Source: https://www.leagle.com/decision/19791662594f2d106811489
Timestamp: 2017-08-17 05:52:08
Document Index: 186525451

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 912', '§ 912', '§ 913', '§ 933', '§ 914', '§ 930', '§ 912', '§ 912', '§ 912', '§ 912', '§ 913', '§ 930', '§ 930', '§ 913', '§ 913', '§ 921', '§ 921', '§ 920', '§ 933', '§ 913', '§ 6', '§ 914']

UNITED BRANDS CO. v. MELS | 594 F.2d 1068 (1979) | Leagle.com
594 F.2d
594 F.2d 1068 (1979)
UNITED BRANDS CO. v. MELSON
UNITED BRANDS COMPANY, Petitioner, v. Thad MELSON, and the Director, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, United States Department of Labor, Respondents.
Section 912(a)2 requires an employee to give written notice to the employer and to the deputy commissioner within thirty days after the employee knew, or reasonably should have known, that his illness is workrelated. Failure to comply with this section will be excused if the employer had knowledge of the injury and the deputy commissioner determines that the employer has not been prejudiced by failure to give such notice.3 33 U.S.C. § 912(d).4
United Brands urges that our decision in Strachan Shipping v. Davis, 571 F.2d 968 (5 Cir. 1978), mandates a reversal of the Benefits Review Board in this case. In Davis, an employee who had spent his career unloading dust boats left work at the shipping company in December 1968. The employee discovered that he had a work-related injury in August 1969 but failed to file a claim until August 1971. The Benefits Review Board was of the opinion that the employer's mere knowledge that the employee was suffering from an illness was sufficient to toll the limitations period of 33 U.S.C. § 912(a) and 33 U.S.C. § 913(a). We rejected the Board's view and directed that the claimant's claim be denied on the strength of the administrative law judge's finding that the employer or carrier had no knowledge that the illness was job related. We carefully reserved the question of whether employer knowledge includes the situation in which the employer "`should have known' of possible job-related illness." Id. at 974.
The Act contains two provisions that provide for a set-off. The first provision is 33 U.S.C. § 933. We have agreed with the Board that this section is inapplicable to the instant case. See § III, supra. The second provision of the Act that envisions a set-off is 33 U.S.C. § 914(k).16 This provision provides for a set-off when an employer has made advance compensation payments. This section is equally inapplicable. We agree with the Board that no section of the Act requires that Melson's federal award be reduced by his state settlement.
We feel compelled, however, to inquire further to determine if any overriding policy requires that Melson's federal award be reduced. Our own research has led us to a number of cases in which the federal court required that an award made under the Act be reduced by the amount of a state compensation award. Calbeck v. Travelers Ins. Co., 370 U.S. 114, 82 S.Ct. 1196, 1206, 8 L.Ed.2d 368 (1962); Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. v. O'Hearne, 192 F.2d 968, 971 (4 Cir. 1951); Western Boat Building v. O'Leary, 198 F.2d 409, 412 (9 Cir. 1952); Holland v. Harrison Bros. Dry Dock & Repair Yard, Inc., 306 F.2d 369, 370, 373 (5 Cir. 1962), modified on rehearing, 308 F.2d 570 (5 Cir. 1962); Peter v. Arrien, 325 F.Supp. 1361, 1366 n.2 (E.D.Pa.1971), aff'd, 463 F.2d 252, 253 n.1 (3 Cir. 1972). See also Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock v. Director, 583 F.2d 1273, 1277 n.4 (4 Cir. 1978), pet. for cert. filed, ___ U.S. ___, 99 S.Ct. 1232, 59 L.Ed.2d 465 (1979); Mass. Bonding & Ins. Co. v. Lawson, 149 F.2d 853, 854 (5 Cir. 1945); United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co. v. Lawson, 15 F.Supp. 116, 119 (S.D.Ga. 1936).
1. See 33 U.S.C. § 930(a), (f).
2. 33 U.S.C. § 912(a): Notice of an injury or death in respect of which compensation is payable under this chapter shall be given within thirty days after the date of such injury or death, or thirty days after the employee or beneficiary is aware or in the exercise of reasonable diligence should have been aware of a relationship between the injury or death and the employment. Such notice shall be given (1) to the deputy commissioner in the compensation district in which the injury occurred, and (2) to the employer.
3. Failure to comply with 33 U.S.C. § 912(a) will also be excused if the deputy commissioner determines that for some satisfactory reason notice should not be given and if the employer fails to object to the lack of notice at the first hearing of a claim of compensation. 33 U.S.C. § 912(d)(2).
4. 33 U.S.C. § 912(d): Failure to give such notice shall not bar any claim under this chapter (1) if the employer (or his agent in charge of the business in the place where the injury occurred) or the carrier had knowledge of the injury or death and the deputy commissioner determines that the employer or carrier has not been prejudiced by failure to give such notice, or (2) if the deputy commissioner excuses such failure on the ground that for some satisfactory reason such notice could not be given; nor unless objection to such failure is raised before the deputy commissioner at the first hearing of a claim for compensation in respect of such injury or death.
5. 33 U.S.C. § 913(a): Except as otherwise provided in this section, the right to compensation for disability or death under this chapter shall be barred unless a claim therefore is filed within one year after the injury or death. If payment of compensation has been made without an award on account of such injury or death, a claim may be filed within one year after the date of the last payment. Such claim shall be filed with the deputy commissioner in the compensation district in which such injury or death occurred. The time for filing a claim shall not begin to run until the employee or beneficiary is aware, or by the exercise of reasonable diligence should have been aware, of the relationship between the injury or death and the employment.
6. 33 U.S.C. § 930(f): Where the employer or the carrier has been given notice, or the employer (or his agent in charge of the business in the place where the injury occurred) or the carrier has knowledge, of any injury or death of an employee and fails, neglects, or refuses to file report thereof as required by the provisions of subdivision (a) of this section, the limitations in subdivision (a) of section 913 of this title shall not begin to run against the claim of the injured employee or his dependents entitled to compensation, or in favor of either the employer or the carrier, until such report shall have been furnished as required by the provisions of subdivision (a) of this section.
7. 33 U.S.C. § 930(a): Within ten days from the date of any injury or death or from the date that the employer has knowledge of a disease or infection in respect of such injury, the employer shall send to the Secretary a report setting forth (1) the name, address, and business of the employer; (2) the name, address, and occupation of the employee; (3) the cause and nature of the injury or death; (4) the year, month, day, and hour when and the particular locality where the injury or death occurred; and (5) such other information as the Secretary may require. A copy of such report shall be sent at the same time to the deputy commissioner in the compensation district in which the injury occurred.
8. The administrative law judge held, in the alternate, state compensation lawsuit tolled the one year limitations period under 33 U.S.C. § 913(a) under § 913(d). We need not reach this determination. See Ingalls Shipbuilding Division v. Hollinhead, 571 F.2d 272 (5 Cir. 1978); Wilson v. Donovan, 218 F.Supp. 944 (E.D.La.1963), aff'd, 328 F.2d 313 (5 Cir.), cert. denied, 379 U.S. 816, 85 S.Ct. 31, 13 L.Ed.2d 28 (1964).
9. For example, the Board's opinion contains the following passage: Employer argues that Section 30 should not apply where employer had no definite knowledge the injury was work-related. This contention has been rejected both in Davis v. Strachan Shipping Co., 2 BRBS 272, BRB No. 75-102 (Sept. 18, 1975), and Cain v. Fort Lee Officers' Open Mess, 1 BRBS 372, BRB No. 74-194 (March 31, 1975).
10. The Director suggests that our power is limited to reviewing decisions of the Benefits Review Board and we are unable to decide an issue not reached by the Board. The Director has cited no cases but suggests that such a limitation is implicit in the jurisdictional grant of 33 U.S.C. § 921. We do not read 33 U.S.C. § 921 as narrowly as the Director. We have the power to affirm, modify, or set aside, in whole or in part, the order of the Board. Today, we affirm the Board's order granting compensation to the claimant. We do not think the statute requires us to affirm for the reasons given by the Board. When the Board's order can be affirmed on a question of law, we think we are fully empowered to do so.
11. 33 U.S.C. § 920(a, b): In any proceeding for the enforcement of a claim for compensation under this chapter it shall be presumed, in the absence of substantial evidence to the contrary— (a) That the claim comes within the provisions of this chapter. (b) That sufficient notice of such claim has been given.
12. The Board suggested that this case is limited to a third party tortfeasor. We need not reach this point.
13. United Brands argues that this section applies to the present case because 33 U.S.C. § 933 speaks of a third person liable in damages and we have held the word "damages" includes workmen compensation suits. See Ingalls Shipbuilding Division v. Hollinhead, 571 F.2d 272 (5 Cir. 1978); Wilson v. Donovan, 218 F.Supp. 944 (E.D.La.1963), aff'd, 328 F.2d 313 (5 Cir.), cert. denied, 379 U.S. 816, 85 S.Ct. 31, 13 L.Ed.2d 28 (1964) (construing the word damages as used in 33 U.S.C. § 913(d) to include suits for compensation benefits). We find ourselves unable to agree with United Brands that the word "damages" is the operative word for our purposes. We think the important inquiry is to determine if McKnight's Service Station is a "third person" within the ambit of this section. We hold that the service station is not.
14. See United Brands Co. v. Melson, 569 F.2d 214 (5 Cir. 1978) (Order of Roney, J.).
15. We have borrowed this term from Black & Gilmore, Law of Admiralty § 6-52.
16. 33 U.S.C. § 914(k): If the employer has made advance payments of compensation, he shall be entitled to be reimbursed out of any unpaid installment or installments of compensation due.