Reeves v. Fraser-Brace Engineering Co.

172 S.W.2d 274, 237 Mo. App. 473, 1943 Mo. App. LEXIS 227
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 8, 1943
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 172 S.W.2d 274 (Reeves v. Fraser-Brace Engineering Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Reeves v. Fraser-Brace Engineering Co., 172 S.W.2d 274, 237 Mo. App. 473, 1943 Mo. App. LEXIS 227 (Mo. Ct. App. 1943).

Opinions

ANDERSON, J.

This is an appeal by an employer and an insurer from a judgment of the circuit court, affirming an award of the Mis *477 souri Workmen’s Compensation Commission-in favor of respondent, widow and dependent of Frank Reeves, an employee at the time of his death of appellant Fraser-Brace Engineering- Company.

Respondent’s claim, filed with the Commission, alleged that Frank Reeves, claimant’s husband, died August 5, 1941, as a result of an -accident which he sustained on July 21, 1941, when he stepped on a nail in the course of his employment at the T.N.T. plant at Weldon Springs, Missouri, the immediate cause of death being tetanus, which developed following said accident. The Commission made an award in favor of claimant, and the circuit court affirmed the award.

In this court, appellants contend, in their first assignment of error, that there was not sufficient competent evidence to support the finding and award that Frank Reeves died as a result of an accident arising out of and in the course of his employment. This contention necesitates a review of the evidence, stated in its most favorable, aspect to to respondent’s case. ' .

On July 21, 1941, and for some time prior thereto, Frank Reeves had been employed by the Fraser-Brace Engineering Company as a carpenter’s helper at the Weldon Springs T. N. T. plant in St. Charles County. On the day of the alleged accident, he was engaged in digging holes for concrete footings. He had left home that morning about 6 o’clock, and had ridden to work in an automobile with several other workmen.

The claimant, Mrs. Reeves, testified that on the day before, which was a Sunday, while her husband sat around the house reading the papers, she noticed his feet, and saw “no marks or scars or anything of that kind” on them. She further testified that when he came home from work on July 21st she saw him limping as he came through the hall, and noticed he had a tense facial expression. Mrs. Dreyling, a nurse, who was present at the time, asked Mr. Reeves what had happened, and after receiving his reply, examined his foot and saw on it a mark which she described as “a little dry red spot,” which looked as if dried blood were around it. The skin was broken, but the wound, which was in the center of the heel of the left foot, had not bled much. She told him to wash the wound carefully, to -put iodine on it, and to be sure to get the iodine inside the wound. Mr. Rees, however, did nothing to his foot other than to put alcohol-on it.

The record shows that Reeves returned to work the following day, and worked everyday or night through the next Saturday, changing to the night' shift on Wednesday, July 23rd. On the following Sunday morning he came home from work about 9 o ’clock, dressed, and went to church. After returning from church, he went to bed. About 2:30 in the afternoon, • respondent heard him in the kitchen. He sounded as though he were' choking. When he choked- again, she and Mrs. Dreyling went into the kitchen, and Mrs. Dreyling beat him on the back. In a few minutes he was all right. At the time he was extremely nervous, and said he could not swallow. About a half hour *478 later, Airs. Dreyling' suggested that a doctor be called, and claimant called Dr. Douglas Y. Reese, who came and prescribed medicine for him. On Alonday afternoon, respondent took her husband to Dr. Reese’s office, and Dr. Reese sent him to Dr. Bernard McMahon, a throat specialist. Dr. McMahon sent him to Barnes Hospital on Tuesday morning for an examination.

Dr. McAIahon testified that an X-ray examination revealed a complete obstruction of his esophagus at the level behind the larynx. He stated that he performed an esophagoscopy on Wednesday, July 30th, which consisted in introducing a tube into the esophagus in order to see what was causing the constriction. This examination revealed' no pathology and no inflammation, except a slight thickening of the membrane, which might be found in any man’s throat. The patient still could not swallow, and they inserted a nasal feeding tube which was kept in for several days. On August 3rd, there was a marked rigidity of the neck, with retraction of the head backward, but no headache, nausea, or vomiting. The thought of tetanus then came into the picture, and the doctors questioned the patient about injury. He stated he had not had any, except to his hand a few months before, and a little injury to his foot, which he stated had healed. Dr. McMahon, without objection, testified: “He said it was healed; and he did not think much of it, and he said he injured his foot and stepped on a nail and he did not think much of that. He said he stepped on a nail at work. It was that morning I spoke to Airs. Reeves quite a long time because we had a diagnosis of hysteria to rule out besides. We went into the background and the nail history, the injury to his foot. I talked to Airs. Reeves to get her knowledge of the injury to his heel.”

Upon further questioning the doctor stated that Mr. Reeves gave the impression that this accident had occurred three or four weeks previously.

The-doctor further testified that at this time the patient began to show symptoms of tetanus. Finally, everything else that had been suspected was ruled out, leaving only the matter of questionable tetanus. The doctor reinserted the tube; and the patient was kept quiet, but on the following day Dr. McAIahon was notified that the patient was getting definitely worse. The doctor had Dr. Myers, the physician on service at the time, see the patient, and then after they had a discussion, Dr. Myers administered tetanus antitoxin. The patient died of tetanus on August 5, 1941.

Dr. John J. Hammond, who saw Air. Reeves before he died for the purpose of taking'X-ray pictures of him, stated that Reeves had a nail puncture wound in his foot.

Dr. John J. Connor, Coroner’s physician, testified that he made a post mortem examination on the body of Reeves, and found a puncture wound, approximately a quarter of an inch deep, in the left heel; that that was the only puncture Reeves had. In the opinion *479 of Dr. Connor, Frank Reeves contracted tetanus from the puncture wound in his left heel.

Herschell Logan, foreman for Fraser-Brace Engineering Co., 'under whom Reeves worked while on the day shift, testified, without objection, that on Saturday morning he had a conversation with Reeves. He stated:

“At that time we had another conversation. I don’t know exactly how he brought it up. I don’t remember exactly whether he limped or whether he had his shoe untied, but he did make the remark that he stepped on a nail. I asked, ‘Did you go to the doctor?’ or ‘Are you going to the doctor?’ The best I remember, I understood him to say, ‘I am going to the doctor.’ ”

John Lyons testified that on July 21, 1941, he was working as a carpenter’s helper at the Weldon Springs plant, putting up forms, knocking them down, and throwing them on the side. He further stated that when the workmen went in and out from work they walked over them, and that there was a lot of lumber there with nails in’ it.

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Bluebook (online)
172 S.W.2d 274, 237 Mo. App. 473, 1943 Mo. App. LEXIS 227, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/reeves-v-fraser-brace-engineering-co-moctapp-1943.