Tankersley Construction Co. v. Ohls

1931 OK 631, 4 P.2d 68, 152 Okla. 203, 1931 Okla. LEXIS 680
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedOctober 20, 1931
Docket22323
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 1931 OK 631 (Tankersley Construction Co. v. Ohls) 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
Tankersley Construction Co. v. Ohls, 1931 OK 631, 4 P.2d 68, 152 Okla. 203, 1931 Okla. LEXIS 680 (Okla. 1931).

Opinion

KORNEGAY, J.

This is an original proceeding to review an award of the Industrial Commission. The award can be found on page 36 of the transcript, and is as follows :

“Now, on this 13th day of April, 1931, the State Industrial Commission being regularly in session, this cause comes on to be considered pursuant to a hearing held at Oklahoma City, Okla., on April 9, 1931, before Chairman Thos. H. Doyle, on motion of the claimant to reopen said cause and award further compensation, at which hearing the claimant appeared in person and by his attorney, J. J. Carney, and the respondent and insurance carrier appeared by C. B. Pierce, and the Commission, after reviewing the testimony taken at said hearing and all the records on file, and being otherwise well and sufficiently advised in. the premises,, makes the following findings of fact:
“1. That on the 15th day .of February, 1930, claimant was in the employ of said 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 injury, arising out of and in the course of his employment.
“2. That the average daily wage of the claimant at the time of sa'id accidental injury was $19.20 per week.
“3. That 'by reason of said accidental injury, the claimant was temporarily totally disabled from the performance of his ordinary manual labor from February 15, 1930, to April 16, 1930, or for a total of 18 weeks beyond the five days’ waiting period, for which he has been pa'id compensation at the rate of $12.31 per week, or a total of $221.58.
“4. That on the 1st of November, 1930, the claimant was again compelled to quit work on account of said accidental injury; and was not able to return to ordinary manual labor until four weeks beyond November 1, 1930.
“Upon consideration of the foregoing facts, the Commission is of opinion that the case should be reopened, and it is so ordered.
“Up'on consideration of the foregoing facts, the 'Commission is of opinion that the claimant is entitled to four weeks’ compensation from beyond November 1, 1930; at the rate of $12.31 per week, or a total of $49.24.
“It is therefore ordered, within 15 days from this date, the respondent or insurance carrier pay to the claimant herein the sum of $49.24, as compensation for four weeks beyond November 1, 1930.
“It is further ordered: That within 30 days from this date, the respondent or insurance carrier file with the Commission proper report or other receipt evidencing compliance with the terms of this order.”

Complaint is made of the award on two grounds: The first is that no notice of the injury, forming the basis of the Commission’s award, was given within 30 days, as required by section 7292, C. O. S. 1921, and the Industrial Commission was without authority to make the award. The second is that there was no competent evidence to sustain the award. The amount of the award in this case is small, it being for $49.24, dating from November 1, 1930, for four weeks’ lost time.

Counter brief has been filed in this case. Certain authorities are relied on by the petitioner with reference to the necessity of notice, and among others is the case of Cagle v. Federal Mining & Smelting Co., 112 Okla. 247, 240 P. 617. It is claimed, on the one side, that this decision is on all fours with the facts ‘in the present ease. On, the other side, it is claimed that it is not. We have read the entire record.' The admitted facts in this case appear to be that the claimant was in the employ of the respondent, and he suffered a fall from a scaffold that broke down. He had a bar in his hand at the time that he fell, and he sustained an injury to two of his fingers. .The employer’s first notice of injury was received February 18, 1930. It states that the employee was injured in the course of his employment, and on being requested to describe how the accident occurred, it is stated:

“Injured party was working on scaffold when the same broke causing him to fall to ground, and large wrecking bar which he was working with fell on fingers of right hand, cutting end off of third finger and deep gash in second finger.”

Under the requirement of stating the nature and extent of injury, it says:

“End of third finger cut off and gash in second finger near end.”

Employee’s first notice of injury was received on February 21, 1930. Under the head of nature and extent of injury, the statement is:

“Amputation of first joint on third finger; loss of second finger and amputation of thumb, and injury to back.”

The insurance carrier, Aetna Life Insur- *205 anee Company, filed a report of initial payment of compensation on February 28, 1930. On March 3, 1930, there was received by the State Industrial Commission what purports to be the employee’s first notice of injury and claim for compensation. This notice and the notice received February 21st, referred to above, bear the number of Claim No. A-45688. Under the head of cause of accident, we find, “scaffold broke.” Under the head of nature and extent of injury, we find, “end of third finger cut off. Thumb and second finger injured.” On March 10, 1930, there was another notice under the same claim number, that was received, and under the head of cause of accident, we find, “scaffolding gave away and fell.” Under nature and extent of injury, it says, “Lost end of third finger of right hand; second finger also injured.” On April 19, 1931, notice was given of the motion of claimant to determine the extent of liability, and May 6, 1930, was set' for the hearing at Oklahoma Oity.

On April 4, 1930, a petition was filed with the State Industrial Commission, signed by John J. Carney, as attorney for claimant, setting up the injury as being to the third and second fingers of the right hand, resulting in a loss of the end of his third finger, and permanent partial loss of the use of his second finger, and asking for a date to be set for hearing, and for the awarding of such sum as it might be proved he was entitled to.

On the 2nd of May, 1930, there was filed a stipulation and receipt with the Commission, showing the extent of disability to be 8 weeks’ temporary total and 10 weeks’ permanent partial, or 50 per cent, loss of third finger of the right hand. It was signed by J. J. Carney, as attorney for claimant, by W. H. Eby, on behalf of the Tankersley Construction Company, and by Virgil Ohls. Accompanying this is a report from Dr. Samuel It. Cunningham, of the Medical Arts Building, Oklahoma Oity. This report confirms the loss of the finger. Accompanying this is an agreement between the employer and the employee as to the facts in relation to the injury and the payment of compensation therefor. This deals entirely with the injury to the fingers. On the 30th of July, 1930, there was an order of the Commission approving this receipt and settlement. On March 30, 1931, there was a notice of hearing upon the application of the claimant to reopen cause and award further compensation.

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Related

Orrick Stone Company v. Jeffries
1971 OK 116 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1971)
Waddle v. State Industrial Court
1964 OK 169 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1964)

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Bluebook (online)
1931 OK 631, 4 P.2d 68, 152 Okla. 203, 1931 Okla. LEXIS 680, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tankersley-construction-co-v-ohls-okla-1931.