Reinertson v. State

17 Ill. Ct. Cl. 10, 1944 Ill. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 28
CourtCourt of Claims of Illinois
DecidedSeptember 12, 1944
DocketNo. 3677
StatusPublished

This text of 17 Ill. Ct. Cl. 10 (Reinertson v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Claims of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Reinertson v. State, 17 Ill. Ct. Cl. 10, 1944 Ill. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 28 (Ill. Super. Ct. 1944).

Opinion

Chief Justice Damron

delivered the opinion of the court.

This claimant seeks an award for certain medical expenses, compensation for temporary total disability, compensation for the loss of use of. his left eye and the right leg, under the Workmen’s Compensation Act, and compensation for partial permanent disability.

The record consists of the complaint, filed January 6,1942, rule to show cause why said complaint should not be dismissed for want of prosecution, entered by this court on the 14th day of February, 1943, petition of claimant for reinstatement of said cause, filed December 8, 1943, order reinstating said cause, dated January 12, 1944, original transcript of the testimony and abstract of same, filed March 11, 1944, the report of the Division of Highways, filed April 14,1944, statement, brief and argument on behalf of claimant and respondent.

The facts are not in dispute. Richard Reinerts on was first employed by the respondent on April 6, 1940 at a rate of $175.00 per month in the Department of Public Works and Buildings, Division of Highways, Bureau of Police. July 1,1941 the police organization was transferred from the Division of Highways to the Department of Public Safety and reorganized as the Division of Police. The claimant continued in the capacity of police officer at the same salary rate until the time of the accident on which this claim is based.

July 5, 1941, the claimant was riding a motorcycle furnished him by the Division of Police southward on TJ. S. Route No. 45 in DesPlaines, Illinois. He was on patrol at the time to which he had been assigned by his commanding officer. Immediately south of Everett Street, at about 1:30 P. M., an automobile operated by one Lyle Martin, of DesPlaines, drove out of the service drive of a gasoline service station across the path on which the claimant was approaching. The automobile collided with the motorcycle which claimant was operating and claimant was thereby injured. He was immediately taken to the Northwestern Hospital in DesPlaines and placed under the care of Dr. H. F. Heller.

On July 7, the claimant was transferred to St. Luke’s Hospital in Chicago on orders of the.division and there was placed under the care of Dr. H.- B. Thomas, Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Illinois Medical College. The record discloses that claimant remained under the care and observation of Dr. Thomas and his staff of specialists until April 23, 1942.

The Division of Police paid claimant’s full salary of $175.00 per month during the temporary total disability period, amounting to $402.49. This period was from July 6, 1941 to September 13, 1941, inclusive. The respondent also paid the following creditors for services rendered the claimant in connection with his injury:

Dr. H. F. Heller, DesPIaines.:.........................$ 5.00

Dr. H. B. Thomas, Chicago............................ 213.00.

Dr. Abraham Ettleson, Chicago........................ 10.00

Dr. C. C. Element, Chicago............................ 10.00

Northwestern Hospital, DesPIaines..................... 13.00

These facts above stated are found in the report of M. K. Lingle, of the Division of Highways.

The claimant was confined to his bed at his home on orders of Dr. Thomas for about two months, at which time he was advised to attempt to work. He returned to his work on September 14. On October 8, he was again examined; on November 7 he was examined and during that time ivas complaining of dizziness and head pains. On December 1, 1941, the claimant was reduced in rating from police officer to mechanic, and the salary rate was reduced from $175.00 per month to $125.00 per month. He continued under the care and observation of respondent’s doctors who examined claimant at intervals and made reports to respondent. These reports are dated December 15, 1941, January 13, January 22, February 19 and April 23, 1942. On April 30, 1942, the claimant was released from service. On May 11, 1942 the claimant obtained other employment which paid him $104.00 per month, and at the time the testimony was taken he was earning $135.00 per month.

The only contested issue in the case is the nature and extent of-claimant’s injury.

It is the contention of claimant that he was permanently disabled at the time of the accident; that he had concussion of the brain; that his right leg was permanently injured; that his left eye was permanently injured and his vision impaired thereby, and that these conditions exist to the present time and have persisted since July 5,1941 He claims there is need for further medical services.

Evidence shows that claimant, on his own behalf, visited and employed three doctors in attempting to find out why his alleged conditions persisted, and paid $30.00 to these doctors. He seeks the sum of $500.00 to cover the cost of additional medical attention.

The claimant testified that this injury left him in a condition where he was unable to return to the type of work he was doing before the accident, and has so affected his general condition as to make it impossible for him to do the work necessary to equal his former earnings. He testified that he gets flashes in his eye — ■ has sensation of a light being turned on and off — that he is unable to concentrate — that he cannot read or do close work or work involving detail. That he still has head pains beginning in' the back and extending to the. right eye and right ear, and there is a sensation of numbness. That there is a dull pain in his head almost constantly. That he has dizzy spells that come frequently when working or walking on the street, and this condition interferes with his ability to work. That he is unable to stand noise, or listen to the radio, if loud, and is obliged to have much more rest than before.

Dr. Robert E. Dyer .was called as a witness on behalf of claimant who testified that he examined claimant for the purpose of testifying in his behalf on June 7, 1943. He testified he made a complete physical examination of claimant with special reference to his head, where he complained of symptoms of dizziness, pain and numbness. He also made an examination of the eyes with the ophthalmoscope, testing all reflexes and the nervous system, which was to cover the symptoms of which he complained.

He testified that claimant had told him he had pain in the right side of his head, dizziness and disturbance of his eye.- Claimant’s attorney asked the following question:

“Q. At that time, other than the subjective symptoms he complained of, were you able to find any objective symptoms that could cause these difficulties he complained of?
“A. No, I did not. I could elicit tenderness as I forcibly pressed on the side of his head; not beyond the findings of a normal individual.”

A hypothetical question was propounded to this witness based solely on the subjective symptoms' of claimant which required the witness to use his imagination and assume that the subjective symptoms existed. The question was not proper and the answer was not helpful to the court.

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30 N.E.2d 32 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1940)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
17 Ill. Ct. Cl. 10, 1944 Ill. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 28, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/reinertson-v-state-ilclaimsct-1944.