State ex Koger v. Industrial Commission

48 N.E.2d 114, 37 Ohio Law. Abs. 509, 1942 Ohio App. LEXIS 882
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 6, 1942
DocketNo. 3442
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 48 N.E.2d 114 (State ex Koger v. Industrial Commission) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State ex Koger v. Industrial Commission, 48 N.E.2d 114, 37 Ohio Law. Abs. 509, 1942 Ohio App. LEXIS 882 (Ohio Ct. App. 1942).

Opinion

OPINION

BY THE COURT:

The above-entitled cause is now being determined on respondent’s demurrer to plaintiff’s petition.

Plaintiff’s action is one in mandamus, originating in our court, wherein relator seeks a writ requiring respondent to rehear upon the merits of his claim.

Respondent filed an answer setting out two defenses, the first of which made certain admissions of the allegations of relator’s petition, but concluded with a general denial; and the second of which was a demurrer on the ground that relator’s petition did not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action.

At the hearing counsel for relator elected to have the court pass upon the demurrer rather than proceed upon a presentation of the merits of the case. His method of procedure was concurred in by respondent, and hence at this time we have before us the sole question as to whether or not the petition states a cause of action.

Relator’s petition is very lengthy, consisting of six closely typewritten pages, together with a two and one-half page affidavit appended... The demurrer requires a very full and careful reading of the petition,, and this we have done.

We find it necessary to make a complete statement of the substance of the petition, upon which, the claimed issues arise. ■

On or about November 10, 1939, relator alleges that in the course' of his employment as an employee' of the Buckeye Manufacturing and Foundry Company, at Overpeck,, Butler County, Ohio, he sustained an injury to his right foot; that as the time and before, the Foundry-Company was a contributor to the-[511]*511Workmen’s Compensation Fund а. nd amenable thereto.

His claimed injury was caused by the shank of a ladle relator was handling in his employment accidentally slipping off the ladle and striking his foot; that such injury became progressively worse and necessitated the amputation of the right leg above the knee, which amputation was performed on July б, 1940.

On September 7, 1940, relator duly filed with the respondent an application on the required form, C-l, setting out requisite facts upon which he based his claim for compensation.

Respondent referred said application to the Dayton Board of Claims, and on November 23, 1940, said Dayton Board disallowed said claim by its order in the following language:

“That the claim be disallowed for the reason that proof on file does not show that claimant’s disability was the result of an injury sustained in the course of or arising out of employment.”

On December 11, 1940, relator received notice from respondent’s Columbus office of the order of the Dayton Board, which notice bore on its face the date of December 10, 1940. Enclosed with said notice of disallowance was also a further notice and statement that Application for. Reconsideration, Review or Modification might be filed on or before December 18, 1940.

The next step in the proceedings as alleged in the petition is set out verbatim:

“Relator employed counsel and authorized him to file an application for rehearing of said claim as provided in §1465-90 GC, and his counsel requested of defendant the proper form for making such application for rehearing, and in response to such request, defendant gave Plaintiff’s counsel a form la-belled “Application for Reconsideration, Review, or Modification of award, order, or decision of Board of Claims,” which Relator and his counsel believed to be the proper form for making application for rehearing under the provisions of §1465-90 GC.

Relator filled out said form by writing therein as his ground for relief against said order of the Dayton Board of Claims, the following :

“1. The claimant had been treated by two other physicians and their. testimony was not brought out.
2. The claimant had no opportunity to face the witnesses and examine and cross-examine them.”

And as the relief desired the following:

“That the claim of the claimant be allowed.”

Relator did not allege in said application that the decision of the Dayton Board of Claims was either clearly against the weight of the evidence or contrary to law, and made no complaint against said order which could be presented or remedied by the procedure known as “Reconsideration, Review, or Modification of award, order, or decision of the Board of Claims,” but stated as his grounds for relief only grounds requiring for remedy, a rehearing under §1465-90 GC.

Said form, with the allegations aforesaid was mailed from the City of Hamilton, Ohio, by Relator’s counsel, addressed to the Defendant at Columbus, Ohio, on December 17, 1940. In the usual [512]*512course of mail a letter mailed at Hamilton on one day is delivered in .Columbus the following day, but Defendant stamped said paper, filed December 19, 1940.

The Defendant did not acknowledge receipt of such paper, or advise that it considered it an Application for Reconsideration, Review, or Modification of award, order or decision of the Board of Claims until more than thirty (30) days after the receipt of notice by Relator of said order of the Dayton Board of Claims, but immediately after the expiration of thirty days from Relator’s receipt of the order of the Dayton Board of Claims, to-wit, on January 14, 1941, Defendant entered an order in the following language:

“It appearing from proof of record that claimant’s Application for Reconsideration of the order of the Dayton District Board of Claims at hearing of November 28, 1940, was not filed within the period specified in the Commission’s rules made and provided pursuant to §1465-44a GC, it is ordered that said application be dismissed.”

•and on January 17, 1941, sent Relator a copy thereof.

Defendant delayed acknowledgement of receipt of said paper la-belled “Application for Reconsideration, Review or Modification of award, order or decision of Board of Claims,” and delayed any action thereon for the purpose of depriving Relator of his right to a rehearing under the provisions of §1465-90 GC.

On February 11, 1941, Defendant mailed to^ Relator a communication stating that his application was filed one day late and advising that Relator might file an Application for Rehearing of said order of the Dayton Board of Claims on or before February 16, 1941, and enclosing a form for that purpose.

Relator did file another application for rehearing before February 16, 1941, but on March 17, 1941, Defendant entered an order dismissing said application in the following words:

“That claimant’s application for rehearing filed February S, 1941, be dismissed for the reason that said application was not filed within thirty days from the date claimant received notice of the order of disallowance of this claim as provided by §1465-80 GC.”

and notified Relator thereof.

On April 25, 1941, relator filed with respondent motion, which in substance asks that his application bearing date of December 19, 1940, be considered as an Application for Rehearing, and a hearing allowed either on that application or the application dated February 7, 1941, for the following reasons:

1. The application marked filed December 19, 1940, was filed in time for a rehearing application.

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Related

State Ex Rel. Caton v. Industrial Commission
61 N.E.2d 806 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1945)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
48 N.E.2d 114, 37 Ohio Law. Abs. 509, 1942 Ohio App. LEXIS 882, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-koger-v-industrial-commission-ohioctapp-1942.