Williams v. American Employers' Ins.

107 F.2d 953, 71 App. D.C. 153, 1939 U.S. App. LEXIS 4688
CourtCourt of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
DecidedNovember 6, 1939
DocketNo. 7325
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 107 F.2d 953 (Williams v. American Employers' Ins.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Williams v. American Employers' Ins., 107 F.2d 953, 71 App. D.C. 153, 1939 U.S. App. LEXIS 4688 (D.C. Cir. 1939).

Opinion

VINSON, Associate Justice.

This is a compensation case. An award by the deputy commissioner against the Root Pop Bottling Works (hereinafter called the employer) and the American Employers’ Insurance Company, as insurance carrier, was entered in favor of appellant, Curtis Williams, (hereinafter called the employee) under the provisions of the Longshoremen’s and Harbor Workers’ Act,1 for injuries received by him.

In accordance with sec. 921(b) of the Act, appellee, insurance carrier, sued in the district court for a mandatory injunction, enjoining the award of the deputy commissioner, alleging that Williams was not an employee under the Act and requesting a trial de novo in that court to establish the fact of, or lack of, employment, and if employment was found to exist, for a statutory review under the Act. Williams intervened and alleged that he was in the employ of the company; that the injury he received arose out of and in the course of his employment; and, that the findings of the deputy commissioner to this effect were conclusive upon the district court. The district court refused to disturb the finding of the deputy commissioner that the relationship of master and servant existed,2 but, on the record of the proceed[954]*954ings had before the deputy commissioner, made the following finding: “I find no evidence in the record of the hearings before the Assistant Commissioner to sustain his findings that the defendant Williams was injured in the course of his employment, and it would be a further waste of time to have any further hearings of this case.”

The court, thereupon, entered a decree permanently enjoining the compensation order and award, holding that it was “not in accordance with law.” From this decree an appeal was taken.

It appears from the record, and the deputy commissioner so found, that on the day of the accident Myles, a driver-salesman of the employer, and the employee were making their regular trip selling and delivering soft drinks on a route in southern Maryland. Employee’s duties were to help load and unload the truck at the employer’s plant and to carry cases of soft drinks to and from the truck at the various places of delivery, and, at times, to drive the truck. He was under the exclusive supervision and control of Myles. While returning to the employer’s plant in Washington, and before they had serviced the last customer on their route, Myles purchased ah automobile for his own personal use. He instructed the employee to drive the employer’s truck to the last customer’s place of business. Myles drove the automobile there. After servicing this last customer, they were to return to the Washington plant where the employee would unload the empties and reload the truck that evening in preparation for the next day’s work. Myles ordered the employee to drive his recently purchased automobile and to follow closely behind the truck, which Myles drove. Their expressed intention was to turn off the road at some point distant and drive to Myles’ home, where his automobile would be left. Then they -would proceed in the employer’s truck to the plant and there reload the truck. While thus returning on the direct route to Washington and the employer’s plant, and before they had arrived at the junction of the road leading to Myles’ home, the automobile driven by the employee was sideswiped resulting in the injuries for which he was awarded compensation."

Further, the deputy commissioner found that the injury in question resulted while the employee was performing service as a helper or jumper for the employer; that at the time of the injury the employee was on his way back to town by means of transportation, which had -been furnished to him by his superior, and in accordance with the instructions of his superior; that he was an employee of the Root Pop Bottling Works; and, that “the injury arose out of and in the course of employment.”

The findings of the deputy commissioner upon questions of fact “as to the circumstances, nature, extent and consequences of the injuries sustained by the employee for which compensation is to be made in accordance with the prescribed standard” are conclusive upon the district court, and upon this court, if supported by substantial evidence. Crowell v. Benson, 285 U.S. 22, 52 S.Ct. 285, 76 L.Ed. 598; Voehl v. Indemnity Ins. Co., 288 U.S. 162, 53 S.Ct. 380, 77 L.Ed. 676, 87 A.L.R. 245. However, “if not in accordance with law, a compensation order may be suspended or set aside, in whole or in part, through injunction proceedings, mandatory or otherwise, brought by any party in interest against the deputy commissioner making the order, * * Sec. 921(b).

The question before us, then, is whether or not the facts as found by the deputy commissioner support his finding that the injury to the employee arose out of and in the course of his employment. We think that they do.

Employee’s work took him out of the city on long trips, after which he would return to the employer’s plant to complete the day’s work. Until he had returned to the plant and loaded the truck he had performed but part of his work. At the time of the injury there was necessity for travel to bring him to the employer’s plant for him there to continue work beneficial to the employer. The very nature of the services rendered required the employer to furnish employee with return transportation. The employer, through employee’s immediate superior, furnished the mode of transportation for the return to the plant and ordered him to use it. Had the employee been directed to return to the plant by bus, trolley, or train, it could not be doubted that he was continuing in the employer’s work. The fact that the em[955]*955ployer’s agent chose to return him in this particular automobile owned by the driver-salesman did not remove him from his employment. Such circumstance is incidental and of no importance. Employers’ Liability Assur. Corp. v. Hoage, 63 App.D.C. 53, 69 F.2d 227. “The test in brief is this: If the work of the employee creates the necessity for travel, he is in the course of his employment, though he is serving at the same time some purpose of his own.” Marks’ Dependents v. Gray, 251 N.Y. 90, 167 N.E. 181, 183.

So likewise falls the contention that the understanding that employee would drive the car to his superior’s home constitutes a departure from the course of employment. It was understood that the employee would drive the automobile to his superior’s home and thence be carried to the plant in a truck. But it must be remembered that the accident occurred on the usual and only route by which employee could return to Washington and the plant. He had not reached the junction with the road which led to the superior’s home. His employment exposed him to the hazards of the road upon which the injury occurred.3 It is not a case where the injury occurred after deviating from the route the employee should travel. As Judge Cardózo said, “He did not abandon the business merely because at the same time that he was attending to it he served some other purpose. How the case would stand if the collision had occurred in the course of deviation from the route, we need not now inquire. Deviation there never was.

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Bluebook (online)
107 F.2d 953, 71 App. D.C. 153, 1939 U.S. App. LEXIS 4688, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/williams-v-american-employers-ins-cadc-1939.