Stefan v. Red Star Mill & Elevator Co.

187 P. 861, 106 Kan. 369, 1920 Kan. LEXIS 521
CourtSupreme Court of Kansas
DecidedFebruary 7, 1920
DocketNo. 22,383
StatusPublished
Cited by33 cases

This text of 187 P. 861 (Stefan v. Red Star Mill & Elevator Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stefan v. Red Star Mill & Elevator Co., 187 P. 861, 106 Kan. 369, 1920 Kan. LEXIS 521 (kan 1920).

Opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Burch, J.:

The action was one for compensation. The plaintiff recovered, and the defendant appeals.

The defendant complains because the plaintiff did not proceed by arbitration. The plaintiff was injured on August 25, 1917. On December 19, written demand for compensation was made. The Miller’s Mutual Casualty Company took charge of the matter for the defendant, through its secretary, Adderly, and its attorney, Holmes. Adderly promised to give the plain[370]*370tiff’s attorney an answer respecting compensation, and never did so. A letter to Holmes dated January 31, 1918, and subsequent conversations with Holmes, were unproductive of result. Checks for payments to the plaintiff, delivered by Holmes, stopped coming, and Holmes notified the plaintiff’s attorney he was out of - the matter, but would write Adderly. Subsequently, the plaintiff learned the casualty company was represented by Cooper as attorney, and negotiations were conducted with him. On July 8, 1918, Cooper reported that he had a letter from Adderly stating that all liability, or further liability, to the plaintiff- was denied. Cooper was told that if the plaintiff and defendant could not settle and could not arbitrate, the plaintiff would be obliged to sue, and was asked if he would waive arbitration. Cooper replied he had no authority to waive arbitration. The plaintiff’s attorney said he had made all the effort he could in the matter, and unless consent to arbitration were given, he would bring suit. Consent to arbitration, expressed in writing or otherwise, was not given, and suit was brought ten days later.

The subject of trifling with the duty, clearly and definitely imposed by the statute, to consent to arbitration in writing, is discussed in the opinion in the case of Roper v. Hammer, post, p. 374. Within the principles there recognized, the plaintiff was well within his province in resorting to the remedy by action.

With a general verdict for $2,490, the jury returned the following findings of fact:

“Question 1. Do you find that the plaintiff received the injury of which he complains in this action, while working in and about the mill and elevator of the defendant company, on August 25, 1917? Answer: We do.
“Question 2. Did such injury arise out of and in the course and scope of his employment? Answer: Yes.
“Question 3. Is plaintiff’s injury, independent of the injury to his eye, of such a nature that he will suffer a disability, partial in character but permanent in quality, for a period of more than eight years from the date of his injury, received on August 25, 1917? Answer: It is.
“Question 4. Has the plaintiff, by reason of the injury herein complained of, sustained the permanent loss of the use of one of his eyes? Answer: Yes, a partial permanent impairment.
“Question 5. What was the average weekly wage received by the plaintiff from the defendant in the course of his employment by the [371]*371defendant, based upon a period of fifty-two weeks immediately prior to the'25th day of August, 1917? Answer: $16.08.”

The jury also returned two other findings, which follow:

“1. If you find that plaintiff was injured, state whether such injury has resulted in total or partial disability. Answer: Partial.
“3. If you find such injury resulted in a partial disability, state what that disability consists of. Answer: A partial permanent [disability] of one eye, a semiparalyzed condition of the left side of his body.”

Judgment was rendered on the general verdict. Afterwards the general verdict was set aside, and judgment was rendered on the findings for the sum of $3,296.40.

Section 3 of chapter 226 of the Laws of 1917 is devoted to the subject of amount of compensation. The section is divided into three major paragraphs. Paragraph one deals with medical, surgical, hospital, and related benefits; paragraph two relates to compensation when death results from in jury;.and paragraph three relates to compensation when death does not result. Paragraph three is subdivided. Subdivision “c” commences with an unnumbered introductory paragraph which reads as follows:

“(c) Where disability, partial in character but permanent in quality, results from the injury, the injured workman shall be entitled to the compensation provided in paragraph 1 of this section, but shall not be entitled to any other or further compensation for or during the first week following the injury. Thereafter, compensation in a lump sum shall be paid as provided in the following schedule, the average weekly wages to be computed as provided in section 4 of this act, and the compensation to be in no case less than $6 per week nor more than $12 per week.”

Then follow twenty-three numbered paragraphs. The first eighteen deal with specific injuries, as indicated by paragraph 15, which reads as follows:

“(15) For the loss of an eye, or the complete loss of the sight thereof, 50 per cent of the average weekly wages during 110 weeks.”

Paragraphs 10 and 16 are interpretative, and are similar in character to paragraph 22, which reads as follows:

“(22) Loss of use. Permanent loss of use of a hand, arm, foot, leg or eye, as a direct result of an injury, shall be considered as the equivalent of the loss of such hand, arm, foot, leg or eye.”

[372]*372Paragraph 19 and a portion of paragraph 23 read as follows:

“(19) Should the employer and employee be unable to agree upon the amount of compensation to be paid in any case Of injury not covered by the schedule, the amount of compensation shall be settled according to the provisions of this act as in other cases of disagreement; provided, however, in case of partial disability not covered by schedule the workman shall receive during such period of partial disability not exceeding eight (8) years, 60 per cent of the difference between the amount he was earning prior to said injury as in this act provided and the amount he is able to earn after such injury.
“(23) The compensation for the foregoing specific injuries shall be in lieu of all other compensation, except the benefits provided in paragraph 1 of this section.”

It is quite clear that the jury ignored injury to the eye, and allowed compensation for disability resulting from paralysis, at the rate of six dollars per week for one week less than eight years. The evidence was that the injury to the eye did not destroy vision. If the uninjured eye were lost, the plaintiff could see, for a time and to a limited extent, with the injured eye. The injury, however, was such as to distort and constrain the angle of vision. Use of both eyes causes double vision, and in order that the plaintiff may see, it is necessary that the injured eye be kept covered. There is no remedy for the condition, and the court holds the plaintiff has suffered permanent loss of the use of an eye, within the meaning of paragraph 22 ■of subdivision “c.”

The court increased the amount of the judgment $806.40. How the amount of the increase was arrived at is not disclosed. It should have been equal to fifty per cent of the workman’s average weekly wages, $16.08, for 110 weeks.

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

Related

Landry v. Graphic Technology, Inc.
2 P.3d 758 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 2000)
Pargas Co. v. Hagan
428 S.W.2d 779 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 1968)
Douglas Aircraft Company v. Hartwig
1956 OK 279 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1956)
Martinuzzi v. Capitol Marble & Tile Co.
84 A.2d 605 (Supreme Court of Rhode Island, 1951)
Rogers v. Board of Public Utilities
149 P.2d 632 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1944)
McCullough v. Southwestern Bell Telephone Co.
127 P.2d 467 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1942)
Travelers Protective Ass'n of America v. Ward
187 N.E. 55 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1933)
Sigley v. Marathon Razor Blade Co., Inc.
166 A. 518 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1933)
Maryland Casualty Co. v. Smith
163 S.E. 247 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1932)
Neuhaus v. Hope Engineering Co.
294 P. 655 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1931)
Bray v. Carrothers Construction Co.
293 P. 504 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1930)
Edgar Zinc Co. v. Hamer
285 P. 550 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1930)
Slick v. Hamaker
28 F.2d 103 (Eighth Circuit, 1928)
Sims v. Consumers Bread Co.
265 P. 1114 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1928)
Grigliono v. Hope Coal Co.
264 P. 1051 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1928)
Billings v. United Power & Light Corp.
263 P. 779 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1928)
Robertson v. Board of County Commissioners
261 P. 831 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1927)
Everitt v. Haldeman-Julius Publishing Co.
257 P. 939 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1927)
Meek v. Wheeler, Kelly & Hagny Investment Co.
251 P. 184 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1926)
Fronk v. Ajax Drilling Co.
249 P. 680 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1926)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
187 P. 861, 106 Kan. 369, 1920 Kan. LEXIS 521, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stefan-v-red-star-mill-elevator-co-kan-1920.