Richardson v. M. & D. Freight Lines, Inc.

1957 OK 246, 322 P.2d 192, 1957 Okla. LEXIS 659
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedOctober 15, 1957
Docket37627
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 1957 OK 246 (Richardson v. M. & D. Freight Lines, Inc.) 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
Richardson v. M. & D. Freight Lines, Inc., 1957 OK 246, 322 P.2d 192, 1957 Okla. LEXIS 659 (Okla. 1957).

Opinion

CORN, Vice Chief Justice.

On July 27, 1955, Tom J. Richardson, petitioner herein, filed a claim for compensation against M. & D. Motor Freight Lines, Inc., and its insurance carrier, Transport Insurance Company, respondents herein, in which he states that on July 1, 1955, while in the employ of respondent, M. & D. Motor Freights Lines, Inc., and engaged in the course of his employment he sustained an accidental injury consisting of a lower back injury causing some disability to his person. The injury occurred when he attempted to load heavy crated freight.

Respondents resisted the claim on the theory that petitioner’s disability was not caused by accidental injury but was due to other causes.

The trial judge found that on July 1, 1956 (evidence shows 1955) petitioner, while in the employ of respondent M. & D. Motor Freight Lines, Inc., sustained an accidental injury consisting of an injury to his back and as a result of said injury he was temporarily totally disabled from July 1, 1955 to August 22, 1955, at which time total temporary disability ended; that petitioner is entitled to compensation for such disability in the sum of $205.34 and further found that petitioner sustained no permanent disability as the result of his injury and upon such finding entered an award accordingly which was sustained on appeal to the Commission en banc.

Petitioner brings the case here to review this award. His first contention is that the evidence is insufficient to support the finding of the Commission that petitioner’s temporary total disability ended on August 22, 1955; that the evidence shows that he was at that time still temporarily totally disabled and entitled to further medical treatment.

Petitioner testified that on July 1, 1955, he sustained an accidental injury in the time and manner stated in his complaint resulting in injury to his back. The night after he sustained his injury his back pained him severely; that the next morning he went to a chiropractor who gave him some treatments, but the treatments did not benefit him and he decided to take no further treatments from the doctor.

On the 5th day of August 1955, he notified his boss of the injury to his back and was directed by his boss to go to Dr. W. for examination and treatment. Petitioner then called upon Dr. W. on July 22, 1955. The doctor examined him, took x-rays of his back and gave him' some medicine and prescribed heat treatment. He returned to the doctor several times thereafter and received further treatment and upon advice of the doctor he started wearing a truss corset and is still wearing the same. The treatment seemed to benefit to some extent but he was still unable to do any kind of work until August 25, 1955, when he went to work at Wacker Variety Store doing light work. He was engaged as a floor *195 •walker and also was assigned the task of marking prices on merchandise. He however still remained under the care of Dr. W, hut received no further medical treatment from him. He further testified that at the request of some one representing respondent insurance carrier he called upon and was examined by Dr. S. He informed the doctor that he had been treated by a chiropractor and also by Dr. W. Dr. S, after examination, recommended that he be placed in a hospital and that he would so advise Dr. W and the doctor would call him and have him brought to the hospital, but he never heard from the doctor thereafter, and he had not been placed in a hospital. He further testified while he was -able to do light work he was still unable to do any work which required heavy lifting, stooping or bending.

Petitioner offered in evidence the medical reports of Dr. W, Dr. S and Dr. G.

Dr. W in his report states that he first saw and examined petitioner on the 22nd day of July, 1955. He obtained a history of the case from petitioner which is substantially as above stated, and upon such history and his own examination, including x-ray pictures, he concluded that petitioner was totally disabled from the performance of ordinary manual labor such as he was accustomed to doing prior to the time he sustained his injury, but is able to do, and should do light work.

Dr. S, who examined petitioner on the 26th day of July, 1955, in his written report stated that petitioner has a very definite nerve root irritation from a possible disc protrusion in the lumbar spine. It was felt that he should be hospitalized for extensive physiotherapy, traction and relaxing medications, and that in all probability his difficulty could be relieved conservatively.

In a supplemental report made and filed by the doctor on December 14, 1955, the doctor states that petitioner has made vast improvement since his prior examination and is now working at a variety store doing some light work, and reached the conclusion that petitioner will have no permanent partial disability as the result of his injury sustained on July 1, 1955.

Dr. G in his written report filed December 14, 1955, states that he first saw and examined petitioner on that day, and after stating in detail results of that examination, reaches the following conclusion:

“* * * It is my opinion that he has an incipient and progressive ruptured inter-vertebral disc tumor, and that the condition will gradually increase until surgical intervention shall become an imperative. He is totally disabled for the performance of the type of heavy manual work, to which he was accustomed, and should be placed under the care of a competent orthopedist or neuro-surgeon for definitive treatment.
“However, if he is not to receive further treatment and is considered to have reached his maximum of recovery under conservative therapy, then his condition constitutes a percentage of disability of the low back, amounting to fifty percent (50%) (at least) loss of use of the body as a whole for the performance of manual labor, requiring bending, lifting or straining. This disability is the result of the accidental injury sustained on July 1, 1955.”

Respondents offered in evidence written reports of Dr. M and supplemental report of Dr. S above mentioned. Dr. M in his report states he first saw and examined petitioner on December 12, 1955, and after stating in detail petitioner’s physical condition found to exist as a result of such examination expresses the opinion that petitioner has completely recovered from his injury and that he has sustained no permanent partial disability as the result of said injury.

This, in substance, constitutes the evidence in the case. While the medical evidence is in conflict as to the extent of disability sustained by petitioner as the result of his injury, however, the evidence of Dr. M, as set forth in his report, and the evidence set forth by Dr. S in his supple *196 mental report, is sufficient to sustain the finding of the Commission that petitioner sustained no permanent disability as the result of his injury. We also think the evidence of petitioner that he returned to light work on the 25th day of August 1955, and the evidence of the doctor that he was on that day able to do light work is sufficient to sustain the finding of the Commission that petitioner’s temporary total disability ended on that day and sufficient to sustain the award as to such disability. See, in this connection, National Well Service v. Brumley, 204 Okl. 190, 228 P.2d 638.

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Bluebook (online)
1957 OK 246, 322 P.2d 192, 1957 Okla. LEXIS 659, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/richardson-v-m-d-freight-lines-inc-okla-1957.