Turner v. Standard Oil Co.

1 La. App. 665, 1925 La. App. LEXIS 122
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 20, 1925
DocketNo. 2180
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 1 La. App. 665 (Turner v. Standard Oil 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
Turner v. Standard Oil Co., 1 La. App. 665, 1925 La. App. LEXIS 122 (La. Ct. App. 1925).

Opinions

ODOM, J.

The plaintiff, William P. Turner, brought this suit under the Workmen’s Compensation Act to recover compensation alleged to be due his minor son, Sambo Turner, on account of an injury which he sustained to his wrist on February 17, 1922, while employed by and working for the defendant company.

At the time of the injury Sambo Turner was about 15 years and 6 months old and was receiving a daily wage of $4.50.

In his original petition plaintiff alleged htat while assisting in laying a pipe line a heavy piece of timber fell on his son’s left arm and left wrist “thereby breaking, fracturing and permanently and seriously injuring his said wrist and arm to ■ such an extent that he will never hereafter be able to do work of a reasonable character.”

And he further alleges that on or about the 17th of May following the deféndant company induced his son to resume work for it and that while so working he was again injured, this time by being hit by pipe line tongs, the same arm and wrist being injured, and that on account of said injuries his arm became useless and that he is now unable to do any work of a reasonable character.

And he asks for compensation for four hundred weeks at $16.20 per week.

Plaintiff also alleges that the suit is filed subject to a contract with the attorney, which contract is attached to and filed with the petition. That contract, we note, provides that the attorney shall re ceive one-third of the net sum which may; be recovered.

The suit was filed on June 1, 1922.

On June 7, 1922, defendant answered admitting that Sambo Turner was em ployed by it and was receiving $4.50 -per day on February 17, 1922, and that he was injured on that day by the accidental spraining of his wrist, and alleging that it paid him compensation for eleven weeks, amounting to $198.00, and, in addition thereto, paid for medical examination and medical treatment, and that on May Sambo returned to its office, signed a full receipt, acknowledged that he had fully recovered from all injuries received by; him on February 17 and again solicited employment; and that he' was re-employed and went back to work on May 10 and worked until May 17.

[667]*667It especially denies that he received any injury on May 10, hut says that he quit work voluntarily.

And it prays that plaintiff’s demand he rejected.

The case went to trial on June 23 and was finished on June 27 and continued for argument.

On July 10 the case was reopened for all purposes.

On November 2, the ease was again tried and closed, except for the reception of the report of experts, Dr. Barrow and Dr. Spencer.

On November 22 the judge again reopened the case ex proprio motu for the purpose of taking of the physician’s testimony.

On January 3, 1923, the case was again reopened and tried on January 30, and on March 10 the court granted judgment for plaintiff for the amount sued for.

Defendant filed a motion for a new trial on March 14 and on April 11 a new trial was granted.

The case was again tried on May 8 and on June 2 the court rendered judgment rejecting plaintiff’s demands. This was followed by a motion for new trial on June 6 with a supplemental motion on June 9 and on June 11 a new trial was granted.

On June 28 plaintiff filed an amended and supplemental petition in which he set up, in substance, that the injuries which his son received had caused his “brain, mind and nerves” to be seriously and permanently impaired and injured, each and all to such an extent that his son would never be able to do any work of a reasonable character and that he did not have sufficient knowledge of these impairments to enable' him to amend his original petition until June 27, 1923; and that by reason of the injuries and impairment set forth in the original petition and in this amended petition he should recover compensation as originally prayed for.

Defendant filed an exception of vagueness and a plea of prescription of one year to the claim set up in the amended petition. This plea of prescription was re: ferred to the merits July 9.

There was a motion to disallow the amended petition, which was overruled on June 30.

The exception of vagueness was sustained on July 18 and plaintiff was ordered to amend. The amendment was filed on July 25 and on July 31 the court held that the amendment was not in compliance with its order and the defendant was relieved from further answering until . the court’s order was complied with.

A third supplemental petition was filed on November 3, which was not in compliance with the court’s order, and on November 7 the plaintiff was again ordered to amend within twenty days and to . comply with the court’s order under pain of dismissal.

On November 24 the fourth amended which his son had received “his mind, brain and entire nervous system became seriously permanently impaired” to such an extent that he had to be interdicted and sent to a hospital for insane, and that his mind and nerves are yet affected and that the injury now suffered on his brain, mind and nerves is both physical and functional, and that said injuries to the brain, nerves and mind were caused by the original accidental injury to his shoulder, wrist and arm and that his son was rendered insane and his mind so affected that he cannot now concentrate his mind on study or work, and has spells and imagines strange things; and that his nerves are so affected that. his injured [668]*668arm may be pricked with sharp instruments without any considerable pain.

These amendments were allowed by the court over the strenuous objection of the defendant, and on December 21 the case again went to trial and was completed on January 11, and on April' 11 there was judgment on the merits in favor of the plaintiff for compensation at $16.20 per week for four hundred weeks, or as long as the disability continues, and fixing the fees of the attorneys for plaintiff at one-third of the net amount recovered.

From this judgment the defendant has appealed.

OPINION

The above very lengthy statement of the proceedings and pleadings is made for the purpose of showing, first, what the issues before the court are, and, secondly,, to show the earnestness and activity of counsel on both sides and the very patent desire of the learned and conscientious District Judge to do absolute justice.

As we see it, only issues of fact are presented for our consideration. It is admitted that Sambo Turner was accidentally; injured while at work for defendant company on February 17, 1922, and it is contended by plaintiff but denied by defendant he was again injured on May 17, 1922. But whether he did or did not receive additional injuries in May . we think is not important.

Sambo Turner says of his injuries and the manner in which he received them:

“I was totin’ rider boards and crossin’ .the creek and there was a log laying in .the creek an’ I stepped up on it and it turned an’ rolled an’ threw these boards across my arm.”

He says these boards would weigh about ;75 pounds, and that his arm was bruised and made so that he could not use it. He went to Dr. Martin, at Minden, who examined the wound and made report to' the defendant company on one of its printed forms as follows:

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Related

Miller v. United States Fidelity and Guaranty Co.
99 So. 2d 511 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1957)
Patrick v. T. Smith & Sons, Inc.
58 So. 2d 353 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1952)
Bonnette v. Flournoy
119 So. 736 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1929)
Black v. Louisiana Cent. Lumber Co.
109 So. 538 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1926)

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Bluebook (online)
1 La. App. 665, 1925 La. App. LEXIS 122, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/turner-v-standard-oil-co-lactapp-1925.