Case Name: INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER, Appellee, v. THE INDUSTRIAL COMMISSION et al.-(Irving Steele, Appellant.)
Court: Illinois Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Illinois
Decision Date: 1978-01-27
Citations: 71 Ill. 2d 180
Docket Number: No. 48931
Parties: INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER, Appellee, v. THE INDUSTRIAL COMMISSION et al.-(Irving Steele, Appellant.)
Judges: 
Reporter: Illinois Reports, Second Series
Volume: 71
Pages: 180–194

Head Matter:
(No. 48931.
INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER, Appellee, v. THE INDUSTRIAL COMMISSION et al.-(Irving Steele, Appellant.)
Opinion filed January 27, 1978.
GOLDENHERSH, DOOLEY, and RYAN, JJ., dissenting.
Sneider & Troy, of Chicago (Gayle F. Haglund, Robert C. Morton, and Ronald J. Nowicki, of counsel), for appellant.
Raymond J. Kelly and Keith C. Hult, of Seyfarth, Shaw, Fairweather & Geraldson, of Chicago, for appellee.

Opinion:
MR. JUSTICE MORAN
delivered the opinion of the court:
The claimant, Irving Steele, appeals to this court from an order of the circuit court of Cook County which set aside the decision of the Industrial Commission (Commission) awarding him workmen's compensation benefits. The claimant had been awarded $328 for first aid, medical, surgical and hospital services not covered by the claimant's nonoccupational group insurance plan, and a total of $7,856.64 for temporary total incapacity and for the 20% loss of the use of his legs, pursuant to section 8 of the Workmen's Compensation Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1973, ch. 48, pars. 138.8(a), (b) and (e)).
The procedural chronology of this case is essential to an understanding of the dispute. On February 4, 1974, the arbitrator, in awarding workmen's compensation benefits, found that the claimant, an induction hardener operator for the employer, International Harvester, sustained an industrial injury on July 10, 1972. After consideration of additional evidence and with the benefit of oral argument, the Commission affirmed the arbitrator's decision. The Commission apparently posted its affirmance on April 10 or 11, 1975. On April 21, 1975, the employer, pursuant to section 19(f) of the Workmen's Compensation Act, filed a petition with the Commission requesting that the Commission correct its decision to reflect that $3,576 had been paid to the claimant through the claimant's nonoccupa tional group insurance plan. One week later, on April 28, the Commission filed its written decision. The employer received this decision by certified mail on April 30. On May 19, while the petition to correct was still pending before the Commission, the employer filed a petition for a writ of certiorari in the circuit court of Cook County. On July 1, that court granted the employer leave to withdraw the transcript of proceedings to permit the Commission to determine whether it would correct its alleged error. On September 2, hearing was held by the Commission regarding the employer's petition to correct such error, and, on September 25, the Commission entered an order denying the petition. The employer did not file another petition for a writ of certiorari subsequent to the September 25 order.
On April 21, 1976, claimant moved the court to strike the May 19 petition for writ of certiorari and to dismiss the action on the ground that the court lacked jurisdiction inasmuch as no petition for a writ of certiorari had been filed subsequent to the Commission's final decision on September 25, 1975. On July 13, the court denied the motion to dismiss. On August 31, 1976, the court set aside the decision of the Commission, stating that the claimant had not provided the employer with proper notice within 45 days of the accident as required under section 6(c) of the Workmen's Compensation Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1973, ch. 48, par. 138.6(c)). The claimant then appealed directly to this court pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 302(a) (58 Ill. 2d R. 302(a)). Because we hold that the court erred by denying the claimant's motion to dismiss for want of jurisdiction, we do not reach the question of whether the claimant properly notified his employer within 45 days of the accident.
Section 19(f)(1) provides that the circuit court shall, by writ of certiorari, have the power to review the decision of the Industrial Commission, and that suit shall be commenced within 20 days of the receipt of notice of the decision of the Commission. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1973, ch. 48, par. 138.19(f)(1).) It is well recognized that the circuit court can obtain jurisdiction only in the manner prescribed by the legislature, and that the party petitioning for a writ of certiorari must comply with all the conditions required by statute. (Berry v. Industrial Com. (1973), 55 Ill. 2d 274, 277; Moweaqua Coal Mining & Manufacturing Co. v. Industrial Com. (1926), 322 Ill. 403, 405.) Although the statute does not directly define the term "decision," this court has held that "a final determination by the Commission is contemplated." (Emphasis added.) (Metropolitan Sanitary District v. Industrial Com. (1967), 37 Ill. 2d 447, 449.) The employer acknowledges that it did not petition for a writ of certiorari subsequent to the September 25 final decision of the Commission. The employer contends, however, that its May 19 certiorari petition was not premature because the circuit court retained jurisdiction over the cause during the period in which the petition to correct was pending before the Commission. The employer's contention rests upon a restrictive interpretation of section 19(f) of the Workmen's Compensation Act, which section reads:
"The decision of the Commission acting within its powers, according to the provisions of paragraph (e) of this Section shall, in the absence of fraud, be conclusive unless reviewed as in this paragraph hereinafter provided. However, the Arbitrator or the Commission may on his or its own motion, or on the motion of either party, correct any clerical error or errors in computation within 15 days after the date of receipt of any award by such Arbitrator or any decision on review of the Commission and shall have the power to recall the original award oh arbitration or decision on review, and issue in lieu thereof such corrected award or decision. Where such correction is made the time for appeal or review herein specified shall begin to run from the date of the receipt of the corrected award or decision." Ill. Rev. Stat. 1973, ch. 48, par. 138.19(f).
The employer asserts, in essence, that the Commission's original decision of April 28 was final and appealable unless the Commission recalled and corrected its original decision within 15 days. The employer reads the last sentence of section 19(f) to imply that where such correction is not made, the time for appeal or review shall begin to run from the date of receipt of the original decision. We do not agree.
The purpose of section 19(f) is to provide the Commission an opportunity to correct its own clerical or computational errors so as to avoid the necessity of having the circuit court review such errors. The first sentence of the section provides that the decision of the Commission shall be conclusive unless reviewed for such clerical or computational errors. It is apparent that the statute, when read as a whole, vests continuing jurisdiction in the Commission to correct its alleged errors and that its decision is not final until the Commission determines whether or not to correct such errors. This court's decision in Zbilski v. Industrial Com. (1971), 48 Ill. 2d 131, supports this interpretation. In Zbilski, the Commission, on its own motion and within 15 days of its decision, notified the parties of an error in its decision which denied workmen's compensation benefits. It requested that the parties return their copies of the decision. The employee failed to return his copy and filed a petition for a writ of certiorari in the circuit court. Pursuant to the writ of certiorari, the circuit court set aside the decision of the Commission and reinstated the decision of the arbitrator awarding compensation. On appeal, this court reversed and remanded to the Commission, holding that " [s] ince the Commission * acknowledged that there was an error in its decision on review and had recalled the same, the court is not in a position to review the decision of the Commission until a final corrected decision has been made." Zbilski v. Industrial Com. (1971), 48 Ill. 2d 131, 134.
The employer mistakenly construes Zbilski to imply that, although jurisdiction to correct errors continued to reside in the Commission, the circuit court also had jurisdiction in the interim. Zbilski stands for the proposition that jurisdiction will not attach in the circuit court until the Commission renders its final decision. This is so whether the Commission ultimately allows or denies the relief requested in a petition to correct errors. This proposition is fully consistent with accepted procedural practices in related areas of the law. For example, a timely motion for rehearing, filed with an administrative agency pursuant to the Administrative Review Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1975, ch. 110, par. 264), prevents the original decision or order of the agency from being final and appealable. Only upon the disposition of the motion itself will the agency determination constitute a final and appealable order. Prematurely filing a petition for review in the court (prior to disposition of the motion pending before the agency) cannot confer jurisdiction to the reviewing court. See Clean Air Coordinating Committee v. Environmental Protection Agency (1976), 42 Ill. App. 3d 124, 128; Norris v. Board of Fire & Police Commissioners (1975), 30 Ill. App. 3d 224, 227.
The employer reads this court's decision in Schumann v. Industrial Com. (1975), 61 Ill. 2d 241, as implicitly recognizing that it need not file another petition for a writ of certiorari after the rendering of the Commission's section 19(f) decision. The Schumann opinion, however, does not indicate whether, subsequent to the Commission's corrected decision, the claimant filed a second petition for a writ of certiorari. In Schumann, the Commission reversed the arbitrator's award, finding that notice to the employer was not provided within the statutory time limit. The employer, noticing an incon sistency in the Commission's decision, filed a timely motion with the Commission to correct the alleged error, while the claimant proceeded to file a petition for a writ of certiorari in the circuit court. Shortly thereafter, the Commission issued a corrected decision. On certiorari, the trial court set aside both decisions of the Commission and reinstated the arbitrator's award. Upon reviewing the case on its merits, this court reversed the judgment of the circuit court. The issue of the circuit court's jurisdiction was not raised or addressed in the Schumann case.
It should be recalled that, in this case, the employer chose to petition the Commission to correct an alleged error. Upon filing such petition, it became incumbent upon the employer to await the Commission's final determination before seeking review in the circuit court.
Section 19(f) and section 19(f)(1) are consistent with accepted procedural practice only if they are interpreted to provide (1) that the arbitrator, the Commission or either party must submit any motion to correct clerical or computational errors within 15 days after the receipt of the arbitrator's findings or of the Commission's decision on review; (2) that, upon the timely submission of such motion, the arbitrator or the Commission shall retain exclusive jurisdiction over the cause until said motion is finally resolved; and (3) that any petition for a writ of certiorari filed prior to the resolution of a motion to correct such errors is premature, in that it is based on a decision which is not final and appealable.
The employer's May 19 petition for a writ of certiorari, filed prior to the Commission's final determination, was premature. As a consequence, the circuit court lacked jurisdiction to review the decision of the Industrial Commission and, therefore, erroneously denied the claimant's motion to dismiss for want of jurisdiction. •
Accordingly, the judgment of the circuit court of Cook County is reversed and the decision of the Industrial Commission is reinstated.
Judgment reversed; award reinstated.