Van Horn v. Industrial Commission

523 P.2d 783, 111 Ariz. 86, 1974 Ariz. LEXIS 365
CourtArizona Supreme Court
DecidedJune 26, 1974
Docket11485-PR
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 523 P.2d 783 (Van Horn v. Industrial Commission) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Arizona Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Van Horn v. Industrial Commission, 523 P.2d 783, 111 Ariz. 86, 1974 Ariz. LEXIS 365 (Ark. 1974).

Opinions

CAMERON, Vice Chief Justice.

This is a petition for review of a memorandum decision of the Court of Appeals affirming an award of the Industrial Commission of Arizona which dismissed the claim of the petitioner because of lack of jurisdiction.

We are called upon to consider only one question on review and that is whether the Commission had jurisdiction to waive the late filing of a claim by the petitioner.

The facts necessary for a determination of the matter on appeal are as follows. Petitioner was hospitalized as the result of injuries sustained in the course and scope of his employment on 25 April 1970. In the same accident his wife was killed. The petitioner testified at the hearing that after he was in the hospital the following happened :

“A Yes, sir. The day after the accident Mr. Rollins arrived and I was still pretty shook up from the loss of my wife and things and I had other things on my mind. I knew that we had no insurance on us and Mr. Rollins had no insurance on us.
And he then gave my father a check for $600 and came to me and assured me that things would be taken care of, for me not to worry, because, needless to say, it was on my mind at that time, along with other things. And he gave me an indication that he was going to take care of the problems, financial problems, and for me not to worry.
“Q This $600 check that he gave your dad, was that for and on your behalf?
“A Yes, sir, it was. It was to help start taking care of the hospital bills.
“Q Was this a loan of any kind?
“A No, sir, it was not a loan. It was just to take care of the hospital bills, which I assumed that he would do.”

Petitioner underwent back surgery and spent almost a month in the hospital. After a period of recuperation and getting used to his back brace, he went back to work for the respondent employer. He worked for about a year when he left. He testified:

“Q How long a time did you work for Lyman then?
“A I worked for him — it was just approximately a year then.
[88]*88“Q Did he indicate to you that he was going to take care of some of your obligations?
“A Yes, sir. He indicated that he was raising my pay and that he was going to help take care of things. And all these promises kept coming in, but to no avail. And I kept asking Lyman, what’s going to happen ? And he says, well, things are a little rough right now. We’ll take care of it.
And he moved me up a little bit in position, moved me into assistant trainer, but no more money. And I just finally came to a point where I told Lyman I had to go on out, I couldn’t go on, I had to get these bills paid.
So I quit Lyman and came back down here.”

The petitioner, on or about 28 December 1971, filed a claim with the Industrial Commission of Arizona.

The Commission held:

“That applicant failed to file a claim for said injury within one year from the date upon which said injury was sustained as provided by A.R.S. § 23 — 1061— A.”

At petitioner’s request a hearing was held at which time the petitioner testified as indicated above. The respondent employer did not testify. The hearing officer entered findings as follows:

“1. On April 25, 1970 the applicant sustained severe and multiple injuries in an automobile accident which occurred near Flagstaff, Arizona.
“2. On said date the applicant was in the employ of Lyman H. Rollins and was enroute to Richfield, Utah at the request of his employer to accompany several race horses being transferred to Utah-at the time.
“3. The injury occurred when the vehicle which applicant was driving left the road and struck a tree. Applicant was transported by ambulance to the hospital in Flagstaff and was hospitalized there until May 4, 1970 when he was transferred to Phoenix General Hospital.
“4. As the result of the accident the applicant sustained multiple injuries, including a comminuted compression fracture of the first lumbar vertebra, laceration of his right forearm, multiple abrasions, contusions and lacerations and a sternoclavicular dislocation which required surgery on May 19, 1970.
“5. For the most part applicant’s injuries became immediately manifest to him on April 25, 1970; the sternoclavicular dislocation became known on May 4, 1970 when discovered in orthopedic consultation in Phoenix.
“6. The statutes in effect at the time of the injury, pertinent to the problem herein involved, provide as follows:

23-1061

‘A. Notwithstanding the provisions of § 23-908, no application for compensation shall be valid or claim thereunder enforceable unless notice of an accident resulting in an injury shall be given by the employee, or if resulting in death by the parties entitled .to compensation, or someone on their behalf, to the Commission in writing within one year after the injury occurred or the right thereto accrued. The Commission upon receiving the notice shall give notice to the employer of the injury..
‘B. Failure of an employee to file a claim with the Commission within one year or to comply with the provisions of § 23-908 shall not bar a claim if the insurance carrier or employer has commenced payments under the provisions of § 23-1044 or § 23-1045.’
“7. ■ Applicant' filed a notice of injury, or claim for benefits, with the Industrial Commission of Arizona on December 28, 1971, which was more than one year after the injury became manifest. The Commission had no written notice of the claim prior to that date. Accordingly, the claim is barred for failure to file written notice with the Commission [89]*89within one year from the date the injury became manifest, unless the employer commenced payments under the provisions of A.R.S. 23-1044 or A.R.S. 23-1045. Freig v. Industrial Commission of Arizona, 15 Ariz.App. 187, 487 P.2d 408 (1971).
“8. A.R.S. 23-1044 provides for the payment of compensation for temporary partial disability and permanent partial disability. A.R.S. 23-1045 provides for the payment of compensation “for temporary total disability and permanent total disability. A.R.S. 23-1062 (A) provides for the payment of medical, hospital and surgical benefits.
"10. Applicant has therefore testified, both on direct and cross-examination, that the $600.00 payment made by the employer was to be used for his medical, hospital and surgical expenses. Said payment was therefore clearly made pursuant to A.R.S. 23-1062(A) and not pursuant to the provisions of A.R.S. 23-1044 or A.R.S. 23-1045.
“11. It is further noted that pursuant to A.R.S. 23-1062(B), compensation does not become payable until the incapacity extends beyond the period of seven (7) days.

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

Related

Allen v. Industrial Com'n of Arizona
733 P.2d 290 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1987)
Allen v. Industrial Commission
733 P.2d 288 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1986)
Nelson v. Industrial Com'n of Arizona
656 P.2d 1230 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1982)
Holmes Tuttle Broadway Ford v. Industrial Commission
551 P.2d 577 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1976)
Wimmer v. Industrial Commission
549 P.2d 619 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1976)
St. Paul Fire & Marine Insurance v. Industrial Commission
545 P.2d 443 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1976)
Gurovich v. Industrial Commission
534 P.2d 294 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1975)
Coca-Cola Bottling Co. v. Industrial Commission
534 P.2d 304 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1975)
Van Horn v. Industrial Commission
523 P.2d 783 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1974)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
523 P.2d 783, 111 Ariz. 86, 1974 Ariz. LEXIS 365, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/van-horn-v-industrial-commission-ariz-1974.