Replogle v. Seattle School District No. 1

147 P. 196, 84 Wash. 581, 1915 Wash. LEXIS 811
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 31, 1915
DocketNo. 11927
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 147 P. 196 (Replogle v. Seattle School District No. 1) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Replogle v. Seattle School District No. 1, 147 P. 196, 84 Wash. 581, 1915 Wash. LEXIS 811 (Wash. 1915).

Opinion

Crow, J.

Action by Irl T. Replogle against Seattle School District No. 1, for damages for personal injuries, and for services rendered. From a judgment in plaintiff’s favor, the defendant has appealed.

There are two causes of action. Appellant concedes, however, that respondent is entitled to recover $43.20, the amount claimed on the second cause of action for services rendered, and it need not be further considered.

The question involved on this appeal affects the first cause of action only. The complaint, in substance, alleges, that [582]*582appellant is a duly organized school district; that on December 27, 1911, respondent was in its employ as a truck driver and storekeeper’s helper, working under the direction and control of one J. M. Moseley; that in the due and regular course of his employment, Moseley directed respondent to accompany appellant’s electrician, one Osborn, to a certain school building in the district, and there, under Osborn’s direction, assist him in repairing one of appellant’s electric motors; that while holding a lantern under the direction of Osborn, the latter negligently and carelessly caused the motor to revolve rapidly before a protecting sleeve had been placed in position; that thereby a clutch pully was caused to break, and that a portion of it struck and injured respondent.

Answering this cause of action, appellant, for an affirmative defense, with other facts, alleged that respondent’s usual occupation as truck driver and storekeeper’s helper was not at the time, and is not now, classed as extra-hazardous under the law and ruling of the industrial insurance commission of this state, but that the installation of an electric motor was and is extra-hazardous under the law and under the rulings of the commission; that shortly after October 1, 1911, appellant furnished the industrial insurance commission a complete list of all its employees, including respondent, who were engaged in manual occupations; that the commission thereafter classified appellant’s employees and fixed the amount of premiums to be paid on their account; that appellant paid all premiums required by the commission, and that it was not, at the time of the accident, nor has it ever been, in default for any premium demanded by the commission.

On the trial of the action, it was, in substance, stipulated that plaintiff was employed as a truck driver and storekeeper’s helper under the immediate direction and control of Moseley; that Osborn was employed and known as the electrician ; that he had full charge of all electrical work for appellant, receiving orders from the chief engineer; that it [583]*583was a part of respondent’s duty to deliver supplies, including electric motors, for use in the various school buildings; that it had been the custom to require respondent to assist other employees of appellant; that on several occasions respondent had assisted Osborn in the installation of electric motors in school buildings; that a ten-horse electric motor used for driving the fan in one of the buildings had become out of repair; that the electrician had taken it apart and had taken the main driving shaft, with windings and appurtenances, to a local machine shop in the city of Seattle for necessary repairs; that on December 27, 1911, respondent, in the regular course of his employment, was directed by Moseley to call at the machine shop for the parts of the motor which had been repaired, and convey the same, accompanied by Osborn, to the John B. Allen school, there to assist in assembling the parts and installing the motor under Osborn’s direction and control; that, in compliance with such orders, respondent, accompanied by Osborn, delivered the parts of the motor at the school building, and there assisted Osborn in reconstructing and installing the motor, his duties being to assist in carrying the parts which had been repaired to the fan room and to hold a lantern for Osborn while he was replacing the various parts and installing the motor; that, while respondent was so engaged, Osborn, after making certain electrical connections with the motor, turned on the current, as a result of which the motor started and was caused to revolve at great speed; that a portion of the motor known as the “extension band” was at the time unprotected by the covering which should have been placed over it before turning on the current; that, as a result of the rapid revolutions, the unprotected band expanded and broke, a portion thereof striking respondent in the face and causing serious injuries, and that Osborn negligently turned on the current while the band was uncovered. The secretary of appellant’s board of directors testified that, during the years 1911 and 1912, he was secretary of the board, and that the district had promptly [584]*584paid all claims that the industrial insurance commission of the state had nlade for premiums on workmen employed by the district, and that the district was not in default for any payments.

The question raised by the assignments of error is whether the workmen’s compensation act, ch. 74, p. 345, Laws of 1911, 3 Rem. & Bal. Code, § 6604-1 et seq., deprived the state courts of jurisdiction over respondent’s first cause of action. Appellant contends that it did. In Acres v. Frederick & Nelson, 79 Wash. 402, 140 Pac. 370, this court, in an action for personal injuries prosecuted by a servant against his master, held that it was the duty of the latter to plead and prove a compliance with the industrial insurance act as a condition precedent to making the objection that the industrial insurance law had withdrawn the action from the courts. ' Appellant has complied with this requirement.' The trial court was of the opinion that respondent’s regular employment as truck driver and storekeeper’s helper was not extra-hazardous, and that he was not entitled to compensation under the industrial insurance act.

It may be conceded that respondent’s usual or regular employment as truck driver and storekeeper’s helper was not extra-hazardous. It is not so classified in the law. But it must be remembered that respondent was an employee of appellant; that he was subject to the supervision, direction and control of Moseley; that he was required to obey, and did obey, Moseley’s orders; that Moseley directed him to assist Osborn, the electrician, in the installation of the electric motor; that he did so, and that while so occupied he was subject to Osborn’s orders. It is conceded that the installation of the electric motor was an extra-hazardous employment. Respondent was engaged in such employment at the time of the accident. He was not a volunteer, neither was he an interloper. It was his duty to assist in the extra-hazardous work, and the question is whether these facts and circumstances bring him within the operation of the industrial insurance [585]*585act. In § 1 of the act, 3 Rem. & Bal. Code, § 6604-1, we find the following language:

“The state of Washington, therefore, exercising herein its police and sovereign power, declares that all phases of the premises are withdrawn from private controversy, and sure and certain relief for workmen, injured in extra-hazardous work, and their families and dependents is hereby provided regardless of fault and to the exclusion of every other remedy, proceeding or compensation, except as otherwise provided in this act; and to that end all civil actions and civil causes of action for such personal injuries and all jurisdiction of the courts of the state over such causes are hereby abolished, except as in this act provided.”

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Ethan Boudreaux v. Weyerhaeuser Company
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2019
Denny v. Department of Labor & Industries
21 P.2d 275 (Washington Supreme Court, 1933)
Sloss-Sheffield Steel & Iron Co. v. Jones
123 So. 201 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1929)
Godefroy v. Reilly
262 P. 639 (Washington Supreme Court, 1928)
Edwards v. Dept. of Labor and Industries
262 P. 973 (Washington Supreme Court, 1928)
Parker v. Pantages Theater Co.
254 P. 1083 (Washington Supreme Court, 1927)
Ex Parte Majestic Coal Co.
93 So. 728 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1922)
Gowey v. Seattle Lighting Co.
184 P. 339 (Washington Supreme Court, 1919)
Madden v. Northern Pac. Ry. Co.
242 F. 981 (W.D. Washington, 1917)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
147 P. 196, 84 Wash. 581, 1915 Wash. LEXIS 811, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/replogle-v-seattle-school-district-no-1-wash-1915.