Independence Indemnity Co. v. Industrial Accident Commission
Independence Indemnity Co. v. Industrial Accident Commission
Opinion of the Court
Petition to review and annul an award of the Industrial Accident Commission. R. G. Harrol, the employee, was injured on February 24, 1933, when a spike pierced his thigh. He was employed at the time as an engineer at Yerba Buena Island, California, by Healy-Tibbetts Construction Company. The injury, although it did not cause temporary disability beyond the waiting period of seven days, required medical attention, and this care was authorized by the employer. The employee was treated by Dr. J. Minton Meherin, and a bill of $7.15 was incurred. The Independence Indemnity Company was the insurance carrier of the employer at the time of the injury. This company was reinsured with the International Re-Insurance Corporation. Both these companies subsequently went into receivership. Dr. J. Minton Meherin filed an application for an adjustment of the claim with the Commission on July 1, 1933, naming as defendants therein Healy-Tibbetts Construction Company, the Independence Indemnity Company, and R. G. Harrol, the injured employee. The case was set down for hearing by the Commission, and notice of the hearing was served on all the parties by mail, the notice to R. G. Harrol being mailed to him, care of Dr. J. Minton Meherin, at Dr. Meherin’s office address, as his last-known address. The employee did not appear before the Commission at the hearing, and no communications were received from him. The jurisdictional facts, that the injury arose out of and occurred during the course of his employment, were established by the testimony of Dr. Meherin’s secretary, who had taken the case history from the injured employee at the time of his treatment, and by the report of the accident by the employer to the insurance company. In addition, there was filed by Dr. Meherin an attending physician’s report, which stated. the nature of the injury and the treatment. At the hearing the referee joined as a party defendant the International Re-Insurance Corporation. An award was made by the Commission in favor of the injured employee, R. G. Harrol, against the Independence Indemnity Company and International Re-Insurance Corporation for the sum of $7.15 for medical expense, payable by way of lien directly to J. Minton Meherin.
This is a companion case to the case of Independence Indemnity Co., etc., v. Industrial Acc. Com., S. F. No. 15206 (ante, p. 397 [41 Pac. (2d) 320]), this day decided.
The award so made is affirmed.
Preston, J., Shenk, J., Waste, C. J., and Langdon, J., concurred.
Thompson, J., deeming himself disqualified, did not participate herein.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- INDEPENDENCE INDEMNITY COMPANY, by E. FORREST MITCHELL, Insurance Commissioner, etc., and Liquidator v. INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT COMMISSION and J. MINTON MEHERIN, M. D.
- Status
- Published