Oklahoma Natural Gas Corp. v. Union Bank & Trust Co.

1931 OK 228, 299 P. 159, 149 Okla. 12, 1931 Okla. LEXIS 156
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedMay 5, 1931
Docket21091
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 1931 OK 228 (Oklahoma Natural Gas Corp. v. Union Bank & Trust Co.) 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 Natural Gas Corp. v. Union Bank & Trust Co., 1931 OK 228, 299 P. 159, 149 Okla. 12, 1931 Okla. LEXIS 156 (Okla. 1931).

Opinion

CULLISON, J.

The petitioners in review will be referred to as petitioners. Respondents in review, as claimants.

May 17, 1929, claimant filed with the State Industrial Commission his claim against the petitioners, alleging that while in the employ of the petitioners, on the 7th day of January, 1929, he sustained an accidental injury described as follows: “Simple and compound fractures of both lower limbs; severe contusion of trunk and head; and severe concussion of the brain,” for which he prays compensation.

The usual and proper notices were given as required by law. The cause was heard January 11, 1930, at the conclusion of which the Commission made the following order:

“Findings of Facts by the Commission.
"That the claimant, J. P. Stahlle, sustained an accidental injury arising out of and in the course of his employment with the respondent, Oklahoma Natural Gas Corporation, the same being a hazardous employment within the meaning of the statute on the 7th day of January, 1929; that as a result of said accident said claimant suffered a compound fracture of the lower third', left tibia, a simple fracture of the middle third of the right femur, lacerations, multiple contusions, scalp wounds and concussion of the brain, by being struck by an automobile, as a result of which said claimant is permanently and totally disabled. That the average wage of claimant at the time of the injury was $3.60 per day. * * *
“Award Ordered.
“It is therefore ordered, that within ten days from this date the respondent, ' the Oklahoma Natural Gas Corporation, or its insurance carrier, the Aetna Life Insurance Co., pay to claimant, J. P. Stahlle, the sum of ($720.20) seven hundred and twenty dollars and twenty cents, the same being fifty-two weeks’ compensation at the rate of $13.85, computed from January 7, 1929, to ■January 11, 1930, less the five days’ waiting-period, as compensation in this case, and continue the payment of compensation thereafter at the rate of $13.85 per week until ■the period of five hundred weeks have been paid, or until otherwise ordered by the Commission * * *”

—to which ruling of the Commission petitioners except and bring the case to this court for review.

It is not disputed that the claimant did sustain an accidental injury on January 7, 1929, and there is no disagreement as to the nature and extent of the injury received.

Petitioners and claimant - both concede that there is 'but one question 'before this court for our determination, viz.;

“Did the injury arise out of, and occur in the course of employment?”

It will therefore be unnecessary to discuss the several assignments of error separately. Having reviewed the entire record, we fin'd the following pertinent facts.

It is the custom of petitioner gas company to furnish transportation for its workmen from its supply house located at 317 N. Western street to the place of work and to return them to the supply house at the close of the work day. The supply house at 317 N. Western was the usual and designated place where the workmen were directed to assemble or report for duty preparatory to being transported on road trucks from said street to the scene of their work.

On the day of the accident the gas company was engaged in extending its pipe line under 23rd street at the intersection of 23rd and Eastern avenue, at which place the claimant and other workmen had been working before, and were to work on the day of the accident.

On December 7, 1929, the date of the accident, claimant did not go to No. 317 North Western street to be transported to his work, but instead boarded a street car on Broadway which carried him to Eastern avenue located in the eastern part of the city near the Fair Grounds.

When the claimant left the car line on Eastern avenue (at 8th street) he was about 15 blocks south of his work, namely, at the intersection of 23rd and Eastern avenue.

Claimant was walking north on Eastern avenue when struck by the automobile, and 'had covered about one-half the distance between the end of the car line and the place of his work when the accident occurred.

Petitioners contend; That claimant did not sustain an injury “arising out of” or “in the course of” claimant’s employment; that the injury complained of occurred on a public highway, at a point 5 or 6 blocks from the place where claimant was engaged to do *14 work for petitioners; that claimant nevef reached the place of employment to do the work he was engaged to do.

Section 7285, O. O. S. 1921, as amended, reads in part:

“Every employer subject to the provisions of this act shall pay, or provide as required by this act, compensation according to the schedules of this article for the disability of his employee resulting from an accidental personal injury sustained by the employee arising out of, and in the course of, his employment. * * *”

The above section provides: That an employee may be awarded compensation for an injury sustained “arising out of” and “in ihe course of’’ his employment.

To state it in common parlance: If the claimant sustained a compensable injury during the time he was actually engaged in performing the work of his employer, then and under these circumstances he would be entitled to compensation for the injury sustained. Upon the other hand, however, if the claimant was not actually engaged doing the work of 'his employer, but was engaged in work or performing other acts of his own choosing at the time he was injured', then and under these circumstances he could not recover compensation from his employer.

These two phrases, “arising out of” and “in the course of” his employment, should be considered together. Both of them are essential elements or conditions that must exist before the employer can be held liable for compensation for an injury sustained by an employee.

In discussing these two very essential elements of the Workmen’s Compensation Act, the court in the case of Lucky Kidd Mining Co. v. Industrial Commission, 110 Okla. 27, 236 Pac. 600, in the first paragraph of the syllabus, said:

“Under section 7285, C. O. S. 1921, a com-pensable accidental injury must disclose from its circumstances the existence of two essential elements; It must have resulted ‘in the course of’ employment and it must also have arisen ‘out of’ the employment. The absence of either of these essential elements destroys the application thereto of the beneficent provisions of the Compensation Law.”

The facts and' circumstances in the case of Little v. Johnson City Foundry & Machine Company (Tenn.) 11 S. W. (2d) 690, are very similar to those in the case at bar. In fact, the claimant was injured on a public highway about 400 or 500 feet from the premises of the employer.

The court, in reversing an award for compensation in that case, said:

“We see nothing in the facts of this case to take it out of the general rule. It appears that the employee was ordered to return somewhat earlier on the morning he was hurt, perhaps because of extra work, than ho usually reported for duty.

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Bluebook (online)
1931 OK 228, 299 P. 159, 149 Okla. 12, 1931 Okla. LEXIS 156, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/oklahoma-natural-gas-corp-v-union-bank-trust-co-okla-1931.