Simpson-Fell Oil Co. v. Tucker

1932 OK 481, 12 P.2d 529, 158 Okla. 45, 1932 Okla. LEXIS 912
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedJune 21, 1932
Docket23378
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 1932 OK 481 (Simpson-Fell Oil Co. v. Tucker) 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
Simpson-Fell Oil Co. v. Tucker, 1932 OK 481, 12 P.2d 529, 158 Okla. 45, 1932 Okla. LEXIS 912 (Okla. 1932).

Opinion

CULLISON, J.

This is an original proceeding before this court to. review an award of the State Industrial Commission made and entered January 25, 1932, in favor of Will Tucker.

The record shows that on December 19, 1926, the claimant, Will Tucker, while in the employ of the Simpson-Fell Oil Company, working at a hazardous employment, was struck by a ¡beam hanger which fractured claimant’s head.

Claimant was paid compensation for temporary total disability up to and including July 9 1,927. By order of the Commission, August 3, 1928, it was found that claimant’s disability ended July 9, 1927, and the case was closed. No appeal was taken from that order and the same became final.

On November 17, 1931, claimant filed a motion to reopen the case and award further compensation on the ground of a change in condition, alleging that he is now totally and permanently disabled, due to the accident.

After three hearings had been held on this motion, the State Industrial Commission entered its order of January 25, 1932, in which it was found that since the closing of the ease on the records of the Commission, claimant has had a change in his condition, and that he is now suffering a permanent partial disability as a direct result of the aforementioned injury. Said order further found and held that claimant has had no wage-earning capacity since November 19, 1931, the date of filing his motion to reopen the case, and awarded claimant “further compensation computed from November 17, 1931, to December 30, 1931, and to continue compensation thereafter at the rate of $16.92 per week, for a period not to exceed 300 weeks, and said cause to be subject to reconsideration of the degree of impairment by the Commission on its own motion or upon application of any party at interest.”

It is from this order and award that the petitioners ¡bring the case here for review. It is first contended that “The Commission erred in awarding the claimant compensation for 300 weeks (permanent partial disability) without giving the petitioner credit for the amount of conrpensation previously paid as temporary total disability.”

We observe that the Commission found that the period of claimant’s temporary total disability, resulting from his fractured head, had ceased; and because of a change in his condition, a period of permanent partial disability had followed. The Commission awarded claimant compensation for his permanent partial disability under the last paragraph of section 7290, C. O. S. 1921, as amended by chapter 61, sec. 6, Session Laws 1923, commonly referred to as the “other cases” clause, and which is hereinafter Quoted.

The portion of the Workmen’s Compensation Act pertinent to the case at bar is as follows:

“Section 7290: Schedule of Compensation-Extent of Disability: .
“The following schedule of compensation is- hereby established: * * *
“2. Temporary Total Disability: In ease of temporary total disability, sixty-six and two-thirds per centum of the average weekly wages shall be paid to the employee during the continuance thereof, but not in excess of 300 weeks, except as otherwise provided in this act.
“3. Permanent Partial Disability: In case of disability partial in character hut-permanent in quality, the compensation shall •be sixty-six and two-thirds per centum of the average weekly wages, and shall be paid to the employee for the period named in the schedule as follows:
“Thumb: For the loss of a thumb, 60 weeks.
“First Finger: * * *
“Other Cases: In this class of disabil *46 ities the compensation shall be sixty-six ancl two-thirds per centum of the difference between his average weekly wages and his wage-earning capacity thereafter in the same employment or otherwise payable during the continuance of such partial disability ; not to exceed 300 weeks, tout subject to reconsideration of the degree of such impairment by the Commission on its own motion or upon the application of any party in interest. * * *”
Petitioners contend in their brief that:
Since the statute provides' for an award for temporary total disability, based upon loss of earning capacity, and an award for-permanent partial disability based upon loss of earning capacity, we submit that they cover the same ground and the respondent, when he has paid temporary total compensation, should be given credit on an award for permanent partial disability, which is also based upon loss of earning capacity.”

As far as we have been able to find, this question has not -been passed upon by this court.

The contention of petitioners that the award for the differing degrees of compensation amounts to double compensation is not well taken. Section 2790, supra, begins with the sentence “The following schedule of compensation is hereby established,” and in subdivision 2 thereof specifically provides for ■compensation for temporary total disability, followed by the provision in subdivision 3 for compensation for permanent partial disability. Said subdivision 3 provides such compensation, not only in cases of specific injuries, such as the loss of a thumb, finger, etc., but for injuries not specifically enumerated and which are grouped in a residuary clause, known as “Other Cases,” supra, each grouping being mutually exclusive of the other.

It is a closed, question in this court that under section 7290, C. O. S. 1921, as amended, by chapter 61, -sec. 6, Session Laws 1923, the State Industrial Commission may make an award for temporary total disability, as a specific injury, notwithstanding that the same may subsequently become a permanent partial disability for which compensation may be awarded. Smith & McDannald v. State Industrial Commission, 133 Okla. 77, 271 P. 143; Thompson v. State Industrial Commission, 138 Okla. 166, 280 P. 598; Dillon v. Spanhanks, 139 Okla. 32, 280 P. 1101; Hazelton Coal Co. v. State Industrial Commission, 141 Okla. 142, 284 P. 303; Berger v. Ahuero, 142 Okla. 232, 286 P. 338; H. E. Turner Drilling Co. v. Pendley, 142 Okla. 290, 286 P. 886; United Engineers & Comstructors, Inc., v. Curtiss, 143 Okla. 3, 286 P. 889; M. T. Smith & Sons Drilling Co. v. Breed, 146 Okla. 135, 294 P. 137; Loffland Bros. Co. v. State Industrial Commission, 148 Okla. 190, 298 P. 259; Eagle-Picher Lead Co. v. Powell, 149 Okla. 1, 299 P. 142; and Barnsdall Refining Co. v. Ramsdall, 149 Okla. 99, 299 P. 499.

We observe that in these cases cited, this court has uniformly held that an award made a claimant for his temporary total disability may not be substracted from a later award made claimant by reason of said temporary total disability being followed by a permanent partial disability of a specific nature as enumerated in subdivision 3 of section 7290, supra.

The question becomes one of whether or not the same rule may toe applied to the claimant’s award for permanent partial disability in “Other Oases,” such as are not included among those specifically enumerated and provided for in the first portion of subdivision 3, supra. We think it can.

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Bluebook (online)
1932 OK 481, 12 P.2d 529, 158 Okla. 45, 1932 Okla. LEXIS 912, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/simpson-fell-oil-co-v-tucker-okla-1932.