Title: Salazar v. Lavaland Heights Block Company

State: new-mexico

Issuer: New Mexico Supreme Court

Document:

402 P.2d 948 (1965) 75 N.M. 211 Alex SALAZAR, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. LAVALAND HEIGHTS BLOCK COMPANY, Employer, and Pacific Employers Insurance Company, Insurer, Defendants-Appellees (two cases). Nos. 7533-7557. Supreme Court of New Mexico. May 10, 1965. Rehearing Denied June 23, 1965. *949 Gallagher & Walker, Albuquerque, for plaintiff-appellant. Key & May. Albuquerque, for defendants-appellees. CHAVEZ, Justice. Cause No. 7533, Alex Salazar, plaintiff-appellant, v. Lavaland Heights Block Company, employer, and Pacific Employers Insurance Company, insurer, defendants-appellees, was consolidated with cause No. 7557 between the identical parties. In cause No. 7533, plaintiff appeals from the trial court's judgment that plaintiff was not entitled to any workmen's compensation payment and that plaintiff's complaint be dismissed with prejudice. In cause No. 7557, plaintiff appeals from the trial court's dismissal of the complaint on the basis that the judgment entered in cause No. 7533 is res judicata as to this action. In cause No. 7533 the trial court found: The trial court made the following conclusions of law: Plaintiff-appellant's first point is that the trial court erred in concluding that plaintiff's claim was barred by the statute of limitations. Plaintiff relies solely upon Cordova v. City of Albuquerque, 71 N.M. 491, 379 P.2d 781, to sustain this point. In that case the only question was whether the claim was filed within one year from the date the employer failed or refused to pay compensation. After the plaintiff in the Cordova case was injured and treated, he continued to work for the defendant, although complaining of pain in his back to his foreman and associates. The defendant contended that, since no latent injury was involved, the one-year statute of limitations began to run on the date of the injury and was not tolled or suspended. In that case we stated: The facts in the Cordova case are similar to those in the instant case. Here plaintiff continued to work and was paid his regular salary for the work performed; defendant did furnish plaintiff with a helper for a short period and then changed plaintiff to an easier job; plaintiff complained of pain at all times after his injury, continued seeing his doctor, and was forced to wear a spinal belt. Although defendants agree that the Cordova case is similar, they contend that the trial court's finding No. 8, hereinbefore quoted, distinguishes this case from Cordova. It is defendants' contention that the "suspicious circumstances," which we concluded were not present in Cordova, are present in this case. The suspicious circumstances relied upon by defendants are: (1) Plaintiff's testimony that he had probably talked to his attorney sometime before January 1962, and had told him that the insurance company had refused to pay him anything; (2) plaintiff's testimony that from the date of the injury on June 23, 1961, he continued to be disabled as a result of such injury until the date of the trial; (3) the testimony of the general manager and the superintendent of defendant Lavaland, that plaintiff continued to complain about his back hurting him; (4) plaintiff's testimony that he missed no time from work and continued receiving medical treatment from June 23, 1961, until the present time; (5) that defendant insurance company paid $129 to Dr. Rosenbaum on plaintiff's bill, that in October 1961, the insurance company also paid Dr. Rosenbaum $193.64 on plaintiff's account and, although no compensation was paid to plaintiff, defendant insurance company did offer plaintiff's attorney a settlement sometime in April 1962. We believe the suspicious circumstances referred to in the Cordova case meant a showing that the claimant's earning ability was reduced so as to create a present right in the claimant to receive, and in the employer *952 to pay compensation. This is our understanding of the last sentence in the quotation from Cordova, supra. Although plaintiff was given a helper for a short time after the June 23rd incident, and was then given lighter work operating a hyster, his pay was not reduced, and nothing was shown to indicate he did not earn his salary so as to come within the exception noted in Winter v. Roberson Construction Company, 70 N.M. 187, 372 P.2d 381, 96 A.L.R.2d 933. As a matter of fact, employer concedes this to be true in its answer brief. Plaintiff in the instant case complained of back pains until he was discharged. However, in Cordova, plaintiff also complained of back pains. "Suspicious circumstances" as defined in Cordova and explained above were not present so as to result in the running of the statute of limitations. This case goes further than the Cordova case in that here the plaintiff continued seeing his doctor and receiving treatments for his back ailment. Defendants contend that this is a suspicious circumstance sufficient to distinguish the instant case from Cordova. In Rayburn v. Boys Super Market, Inc., 74 N.M. 712, 397 P.2d 953, we said: And on motion for rehearing we further stated: Despite plaintiff's efforts to receive insurance payments and negotiate a settlement, and despite his testimony that he was disabled (when in fact under our statute he was not), we hold that the Cordova and Rayburn cases are controlling and the trial court erred in holding that the statute of limitations barred this action by plaintiff. We, however, reserve final disposition of this case pending examination of the remaining points. *953 Plaintiff-appellant's next two points will be disposed of together and are as follows: If we uphold the trial court's finding that plaintiff failed to prove the elements necessary to entitle him to compensation under our statute, specifically that plaintiff "was not in fact disabled as a natural and direct result of said accident," then it is immaterial that plaintiff is disabled. In view of the statutory requirements that the disability must be a natural and direct result of the accident, it is evident that findings of fact Nos. 4 and 11 had the effect of finding that any disability was not the natural and direct result of the accident. Montano v. Saavedra, 70 N.M. 332, 373 P.2d 824, disposes of the question herein presented. Montano is strikingly similar to the case before us and the same doctor testified in both cases. In that case we said: The testimony of the expert witness is very similar in Montano and the instant case. To set forth such testimony here would unduly lengthen this opinion and be of little significance. From our examination of the testimony of the expert witness we believe there is ample evidence from which the trial court could reach its decision. Although there was evidence from which the opposite result could have been reached, the trial court was the trier of the facts and we cannot say that the trial court's findings resulted from an incorrect evaluation of the facts. In view of the Montano case, supra, and the facts in the case before us, we hold that the findings of fact attacked in plaintiff's points II and III, being supported by substantial evidence, the plaintiff's position is without merit. Our holding that the trial court was in error in its finding that plaintiff's claim was barred by the statute of limitations is ordinarily reversible error, and the case would be remanded for a new trial had the only reason for dismissal below been the statute of limitations. However, the trial court further disallowed plaintiff's claim because the disability was not the natural and direct result of the accident, which we hold is supported by the evidence. Therefore, plaintiff was properly denied any compensation in the trial court and to reverse and remand would be meaningless, because plaintiff is not entitled to recover. The error of the trial court is harmless error in this particular instance. Plaintiff-appellant's fourth point is that the trial court erred in dismissing with prejudice *954 plaintiff's second suit for relief under the Workmen's Compensation Act. It is argued that, in order for plaintiff to prevail under this point, it is necessary that he contend that the first suit was prematurely filed. Plaintiff submits this point as an alternative in that, if we hold that the first suit was premature and should have been dismissed, then the trial court was in error in dismissing the second suit. This question was decided in Kleiner v. O'Kelley, 22 N.M. 624, 167 P. 1, wherein we quoted 1 C.J. 1152 as follows: In 1 C.J.S. Actions § 127, pp. 1393-1395, it is stated: That no different rule is applicable in a workmen's compensation case clearly follows from what we said in State ex rel. Kermac Nuclear Fuels Corp. v. Larrazolo, 70 N.M. 475, 375 P.2d 118. Plaintiff-appellant went to trial on the merits of the action in the first case and cannot now be heard to raise the question of premature filing. In that case the trial court found that it had jurisdiction and decided the case. Even if the court found that the amended complaint cured the premature complaint, it is immaterial because no objection was made to the premature nature of the complaint. Plaintiff here asserts that his own complaint was premature. This is different from the statement quoted above from Kleiner v. O'Kelley, supra, which referred to defendant's failure to object; however, the statement applies with equal force to plaintiff. We hold that the trial court properly dismissed the second suit by plaintiff and that judgment is affirmed. It follows from what has been said that the judgment of the trial court in both cases should be affirmed. It is so ordered. NOBLE and MOISE, JJ., concur.