Case Name: Barry L. HUGHES, Petitioner, v. PUBLIC FINANCE SERVICE, INC., et al., Respondents
Court: Florida Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1975-05-07
Citations: 319 So. 2d 18
Docket Number: No. 45537
Parties: Barry L. HUGHES, Petitioner, v. PUBLIC FINANCE SERVICE, INC., et al., Respondents.
Judges: ROBERTS, McCAIN and OVERTON, JJ., and CREWS and McCRARY, Circuit Judges, concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 319
Pages: 18–22

Head Matter:
Barry L. HUGHES, Petitioner, v. PUBLIC FINANCE SERVICE, INC., et al., Respondents.
No. 45537.
Supreme Court of Florida.
May 7, 1975.
Rehearing Denied Oct. 20, 1975.
Larry Klein, Cone, Wagner, Nugent, Johnson & McKeown, P. A., West Palm Beach, for petitioner.
Charles L. Rowe and Majorie D. Gadarian, Jones, Paine & Foster, West Palm Beach, for respondents.

Opinion:
LEE, J. CAIL, Circuit Judge.
By Petition for a Writ of Certiorari, we have for review an Order of the Industrial Relations Commission dated April 15, 1974, reversing the Order of the Judge of Industrial Claims on the basis that there was not "competent substantial evidence to sustain the findings of the Judge of Industrial Claims 'that the claimant did not realize that his injuries were compensable under workmen's compensation' [and that] the Judge was in error in finding that the failure of [Petitioner] to put [Respondents] on notice prior to the settlement of this claim against the third party tort-feasor was not prejudicial" .
We have jurisdiction pursuant to Article V, Section 3(b)(3), Florida Constitution.
Petitioner was manager of a branch office of the Respondent finance company and left his office on August 7, 1972, at which time the automobile accident of which this matter is a result occurred. Petitioner testified that he was on his way to call on delinquent accounts, which was not uncommon. The Judge of Industrial Claims found this to be true, as well as the fact that the employer was notified of the accident the following day. Since Petitioner was then hospitalized for 59 days following the accident, it would be passing strange if the employer should be without actual knowledge of the injury, although neither employee nor employer seemed to realize that it was compensable.
Approximately 5 months after the accident, and 2 days after reaching a settlement with the third party tort-feasor, the instant claim for compensation was filed. The Judge found that Petitioner did not realize his injuries were compensable until' such time and that the employer-Respondent was not prejudiced by the late notice. The Industrial Relations Commission held that this was not supported by the evidence and therefore reversed.
We must determine if there was substantial competent evidence to support the findings of the Judge of Industrial Claims, and, if so, did the Commission depart from the essential requirements of law in overturning the factual determinations of the designated trier of fact,
The Respondent-carrier urges that its right of subrogation against the third party tort-feasor was lost because of the late notice. It has been made clear both to the Judge of Industrial Claims and this Court that no funds have been disbursed to the Petitioner from the settlement and Respondent-carrier's claim of prejudice in this aspect of the matter must fall. We have found no other claim of prejudice or any evidence of any such damage to warrant setting aside the findings of the Judge.
A careful examination of the evidence reveals ample support for the Order of the Judge, and that the Commission was not justified in setting it aside.
We therefore find, upon our review of the record, that the Industrial Relations Commission has departed from the essential requirements of law in invading the province of the trier of fact.
Therefore, the Writ of Certiorari is granted, the Order of the Industrial Relations Commission is quashed, the Order of the Judge of Industrial Claims is reinstated.
It is so ordered.
ROBERTS, McCAIN and OVERTON, JJ., and CREWS and McCRARY, Circuit Judges, concur.
ADKINS, C. J., concurs with opinion.