United Engineers & Constructors, Inc. v. Anderson
United Engineers & Constructors, Inc. v. Anderson
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
The single question is whether an earlier determination by the workmen’s compensation bureau was so dis-positive of the issues presented by a later petition as to constitute res adjudicata and thus deprive the bureau of jurisdiction to entertain the later petition.
On June 14th, 1934, Thomas Anderson filed his first petition. lie alleged therein that he had suffered compensable
On June 14th, 1935, Anderson filed another petition seeking compensation. It, too, asserted that the petitioner would not be able to work again. It further alleged a progressive increase of the disability. The employer moved to dismiss the second petition upon the ground that the claim for compensation having been once heard and denied no further right to compensation existed, and that as the bureau had heard and denied the claim for one hundred per eént. total disability that determination constituted res adjudicada against a claim for compensation based upon increased disability.
We do not follow that reasoning. In the first place, neither the original petition nor the bill of particulars filed thereunder claimed precisely what prosecutor asserts. The language did not constitute a claim for one hundred per cent. permanent disability; but even if it were so construed, a determination of the bureau adverse to that contention would not of itself prevent a review upon a claim of subsequently increased disability. Ecken v. O’Brien, 115 N. J. L. 33; 178 Atl. Rep. 373.
We find no bar in the 1935 determination to a timely review upon the ground of disability increased since the making of that determination. The new petition is not nicely framed as a petition for review but it may be so construed, and the deputy commissioner sitting in the cause entertained it as such. His language is: “If I had found on the original hearing that the petitioner was totally disabled of course then there would be no cause of action. But I didn’t find that. I
The writ will be dismissed, with costs.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- UNITED ENGINEERS AND CONSTRUCTORS, INCORPORATED, PROSECUTOR v. THOMAS ANDERSON
- Cited By
- 3 cases
- Status
- Published