Southwestern Light & Power Co. v. Gossett

1933 OK 568, 26 P.2d 183, 166 Okla. 69, 1933 Okla. LEXIS 347
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedOctober 24, 1933
Docket24260
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 1933 OK 568 (Southwestern Light & Power Co. v. Gossett) 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
Southwestern Light & Power Co. v. Gossett, 1933 OK 568, 26 P.2d 183, 166 Okla. 69, 1933 Okla. LEXIS 347 (Okla. 1933).

Opinion

CULLISO'N, Y. C. J.

On March 11, 1931, claimant, R. E. Gossett, filed with the State Industrial Commission his first notice of injury and claim for compensation, alleging therein that on June 17, 1930, while employed by the Southwestern Light & Power Company, he sustained an accidental personal injury while helping carry a heavy pole used in the building of a high line. That the pole was some 30 feet in length and between 1,000 and 1,500 pounds in weight, and while carrying the same over rough ground with the aid of five or six other men, claimant wrenched his back. Said claimant alleges that the foreman had knowledge of the accident.

The record discloses that the petitioner herein paid claimant $36 some time in April, 1931, for two weeks’ compensation, and on June 4, 1931, the further sum of *$1,080, by reason of the aforesaid injury, and sought to have the Commission approve a joint petition settlement because of said payment. The Commission did not approve the joint petition.

On March '2, 1932, the first hearing was conducted in this matter, at which time the claimant testified concerning his injury; his conversation at that time with the foreman, Mr. Palmer, and by reason thereof his being-transferred to lighter work; the amount of work he had done since the accident, its location and remuneration; his present inability to work; medical treatment taken by him, and good physical condition prior to the injury.- Dr. Williams testified that claimant is not now able to perform ordinary manual labor, and that claimant’s condition is due to the strained muscles and ligaments by reason of the injury. Dr. P. H. Anderson testified that such an injury could have caused claimant’s present condition. Dr. W. 8. Magler testified concerning certain X-ray pictures of claimant, and that the condition he found in claimant was the result of trauma, and could not be due to disease or systemic infection or focal infection; that the claimant was a young man, 28 years of age. Dr. J. O. Pilcher testified that he did not think claimant was able to do ordinary manual labor, that he had a permanent injury to his back, and that the injury caused claimant’s present condition.

At the same hearing, D. A. Palmer, foreman, testified that claimant did not advise him of an injury at the time the same is alleged to have occurred, and that his first notice thereof was March 4, 1931. W. E. Cooper, R. E. Rosser, J. V. Tates, and a Mr. Caruthers testified to the general effect that, while they were on the same job with claimant at the date of his alleged injury, claimant never said anything- to them concerning the injury.

Thereafter, on June 17, 1932, a second and final hearing was had at Oklahoma City before Chairman Doyle, at which time claimant testified that his condition was the same as at the last hearing, and that he was unable to do ordinary manual labor. J. W. Rowan, Glee Austin, and John M. Miller testified that they were working on the job with claimant at the time of the injury, knew of the same, and that the foreman knew of it also, referring to claimant as “crip” (cripple), and stating- that he changed claimant to the gin pole instead of the pike because of his back injury.

Dr. E. Margo testified that claimant has rheumatism, and that as long- as claimant runs temperature he will not be able to do full work, but will be able to work some. That he discharged claimant a year ago, thinking- at that time that he would be able to go to work in 30 days. The record also contains the report of Dr. Earl D. McBride, filed with the Commission August 3, 1931, stating, in part:

“The stiffness is apparently due to a rheumatic condition, and judging from the *71 nature of bis injury, it is possible that the injury may have exaggerated it.”

Upon the foregoing testimony the Gom-ia ission entered the order and award on October 26, 1932, which is complained of by petitioner at this time.

Said award found that claimant received a back injury June 17, 1930, while employed by the Southwestern Light & Power Company in a hazardous occupation coming within the Workmen’s. Compensation Act. That at the time of the injury claimant was making $4.80 per day. That by reason of the injury claimant has been temporarily totally disabled from June 18, 1930, to August !29, 1931, or for 62 weeks beyond the 5-day waiting period, for which he has been paid compensation at the rate of $18 per week, or a total of $1,116. That by reason of the accident claimant has a permanent partial disability, and his wage-earning capacity has decreased from $4.80 per day to $2.20 per day. That by reason of claimant’s permanent partial disability he is entitled to 66 2/3 per cent, of the difference between his average weekly wages at the time of said injury and his wage-earning capacity from and after August 29, 1931 in the sum of $10.

The Commission ordered that claimant be paid $10 per week for a period not to exceed 300 weeks, computed from and after August 29, 1931, or the sum of $3,000, subject to reconsideration of the degree of such impairment by the Commission on its own motion or upon application of any party in interest. That the sum due and owing the claimant at the date of the award is compensation at $10 per week for 60 weeks and two days, or $603.33. The claimant was also ordered to pay therefrom the sum of $150 as a fair and reasonable attorney fee to his legal counsel.

In due time, petitioner filed its superse-deas bond and seeks a review of the foregoing order upon the following assignments of error:

“ (1) That there was no evidence before the State Industrial Commission of the state of .Oklahoma, and no finding by the State Industrial Commission of the state of Oklahoma that the respondent, Southwestern Light & Power Company, was notified of said injury by the claimant at the time and in the manner provided by law. And that said proceedings and order are void by reason of there having been no such notice as required by the laws of the state of Oklahoma.
“ (’2) That there was no evidence supporting the finding of the State Industrial Commission that the claimant was temporarily totally disabled from the performance of ordinary manual labor from Juno 19, 1930, to August 29, 1931; and that the undisputed evidence showed that claimant'worked at a like gainful occupation during such period.
“ (3) That there was no evidence supporting the finding that as the result of said alleged accidental injury the claimant has a permanent partial disability and that his wage-earning capacity has decreased from and after August 29, 1931.
“ (4) That there was no evidence supporting the finding of the Commission that by reason of the permanent partial disability found by the Commission, the average weekly wage earning of the claimant had decreased from and after August 29, 1931. from $4.80 per day to $2.20 per day.”

Under the first proposition, on the question of notice, we observe that the testimony was in direct conflict as to the actual notice of the injury by the foreman, Mr. Palmer. We further observe that at no point in the proceedings did petitioner herein file any answer or objections in writing setting up the defense of lack of notice.

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Bluebook (online)
1933 OK 568, 26 P.2d 183, 166 Okla. 69, 1933 Okla. LEXIS 347, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/southwestern-light-power-co-v-gossett-okla-1933.