Reed v. City of Tulsa

1964 OK 219, 397 P.2d 140, 1964 Okla. LEXIS 462
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedOctober 6, 1964
Docket40699
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 1964 OK 219 (Reed v. City of Tulsa) 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
Reed v. City of Tulsa, 1964 OK 219, 397 P.2d 140, 1964 Okla. LEXIS 462 (Okla. 1964).

Opinion

JOHNSON, Justice.

This is an original proceeding by Edward J. Reed, claimant, to review an order of the State Industrial Court denying his claim for compensation against the City of Tulsa, respondent.

Claimant filed his claim before the State Industrial Court on February 28, 1962, alleging that on October 19, 1961, while employed by respondent and in the course of his employment he sustained an accidental injury consisting of a “heart attack precipitated by exertion and strain of lumbar muscles, ligaments and tendons, neck strain.”

The evidence discloses that claimant was employed by respondent on the above day as a fireman; that the fire department was •conducting a drill for its men; that around 10:30 a. m. claimant was lifting a 28 foot ladder when he strained himself causing pain in his back, chest and into his left arm; he became sick and had to lie down; he “took it easy” the rest of the day, but about 4:30 a. m. the next day he became ill and had to go to a hospital, where he remained for approximately two weeks. Claimant had suffered a back injury in 1955, and a stomach injury in 1960 that required surgery. He retired April 19, 1962, under the Firemen’s Relief and Pension Fund on total disability.

The case was tried, by stipulation of the parties, solely on the question of whether claimant had sustained an accidental injury as alleged, and, if so, did he suffer any permanent disability because of said injury? He had been paid for the time he had lost from his work.

On the 17th day of May, 1963, the trial judge entered an order which is in part as follows:

“That on October 19, 1961, while engaged in his duties as a fireman, the claimant received an accidental personal injury arising out of and in the course of his employment with respondent, ■consisting of a strain to his back, neck and chest. That claimant’s wages were sufficient to fix his compensation rate at $30.00 for temporary and $35.00 for permanent partial. That claimant did not suffer a heart attack, arising out of and in the course of his employment on October 19, 1961, with respondent, that resulted in any disability, either temporary or permanent.
“That claimant did not suffer any permanent partial disability by reason of the strain to his back, neck and chest and did not lose any compensable time for which he would be entitled to temporary total compensation benefits and that claimant is not entitled to medical treatment by reason of the accident of Oct. 19, 1961, and therefore claimant’s claim is denied.”

The above order was affirmed by the Industrial Court sitting en banc.

Claimant urges three propositions for vacation of the above order:

“1. That respondent arbitrarily and capriciously retired claimant from his job, that this was involuntary retirement predicated upon the provisions of Title 11, Oklahoma Statutes, and in connection therewith employed doctors to make determination of permanent disability of claimant.
“2. That the evidence reflects that the respondent relied upon the evidence of its chosen doctors to determine total disability for the purposes of retirement, but refused to rely upon such evidence and denied the competency of such doctors for the purpose of determining disability under the Workmen’s Compensation Law and are estopped to make such denial.
“3. Where the findings of fact and conclusions of law of the State Industrial Court are too uncertain for judicial interpretation, the Supreme Court will, on appeal, vacate the order for further proceedings.”

We will consider the contentions of claimant in the order presented.

*142 The question of whether respondent arbitrarily and capriciously retired claimant from his job is not in any way a part of the action at bar. 11 O.S.1961 governs the procedure pertaining to the retirement of firemen, and Sec. 381 provides:

“Any person, * * * who deems himself aggrieved by the decision of the Pension Board on his claim for pension, * * * may appeal from such decision to the District Court * *

If claimant felt that respondent’s action on April 19, 1962, retiring him was arbitrary and capricious, he had his remedy; he should have appealed to the proper court, the District Court. The State Industrial Court has no jurisdiction to entertain the matter, and it therefore is not before this Court.

Claimant’s second proposal is without merit. He cites no authority, and we know of none, to support his contention that in the instant case when respondent relied upon the testimony of certain doctors to determine total disability of claimant for the purpose of retirement under the Firemen’s Pension and Relief Fund it was then estopped to deny the testimony of the same doctors pertaining to the question of disability of claimant under the Workmen’s Compensation Law.

First, benefits under the Firemen’s Pension and Relief Fund are regulated by 11 O.S.1961 § 361 et seq., and administered by the Board of Trustees of such fund; benefits under the Workmen’s Compensation Law are governed by 85 O.S.1961 § 1 et seq., and administered by the State Industrial Court.

Second, the record in this case reveals that the testimony of, the two doctors in arriving at their estimate of total disability of claimant for retirement by the Pension Board was predicated upon injuries to claimant other than that involved herein, to-wit:

Dr. A, on April 19, 1962, stated:
“Since that time, and at the present time, he has angina pectoris on any considerable amount of physical effort. This is accompanied by shortness of breath and pain in the left shoulder and arm and in most instances a drop in blood pressure. He also complains of pain in the low back. Stooping or lifting is painful. Straight leg bending, lying on the examining table, provokes pain in the lumbar area. He has approximately 50 per cent impairment on stooping. X-rays of the lumbar area were negative for fracture, however, minimal hypertrophic changes were noted. This is probably an aggravation of an old arthritic condition.
“During the course of his hospital confinement x-rays disclosed evidence of a duodenal ulcer.
“Owing to the above findings, it is my opinion, that this man is not physically able to perform his duties as a fireman and should be given consideration for retirement as totally and permanently disabled.”
Dr. W, on May 2, 1962, said:
“It is my opinion that due to the strenuous activities as a fireman and the strenuous activity on lifting a ladder at the time he was working at the drill tower that he had an acute heart attack at that time which has had some residual damage to his heart muscle which will be permanent. Because of this production of pain on exertion and shortness of breath I do not feel that now he can perform his normal duties as a fireman.

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1998 OK CIV APP 155 (Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma, 1998)
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Bluebook (online)
1964 OK 219, 397 P.2d 140, 1964 Okla. LEXIS 462, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/reed-v-city-of-tulsa-okla-1964.