United States v. Griswold

61 F.2d 583, 1932 U.S. App. LEXIS 4345
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedNovember 7, 1932
DocketNo. 6804
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 61 F.2d 583 (United States v. Griswold) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Griswold, 61 F.2d 583, 1932 U.S. App. LEXIS 4345 (9th Cir. 1932).

Opinion

WILBUR, Circuit Judge.

The government appeals from a judgment rendered against it upon a war risk insurance policy where the appellee claimed that he was totally and permanently disabled during the life of the policy, to wit, on August 15, 1919. The only claim made by appellant is that the trial court erred in denying the motion of the government for a directed verdict. The policy expired September .15, 1919. The plaintiff suffers from a falling of the stomach and intestines, causing nausea and weakness. There was testimony to tho effect that the condition resulted from an attack of pneumonia while plaintiff was in the military service. The appellant relies upon his work record as establishing the fact that the plaintiff was not totally disabled as early as September, 1919. The statement in appellant’s brief on that subject is not seriously questioned and we quote therefrom as follows:

«* • * We gather from plaintiff’s testimony on cross-examination that about the first of September 1919 he worked for Mr. Beardsmore. This work was dogging on the carriage in his sawmill, cutting short pine logs. He continued this work for 25 days in September and in October he started oiling, being off from work the last two days in September and four days in October. The work continued through the month of October and into the month of November. He testified that in December he worked in a camp a portion of the time, but not in January at all. In February he drove a team for Mr. Beardsmore, one he had hired, and got paid for the use of the team. He testified that in March he worked 14 days for Mr. Beards-more under the foremanship of Mr. Dolittlo. In April, May and June, he worked for Mr. Beardsmore on river work, working eight hours a day. On July 1, 1920, he was put on another job on a steamboat. Plaintiff testified that this month of May, 1920, with the exception of possibly two months over in Washington in 1928, was the only time since he was discharged from the army that he worked a full month for anyone, except possibly a month or two for the Forest Service, The steamboat work lasted during August and in September 1920, he went back to the camp again. After September, 1920, plaintiff testified that he worked for Mr. Beards-more again the next spring, working on the river. • He was working under Mr. Whetsler and he worked 32 days out of 42 on this job. On June 15,1921, plaintiff testified that he went to work for the United States Forest Service; that he worked through September 15 of the samo year, receiving $100.00 a month as wages; that in September, 19211, he went to tho camp of Bert Martin. That in October of 1921, he worked for the Del-cano Lumber Company, Camp 4, doing cant [584]*584hook work; after quitting work for these people in March, 1921, he went to work for Mr. Beardsmore on the river and worked over forty days and was laid off by Mr. Whetsler. Plaintiff testified that in Jun:, 1928, he went to work for the Forest Service at $100.00 a month and in the fall of 1928 went to work for the Delcano people again, his work consisting of a combination of sledding, skidding and loading; that this work continued until about the first of March, 1923. That in the spring of 1923, he was employed by Victor Pearson at Luck, Washington, working for him about four or five months. That on July 4, 1923, he and his wife’s folks contracted to buy a ranch, about 47 aeres being in cultivation; that he raised timothy and clover hay to feed the cattle, of which he had about 40 head. That he lived ■on this ranch from July, 1923 to June 30, 1926, about three years. That while on this ranch he operated a dairy line, having hired help continuously and other help during harvest season; that he helped milk and directed the operation of the ranch; that he left the ranch in June, 1926 and went to the Boise Hospital; that after he left the hospital he was employed in September, 1926, for 18 days as a packer on the forest fire station. That in November, December of 1926, and January of 1927, he worked as a hooker on log rolls for Gus Nickerett, near Priest River, Idaho, earning $4.00 a day; that after January, 192.7, he worked 20 days for the Delcano Lumber Company at $4.00 a day on river work. 'He testified that when he quit the river drive he went to the home of his father-in-law, Frank Dolittle, and stayed there until fall; that he helped in the haying, raised clover and timothy, and looked after some of the milking, receiving no wages while there; that in the fall of 1927 he worked for his brother-in-law loading logs on contract; that this work continued from some time in December until the latter part of February, 1928, and that during this job he was working for wages, however, not much money was received from this contract. He testified that in February and March, 1928, he moved to lone, Washington, and lived there until he returned from the Veterans’ Hospital in Walla Walla; that jhe left lone, Washington, having been there • from March, 1928, until April, 1929, during which time he worked part of the time •on a green chain in a sawmill; that he ■worked the whole summer, off and on, at this job until the mill shut down, earning $4.50 a day for his work; that after the mill closed down, he worked by contract, the contract work consisting of repiling lumber; that this contract work ceased in January or February, 1929, and he went to the Walla Walla Hospital; that after coming back from the Hospital he stayed at the home of Frank Do-little and did very little work since, except the construction of the house at Huntington.”

We find, then, that plaintiff admits working twenty-five days in September and twenty-two days in October, 1919, immediately after his policy lapsed.

In view of the fact that the plaintiff did in fact work at a gainful occupation for a long period of time after his policy of war risk insurance lapsed, the ease must be reversed [U. S. v. Carrie Bell Lyle (C. C. A.) 54 F.(2d) 357; U. S. v. Harrison (C. C. A.) 49 F.(2d) 227; Nicolay v. U. S. (C. C. A.) 51 F.(2d) 170; U. S. v. Fly (C. C. A.) 58 F.(2d) 217], unless there was substantial evidence that he was unable to do so, or to do so substantially continuously. We will now consider that question.

' Dr. Raymond R. Staub, a witness testifying 'for the plaintiff, after stating the ■plaintiff’s physical condition and the resulting constipation, diarrhea with mucous colitis, testified: “It is a cycling disease. They have a relapse, it will be excited again and they are violently ill.” He gave as his opinion that the plaintiff would have relatively short or long intervals of work followed by illness. This testimony seems to be in accord with the plaintiff’s work record and the testimony of his relatives, friends, and co-workers, although all testified that during his periods of work he suffered much pain and frequently coughed and vomited. He suffered from loss of sleep due to continuous coughing in the night, and to vomiting. The coughing was a normal result of his bowel condition. ' Lawrence Trembly, called as a witness for the plaintiff, testified that he worked with the plaintiff in Mr. Beardsmore’s sawmill in 1919 for about three weeks. He stated that the work was easy, that the plaintiff seemed ill, that he was sick at his stomach all the time, that he had been sick all the time he was there, and finally fainted as he was dogging the carriage levers; that when they both worked for Mr. Whetsler in 1920 he was sick about half the time. Louis Whetsler, who had known the plaintiff about 47 years, stated that plaintiff was so changed- after the war that he hardly knew him and that when plaintiff worked for him in 1920 he was sick nearly every day — • coughing and vomiting — but he tried to work. He also testified:

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
61 F.2d 583, 1932 U.S. App. LEXIS 4345, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-griswold-ca9-1932.