Talley v. Alabama Co.

6 La. App. 677, 1927 La. App. LEXIS 218
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 28, 1927
DocketNo. 2996
StatusPublished

This text of 6 La. App. 677 (Talley v. Alabama Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Talley v. Alabama Co., 6 La. App. 677, 1927 La. App. LEXIS 218 (La. Ct. App. 1927).

Opinion

REYNOLDS, J.

Plaintiff sued the defendants under the Employers’ Liability Law (Act 20 of 1914 and amendments) for $20.00 a week for three hundred weeks, beginning January 20, 1926, with legal interest on each installment from its maturity until paid, less certain credits.

He alleged that while working for defendant Alabama Petroleum Company, Inc., on January 13, 1926, in the capacity of foreman of roustabouting gang he undertook to crank and start a Ford automobile belonging to defendant Alabama Petroleum Company, Inc., and that the “crank became engaged and was thrown against petitioner’s right arm, breaking, mangling and bruising the bones, nerves * * * of the arm and wrist in such manner and to such an extent that petitioner has a limited use of the same.”

He further alleges that he was earning a weekly wage of $45.00 at the time of the accident and that his earning capacity had-been reduced by the injury to $5.00 a week.

He further alleged that by contract between defendant Alabama Petroleum Company, Inc., and defendant Maryland Casualty Company the latter “agreed to pay your petitioner any and all sums for which the said defendant, Alabama Pe[678]*678'troleum Company, Inc., might be liable * * * and- to pay all such compensation as might be adjudged in favor of your petitioner.”

He further alleges that compensation had been paid him up to the date of filing the suit, namely, July 17, 1926, but that defendants had refused to make further payments.

Both defendants filed exceptions of no cause of action and qf vagueness. The exceptions of no cause of action were overruled and the exceptions of vagueness sustained and plaintiff permitted to file an amended petition.

Apparently an amended, petition was filed, for the record contains answers by both defendants to an amended petition but we do not find it in the record.

The. defense is that plaintiff was not injured in the performance of the duties of his employment; that instead of being injured at 7 o’clock in the morning he was injured about 6 o’clock in the morning; that instead of being injured on defendant Alabama' Petroleum Company, Inc.’s property he was injured at or near his own home several miles distant from defendant Alabama Petroleum Company, Inc.’s property; that the ear plaintiff was cranking did not belong either to defendant Alabama Petroleum Company, Inc., or defendant Maryland Casualty Company, but belonged to a friend of plaintiff with whom he was expecting to ride; that plaintiff’s duties were to commence at 7 o’clock in the morning and he was neither required nor expected to begin work prior to that time; that he was receiving a daily wage of $6.00 and that each day constituted a separate employment; that defendant Alabama Petroleum Company, Inc., had not agreed to furnish

and was not furnishing plaintiff with trans portation to or from his work; and that plaintiff was not at the time of the accident performing duties arising out of or in the course of his employment.

It is also alleged that when plaintiff received his injury he informed defendant Maryland Casualty Company that he was injured at 7 o’clock in the morning of January 6, 1926, in the course of his employment by defendant Alabama Petroleum Company, Inc., on its property known as the “Robbins lease,” and that on the faith of such representations defendant Maryland Casualty Company paid him compensation aggregating $520.00 and paid $81.90 for medical attention to plaintiff; that the representations were false and defendant Maryland Casualty Company entitled to recover said amounts from plaintiff.

And the Maryland Casualty Company prayed also for judgment in reconvention against plaintiff for $601.90 with legal interest thereon.

On these issues the case was tried and there was judgment in favor of plaintiff and against only defendant Alabama Petroleum Company, Inc., for $20.00 a week during his disability, not to exceed one hundred seventy-five weeks, the first payment being decreed due January 20, 1926, with legal interest on each installment from its maturity until paid, less compensation already paid up to July 16, 1926.

Apparently no judgment was rendered for or against defendant Maryland Casualty Company.

Both defendants appealed. In this court plaintiff moved to amend the judgment so as to allow him $20.00 a week during his disability not to exceed three hundred weeks.

[679]*679OPINION

The record and briefs in this case present numerous interesting questions of fact and law, but in their arguments and briefs counsel only stress the issue as to whether plaintiff, at the time he was injured, had actually entered upon the performance of the day’s work under his employment .by defendant Alabama Petroleum Company, Inc., or not, and this issue and, that as to the amount of compensation plaintiff is entitled to, if any, are the only questions, we think, necessary to be decided by us.

Plaintiff was employed in the capacity of what is known as “gang-pusher,” his duties being to move from one of defendant Alabama Petroleum Company, Inc.’s properties to another and push production. His work, therefore, began as soon as he entered on any (piece of property under defendant Alabama Petroleum Company, Inc.’s dominion and continued as he went from one piece of property to another in the performance of his duties throughout the day.

He testified that on January 13, 1926, he was employed by defendant Alabama Petroleum Company, Inc., as a gang-pusher and-

“What were you doing on the 13th of June (January?) 1926?
“A. Well, I started to work that morning and got out by the Garner lease, stopped there, done something to that well, I forget just exactly what, and started on over to the Robinson lease; then is when I got my arm broke, the car stopped.
“Q. Who did that Garner lease belong to?
“A. Alabama Petroleum Company.
“Q. Was it one of the leases you were required to look after?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. Do you know what you did at that lease that morning?
“A. Well, I don’t know whether I got ¡part off that engine or not; don’t remember just exactly what I done that day; sometimes. take parts over to another lease; don’t know whether took part of that engine to fix up the Smith lease or not.
“Q. You know that you did make an inspection that morning?
“A. Yes, sir; stopped and done something; don’t know exactly what I did do.
“Q. Then what did you do?
“A. Started on over to the Robbins lease before changed clothes at the tool house over there.
“Q. What happened on the way there?
“A. The car stopped, I got out and it back-fired and broke my arm.
“Q. You say it broke your arm, that
same break Dr. Adair has described ?-
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. Who did the Robbins lease belong to?
“A. Belonged to Alabama Petroleum Company.
* * *
“Q.

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6 La. App. 677, 1927 La. App. LEXIS 218, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/talley-v-alabama-co-lactapp-1927.