Clopper v. Railways Ice Co.
Clopper v. Railways Ice Co.
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
This is an action by a physician for a balance of $467.50 claimed to be due him from defendant for medical services rendered to one Cecelio Hernandez, an employee of the defendant, by reason of an alleged contract made with plaintiff by which this defendant employed him to take care of the employee and agreed to pay for the services rendered. There was a trial to a jury, which answered special questions and returned a general verdict for plaintiff, on which judgment was rendered. Defendant has appealed.
The facts disclosed by the record are not seriously in dispute and may be stated briefly as follows: The defendant, the Railways Ice Company, has two ice manufacturing plants at Kansas City, Kan.,
“While your total bill was $276, the total medical expense was $868.45, and we only had the $200 allowed under the compensation act by the commission m the award with which to make these payments.”
The letter expressed regret that the allowance under the award was not sufficient to pay plaintiff’s bill in full and the hope that the company might be able to cooperate with plaintiff in the future to the extent of making this not a loss. When plaintiff was called to treat Hernandez he had been the physician for the insurance company for more than twelve years, had been frequently called to treat employees injured under similar circumstances, and had been paid for his services by the insurance company. He testified that
“Q. You say, then, you were acting as the insurance company doctor operating on that man and attending him? A. Yes.
“Q. Now, you have been shown a letter here from the Zurich Insurance Company dated August 14. Up to that time, did you think you was the doctor for the Zurich Insurance Company and they were going to pay you your bill —up until you got this letter? A. Yes.
“Q. Up to that time you fully expected the insurance company would pay you? A. Yes.”
Sometime prior to August 14 plaintiff saw S. A. McLain, local manager of the Railways Ice Company, at the hospital. McLain asked plaintiff how the man was getting along, what his condition was, and what his show was to get well. Plaintiff told him.
“Q. What did he [McLain] say, if anything, to you (plaintiff) about your proceeding with the case and looking after him? A. He was very sorry for the man’s condition and hoped we would be able to do something for him; we should do everything we possibly could — I think was about the substance of these conversations.”
Plaintiff never wrote to defendant any letter asking it to pay his bill. The first the defendant knew plaintiff was expecting it to pay any part of his bill was when it received a summons in this action.
The jury answered special questions as follows:
“1. Did anyone connected with the defendant company tell the plaintiff that the defendant company would pay his bill for treatment? A. No.”
“3. Did plaintiff at any time while rendering treatment to said Hernandez ever advise defendant company that he expected the company to pay his bill? A. No.”
“5. Did the plaintiff, when he accepted the said Hernandez as a patient, do so with the belief that he, the plaintiff, would be paid for his services by the insurance company carrying defendant’s compensation insurance, the Zurich General Accident and Liability Insurance Company? A. No.”
Defendant’s motion to set aside the answer to special question
Appellant contends that its demurrer to plaintiff’s evidence should have been sustained. We concur in that view. In plaintiff’s petition he predicated his grounds for recovery against defendant on the allegation that at the time of the injury to the workman, on March 30,1930, the defendant, the Railways Ice Company, “entered into a contract with this plaintiff and employed him to take care of said patient and agreed to pay for the services rendered.” We are unable to find any evidence in the record to sustain that allegation. It is clear from the evidence that the relation of the parties among themselves was clearly understood. The defendant and its workmen were operating under the compensation act. Defendant carried insurance for the benefit of its workmen, as required by the compensation act. The insurance company was required to pay for medical attention to injured workmen in the amount determined by the compensation commissioner, not exceeding the maximum provided by statute. To provide the medical service required by the compensation act, and to carry out its liability under its policy, the insurance company had arranged with plaintiff to act as its physician in such cases, and plaintiff’s name had been furnished to defendant. Plaintiff was called because of that arrangement. He undertook the employment. He thoroughly understood it, as his own testimony clearly discloses. He expected the insurance company to pay him until after he received the letter of August 14. He never at any time prior to bringing this action, either in writing or by parol, requested defendant to pay any part of his bill for services.
In support of the judgment of the trial court appellee does not contend the evidence showed an express contract, but contends that a contract for defendant to pay for the services was necessarily implied by the fact that defendant’s representative called him to treat
From what has been said it necessarily follows that the judgment of the court below must be reversed, with directions to enter judgment for defendant. It is so ordered.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Dr. D. E. Clopper v. The Railways Ice Company
- Cited By
- 1 case
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- Published