Superior Oil Co. v. Swimmer

1936 OK 502, 60 P.2d 734, 177 Okla. 396, 1936 Okla. LEXIS 699
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedSeptember 8, 1936
DocketNo. 26799.
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 1936 OK 502 (Superior Oil Co. v. Swimmer) 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
Superior Oil Co. v. Swimmer, 1936 OK 502, 60 P.2d 734, 177 Okla. 396, 1936 Okla. LEXIS 699 (Okla. 1936).

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

On the 11th day of December, 1929, claimant sustained an accidental injury which was caused by a fellow employee striking him on the head with a shovel. On the 6th day of December, 1930, an award was entered for a partial permanent disability due to such injury, and proceeding to vacate the award was begun and successfully prosecuted by the petitioners in an opinion styled Superior Oil Co. v. Swimmer, 156 Okla. 71, 9 P. (2d) 707. On May 4, 1932, by agreement of the parties a settlement was reached which was approved by the commission June 14, 1932. By this agreement and order claimant received $900.

On May 4, 1934, the claimant filed his motion to reopen the case because of change of condition. Five different hearings were held subsequent to the filing of this motion. On October 26, 1935, the commission entered the following order and finding, omitting the formal parts:

“1. That on the 11th day of December, 1929, claimant was in the employ of the respondent and engaged in a hazardous occupation subject to and covered by the provisions of the Workmen’s Compensation Law, and that on said date he sustained an accidental personal injury, arising out of and in the course of his employment, received a fracture to the skull.
“2. That the average daily wage of the claimant at the time of the accidental injury was $5 per day.
“3. That claimant has been paid temporary total compensation from December 11, 1929, to April 14, 1930, less the five-day waiting period, or a total of 17 weeks, being the total sum of $306.
“4. That the claimant and the respondent entered into an agreement for the sum of $900. or 10 per cent, loss of vision in each *397 eye, and said agreement was filed with the State Industrial Commission May 4, 1932, and approved by the State Industrial Commission as evidenced by an order of the commission on June 14, 1932, subject to the continuing jurisdiction of the commission on a change of condition.
“5. That the claimant has suffered a change of condition for the worse as a result of said accidental injury, since the filing of order of June 14, 1932, and now has 80 per cent, loss of vision in each eye, or 70 per cent, additional loss of vision.
“The commission is of the opinion, that under section 7290, subdivision 1, Compiled Oklahoma Statues 1921, as amended by Session Laws of 1923, the loss of use of both members constitutes permanent total disability, for which compensation is provided under the law for a period of 500 weeks; that under section 7290, subdivision 4 for percentage loss of use of one member is provided for by that portion of the number of weeks provided in the schedule for the loss of a member, which the partial loss of use thereof, bears to the total loss of use of such member. That 80 per cent, loss of use of the left eye and 80 per cent, loss of use of the right eye, having an average, taking both numbers into consideration, of 80 per cent, loss of use of both eyes, or 70 per cent, loss of vision in addition to the 10 per cent, loss of vision in each eye, as evidence by order on Form 14, June 14, 1932, by the State Industrial Commission, and that claimant is entitled, under the law, to compensation at the rate of $18 per week for a period of 350 weeks which is in addition to 50 weeks for 10 per cent, loss of vision, which has heretofore been paid, as above set out; and that there is now due claimant the sum of $3,150. being 175 weeks’ compensation at the rate of $18. computed from June 14, 1932, to October 25, 1935, and continue compensation at the above weekly rate until the sum of $6,300 has been paid, or 350 weeks compensation on account of 70 per cent, additional loss of vision of both eyes.
“It is therefore ordered: That within 15 days from this date, respondent or insurance carrier pay to the claimant the sum of $3,150, or 175 weeks’ compensation, as above set out, and to continue the payment of compensation at the rate of $18 per week until 350 weeks, being the sum of $6,300 shall have been paid, on account of 70 per cent, additional loss of vision of both eyes on account of said accidental injury.
“It is further ordered: That $630 is a reasonable attorney fee of claimant’s attorney, and that the same be and is hereby approved to be paid out of the award herein to attorney for claimant, Leo J. Williams, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.”

This proceeding was instituted to vacate this order and the petitioner has raised but two propositions, which it states as follows:

"Upon an application to reopen a case before the Industrial Commission the claimant has the burden of proof (A) that in fact (here has been a change of condition since the original award, and (B) that the change of condition is due to the original injury.”

Under the first specification it is stated:

“There is no competent evidence reasonably supporting the finding of a change of condition due to the accident of December 11, 1929, and the award based thereon is erroneous (assignments of error 1, 2 and 5).”

Upon such statement, therefore, it becomes evident that the sole question to determine is whether there has been a change of condition since the settlement May 4, 1932, approved June 14, 1932, and if there has been a change of condition, whether the change in condition results from the injury received by claimant December 11, 1929. Up on this point, on the hearing held May 31, 1934, Dr. Shelton, physician and surgeon, eye, ear, nose and throat specialist, testified that he examined claimant May 4, 1932, and iound a manifest visual acuity of 20/30 in each eye, and at that time he found no pathological condition to account for the loss of vision complained of and could not state whether this loss of vision was permanent or temporary; that he again examined claimant on April 30, 1934, and found a macular degeneration with a true central scotoma in each eye; the media are clear, the tension, tunics, reflexes and muscular balance normal, manifesting a visual acuity of 20/200 in the left eye and approximately 20/300 in the right; near point limited to No. 11 Jaeger type. It was explained that a central scotoma meant a defect of vision in the central or main part of the eye and the above description of the visual acuity meant that claimant had a loss of vision of 80 per cent, in the left eye and 91.8 per cent.' in his right eye; that said disability was due to or associated with either a lesion of the brain or of the optic tract and probably of traumatic origin; that it was permanent and might get worse and with that amount of loss of vision claimant would not be able to follow ordinary industrial occupations; that from his examinations he is of the opinion that the loss of vision results from the accidental injury of December 11, 1929. In response to a question on cross-examination by petitioner as to what the difference was in the disability in May, 1932, and April, 1934, the *398

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

Related

Howze v. State Industrial Commission
1953 OK 151 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1953)
Douglas Aircraft Co. v. Snider
1945 OK 348 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1945)
Railway Express Agency v. Wooten
1945 OK 178 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1945)
E. I. Du Pont De Nemours & Co. v. Spencer
1945 OK 99 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1945)
McQueen & Johnson, Inc. v. Morgan
1942 OK 68 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1942)
International Supply Co. v. Morrell
1940 OK 245 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1940)
R. S. Smith Construction Co. v. Swindell
1939 OK 178 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1939)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1936 OK 502, 60 P.2d 734, 177 Okla. 396, 1936 Okla. LEXIS 699, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/superior-oil-co-v-swimmer-okla-1936.