the claimant by reason of said accidental personal injury has sustained a permanent partial disability by reason of which his wage-earning capacity has been reduced from $7 per day to $5 per day, or a difference of $2 per day? * * *’ ”

June 13, 1933, this court, speaking through Justice Bayless (164 Okla. 110, 23 P. (2d) 214), said (syllabus pars. 1, 2, 3) :

“1. In order to sustain an award of the State Industrial Commission, based on subdivision 3 of section 13356, O. S. 1931, designated as ‘other cases,’ it is necessary that the record contain competent evidence reasonably tending to support the finding of the ''Commission ‘that claimant suffered a loss of his wage-earning capacity as a result of the injury.’
“2. Section 13356, O. S. 1931, provides for compensation during the continuance of permanent partial disability ‘not to exceed 300 weeks.’ That period commences with the permanent partial disability and not with the award therefor.
“3. Record examined; held, the finding of the Commission that claimant suffered a loss of earning capacity is not reasonably supported by the evidence.”

July 6, 1933, the Industrial Commission, in compliance with the judgment of this court, set the case for hearing. July 19, 1933, a hearing was had as directed by this court. August 4, 1933, the Commission made the following order and award:

“The Commission is therefore of the opinion : Upon a consideration of the foregoing facts that the claimant is entitled to compensation in the sum of $100 for said permanent and lasting disfigurement above described, and claimant is further entitled to compensation at the rate of $8 per week from October 28, 1829, the date on which he returned to work, to August 4, 1933, or for 196 weeks or the sum of $1,568, and to continue compensation thereafter at the rate of $8 per week for a period not to exceed 300 weeks from and after October 28, 1929, on account of the permanent disability, and reduced wage-earning capacity, subject, however, to a reopening at any time on a change of condition by any of the interested parties herein.
“It is therefore ordered: That within 15 days from this date the respondent or insurance carrier pay to the claimant the sum of $100 for said serious and permanent disfigurement, and pay the claimant the sum of $1,568, being compensation from October 28, 1929, to August 4, 1933, at the rate of $8 per week, and to continue to pay the claimant the sum of $8 per week for a period of not to exceed 300 weeks from and after October 28, 1929, on account of the permanent partial disability and decrease in wage-earning capacity by reason of the accidental injury aforesaid, subject, however, to a reopening at any time on a change of condition by any interested party herein.
“It is further ordered: That $200 is a fair and reasonable attorney fee to be paid to Paul Arnold out of the accumulated amount now due. * * *”

August 28, 1933, petitioners filed their appeal bond, and the ease is now here for adjudication. Petitioners in their brief of October 10, 1933, assign three specifications of error, as follows:

“(.1) There is no competent evidence to support the finding of the Commission that the “claimant has sustained a decrease in earning capacity due to his injury.

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Bluebook (online)
1934 OK 144, 30 P.2d 465, 167 Okla. 437, 1934 Okla. LEXIS 557, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/oklahoma-gas-electric-co-v-streit-okla-1934.