Industrial Commission v. Glenn
Industrial Commission v. Glenn
Opinion of the Court
The application of Charles Glenn for compensation for an injury claimed to have been the result of a fall from a ladder, while in the course of his employment, was filed with the Industrial Commission. Upon consideration the commission rejected the claim on the ground that the disability which was the basis thereof was not caused by an injury sustained in the course of his employment. This finding was made and the claim rejected by the commission on November 12, 1915. From such action an appeal was filed by the claimant on October 9, 1917, in the court of common pleas of Columbiana county, the county wherein it is claimed the injury was inflicted.
After this matter was at issue before the industrial commission, the statute and rules of the commission were amended. Since such amendments in no wise affect the question of law presented in this case, and for convenience only, we will refer to the statute and rules as now in force.
The provisions of Section 1465-90, General Code, are as follows: “In case the final action of such commission denies the right of the claimant to participate at all or to continue to participate in such fund on the ground that' * * * the accident did not arise in the course of employment * * * the claimant, within thirty (30) days after the notice of the final action of such commission, may, by filing his appeal in the common pleas court of the county wherein- the injury was inflicted * * *, be entitled to a trial in the ordinary way, and be entitled to a jury if he demands it.”
The commission pursuant to the provisions of Section 1465-44, General Code, authorizing it to adopt rules to govern its procedure, has made provision for the filing of applications for rehearing of claims denied by the commission; such rule provides that within thirty days after being notified of the final action of the commission adverse to the
In this case an application for a rehearing was not filed until August 7, 1917, and such application was denied September 25, 1917. The appeal in this case was filed within thirty days thereafter, but not within thirty days after the claim was disallowed. In fact, as these dates disclose, no application for a rehearing was filed until nearly two years subsequent to the rejection of the applicant’s claim by the Industrial Commission.
These rules of the commission do not take away any right conferred upon the claimant by law; rather they extend the time for consideration of the applicant’s claim and give further opportunity to present proofs before a final order is made. This, however, upon the condition that such application for rehearing is filed within thirty days. If that be done, then, under the rules of the commission, its final order is deferred until the con
The further rule wherein it is provided that the commission will consider an application for a rehearing, even though filed subsequent to said thirty days, evidences a desire and purpose upon the part of the Industrial Commission to give most careful consideration to every claim, and it cannot.be held that the adoption of such rule by the commission serves to repeal the limitation prescribed by the legislature.
The view taken by counsel for the applicant would permit an appeal, no matter how many years subsequent to the rejection of such claim by the Industrial Commission, provided that an application for a rehearing was filed and the same denied by the Industrial Commission within thirty days prior to the filing of such appeal. The claimant cannot by the mere act of filing such application for rehearing, which is denied, re-vest himself with a right, which he has lost under the express terms of the very statute upon which he must rely for any relief' whatever. The argument of counsel for applicant, that the thirty-day period for appeal does not begin to run until the final order,
It can readily be seen, as urged upon the hearing, that if the rule of the commission could have the effect of indefinitely extending the time for filing an appeal, it would become necessary for the commission to amend its rules so that there could be no application for a rehearing filed subsequent to thirty days, thus working an injury instead of conferring a benefit upon those in whose interest the workmen’s compensation act was passed.
In our opinion the Industrial Commission, by the adoption of such rules, attempted to afford the widest latitude possible for a fair and full investigation of every claim, and that is commendable, but it has not the power to extend the time for appeal expressly fixed by statute; nor has this court such power. The limitation has been fixed by a legislative provision which is clear and explicit, and if the time for appeal so prescribed is too short the legislature should so amend the law as to afford a proper period for such purpose. That limitation as fixed by the statute in force is thirty days. The application in this case was filed nearly two years after the order of the commission disallowing the claim. The common pleas court did not have jurisdiction to entertain the appeal.
Judgment reversed, and judgment for plaintiff in error.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.