Case Title: Fagan Electric Company v. Green

Citation: 308 S.W.2d 810

Docket Number: 5-1412

State: arkansas

Court: Arkansas Supreme Court

Date: 1958-01-13T00:00:00Z

Document:
308 S.W.2d 810 (1958) FAGAN ELECTRIC COMPANY, Appellant, v. Roy L. GREEN, Appellee. No. 5-1412. Supreme Court of Arkansas. January 13, 1958. *811 S. Hubert Mayes, Little Rock, for appellant. Lookadoo, Gooch & Lookadoo, Arkadelphia, for appellee. HARRIS, Chief Justice. Roy L. Green, in the course of his employment with the Fagan Electric Company, received, on December 22, 1950, a compensable injury. He was thereafter paid temporary total disability for a healing period of 55 weeks at $25 per week. At the conclusion of the healing period, it was determined that Green had a 20% permanent partial disability to the body as a whole. This represented 90 weeks of compensation at $25 per week. This was paid to Green, and on September 28, 1953, when the last payment of $25 was tendered to him, he was requested to sign Form A-ll (which is a required form of receipt by the Commission). Green refused to sign, it being his contention that he was entitled to a greater percentage of disability. The case thereafter was heard by one of the referees, and an opinion was rendered on September 19, 1955, in which the referee held there was no greater residual attributable to the accident of December 22, 1950, than the 20% admitted by appellant. A timely appeal was taken by Green to the full Commission. Thereafter, on May 15, 1956, the Commission rendered its opinion, in which it sustained the original opinion of the referee, and denied any additional claims for compensation. Whereupon Green appealed to the Circuit Court of Hot Spring County. On April 2, 1957, the said Circuit Court rendered a judgment reversing the Workmen's Compensation Commission, and directed that an award be entered compensating Green for permanent and total disability. From such judgment appellant brings this appeal. Green's injuries, occasioned by a tree falling on him, were rather severe, and included a fractured spine, a brain concussion, and a fractured wrist. Three operations were performed on the wrist alone, and he was hospitalized off and on for about a year, last hospitalization occurring in May of 1951, at which time there was an operation on his right arm. In August, 1952, he commenced work for the Arkadelphia Sand and Gravel Company[1] (where he had previously been employed before working for Fagan Electric Company). His duties consisted of driving a locomotive engine[2] from the plant to the river, a distance of about a half mile each way, hauling gravel. Fred Wells, superintendent, stated this was light work, and he would not put Green on heavy work. He stated that Green was a willing and satisfactory worker, but somewhat irregular. In his words: "Just roughly, I'd say he would come down, maybe work this week, maybe next week lose two or three days of that weekjust in and out that way." In Wells' opinion, Green's condition was growing worse. Green's testimony as to his condition, briefly summarized, is as follows: It was approximately two years after the accident before he attempted to work at all; it is necessary that he stay busy, otherwise, he is like something "caged up"; he is extremely nervous, and suffers constantly except when "my head and neck all goes to sleep",his head hurts all the time, and he is unable to sleep,he has to take sedatives,he has "black out" spells, when his head would hurt, he would "go wild" and chew his tongue,that he now *812 becomes irritated and angry easily; "Anytime anybody messes with me, I am mad; my wife, or anything else. If I go out to the porch, at times I have gone home from work, something or other, if a dog rears at me, it makes me mad, kill him right then. Whenever I get that way something hits me. Everything goes out. Maybe I have forgotten about the dog. Looks like a thousand lights hits my head." He further testified that when he is not busy, he worries; that he will not travel by himself, and that the condition referred to came about after the accident; that prior thereto, he was entirely able bodied. Green's wife corroborated much of this testimony. Green's medical evidence consisted of reports by Dr. F. Walter Caruthers of Little Rock, Dr. Frank Padberg of Little Rock, Dr. R. L. Bryant of Arkadelphia, and Dr. Joe Winston Reid of Arkadelphia. At the request of the Commission, Green was examined by Oschncr's Clinic in New Orleans, and the report of Dr. Homer Kirgis is favorable to Green. The reports are rather extensive, and can only be briefly summarized here. Dr. Caruthers' report of October 16, 1953, sets out that Green is mentally disturbed, and The report concludes by stating that it is his opinion that the general overall body disability amounts to a minimum of 30 to 35%. Dr. Padberg's findings, dated October 8, 1953, are based entirely on the patient's history. He found Green to be "quite anxious," and stated that he appeared to have some disturbance with recollection of dates. From the report: Dr. Bryant found: Dr. Reid saw Green regularly over a period of five or six years, and submitted several reports. It was his opinion that Green's symptoms and attacks were the results of the injuries received in 1950. On November 9, 1955, Dr. Reid stated: *813 Dr. Kirgis, in a report of October 9, 1954, stated: On December 23, a further report was mailed to the Commission by Dr. Kirgis, which concludes by stating: The medical evidence on the part of appellant consisted of the reports of Dr. Fred Harris of Little Rock, Dr. H. M. Nixon of Little Rock, Dr. Joe F. Shuffield of Little Rock, and Dr. Robert Watson of Little Rock. Dr. Harris' report, dated July 26, 1952, concluded by finding: Dr. Nixon's report, dated January 25, 1952, concluded: The report of Dr. Shuffield, dated July 10, 1952, finds: Dr. Watson made several examinations of Green over a period of time, concluding such examinations on January 31, 1955, as reflected by his report of February 9, 1955. It might be pointed out also that the report from Dr. Kirgis showed Green's blood pressure 200/120. Dr. Reid concurred in a report dated August 9, 1955, by saying, "His blood pressure continues to range from high normal to an extremely high pressure." The Commission found that "* * * claimant herein, by reason of the compensable accidental injury sustained December 22, 1950, suffers residual permanent partial disability of 20% to the body as a whole. * * *" This finding was largely based upon the statements of Dr. Watson. The Commission said: The only question before this Court is whether there was substantial evidence to support the finding of the Commission. *815 As was said in Hughes v. Tapley, 206 Ark. 739, 177 S.W.2d 429, 430: In the same case it was also said: Both holdings have been reiterated numerous times, and such is recognized as well settled law in this state. Appellee points out that Dr. Watson was the only one of appellant's witnesses to examine Green after September 28, 1953, while examinations by appellee's medical witnesses were made subsequent to that time. This fact, of course, merely goes to the weight of the evidence, and was due to be considered, along with all other circumstances, in reaching conclusions. As far as we know, this fact was considered. Obviously, appellee made rather a strong case, but though we had the inclination to do so, we are completely without authority to overturn the ruling of the Commission if there is substantial evidence to sustain same. Here, the evidence was rather conflicting, but clearly both sides presented evidence of a substantial nature. Such evidence included (from both sides) statements of doctors who are widely recognized. It was simply a matter of which evidence proved more persuasive to the Commission. For this Court to hold contrary to the findings of the Commission, would be merely to substitute our judgment for theirs. We are not a jury, and as stated in H. C. Price Construction Company v. Southern, 216 Ark. 113, 224 S.W.2d 358, 359: "* * * It is immaterial that we might reach a different conclusion if we were permitted to try the case anew. * * *" Accordingly, the judgment of the Hot Spring Circuit Court is reversed, and the cause is remanded with directions to enter judgment affirming the findings of the Commission. [1] Works eight or nine hours a day during the week at an hourly wage of 80. [2] A Plymouth automobile with the wheels changed.