Title: Industrial Commission v. Employers Casualty Co.
Citation: 318 P.2d 216
Docket Number: 18367
State: Colorado
Issuer: Colorado Supreme Court
Date: November 18, 1957

318 P.2d 216 (1957) INDUSTRIAL COMMISSION of Colorado, a corporation, and James E. Lee, Plaintiffs in Error, v. EMPLOYERS CASUALTY COMPANY and Beckman, Inc., Defendants in Error. No. 18367. Supreme Court of Colorado. En Banc. November 18, 1957. Rehearing Denied December 9, 1957. *217 Duke W. Dunbar, Atty. Gen., Frank E. Hickey, Deputy Atty. Gen., Peter L. Dye, Asst. Atty. Gen., for plaintiff in error, Industrial Commission. Wormwood, O'Dell &amp; Wolvington, Denver, for defendants in error. MOORE, Chief Justice. This is an Industrial Commission case in which the district court set aside an award of compensation for loss of vision allegedly sustained by James E. Lee in the course of his employment by Beckman, Inc. Claimant was employed as a driller in oil well operations. At the time he was injured he was on the floor of a "rig" which was about eight feet above the ground. Three other employees, all minors, were on the ground below him. Claimant also was a minor, aged 19. He testified in part: Leonard Goad, one of the boys below, playfully threw the rock at claimant on the platform. The rock glanced off the pipe hitting claimant in the eye. He had thrown no rocks and had not engaged in any "horseplay" in any manner connected with the accident. The only rock thrown was the one which struck him. He suffered a perforating laceration of the cornea with resultant traumatic cataract. Corrective surgery was performed; nevertheless claimant is industrially blind in that eye. Claimant went to work at 11:30 P.M. He was supposed to stay on the rig until 7:30 the next morning. The accident occurred about 7:00 o'clock. The boys had been working on the rig, "washing it down," until about five or ten minutes before the accident. At the exact time of the accident they were "waiting on orders" from the foreman who had gone to breakfast. During the night they had "washed down the rig, cleaned up the location and laid a few pipe line and cleaned the cavings out of the mud tank, sand and rock." Claimant testified, inter alia, that: The referee entered findings of fact and determined that at the time and place of the accident claimant was performing services arising out of and in the course of his employment. Compensation was awarded by the Commission according to the amount shown to be due by the evidence (concerning which there is no issue here). The district court set aside the award of the Commission and claimant, seeking reversal, brings the cause here by writ of error. Question to be Determined. Where an employee while on duty suffers an injury which is caused by playful *218 actions of a fellow employee, in which the injured person was not a participant; can such injured workman recover compensation for accidental injury "arising out of and in the course of his employment," under pertinent provisions of the Workmen's Compensation Law, C.R.S. '53, 81-1-1 et seq.? The question is answered in the affirmative. The law relating to the question involved in this matter is contained in two cases previously determined by this Court. They are McKnight v. Houck, 87 Colo. 234, 286 P. 279; and Gates Rubber Co. v. Industrial Commission, 112 Colo. 480, 150 P.2d 301. In the McKnight case, supra [87 Colo. 234, 286 P. 280], the claimant was employed as a ranch hand. He and a fellow employee were required by their employment to be armed with pistols. While on their way to the bunkhouse each drew his gun to see which one could draw the quicker and somehow the fellow employee's gun went off and shot the claimant. There was no malice involved. The Commission found that no compensation was due, which finding was affirmed by the district court. The question brought to this court was, whether the accident arose out of the claimant's employment. Our court held, in affirming the award of the Commission: The Gates case, supra [112 Colo. 480, 150 P.2d 304], presented somewhat different facts. There the claimant was employed in the processing of rubber. While his machine was stopped for adjustment he seated himself on a roller. Another employee, in a spirit of play, gave the roller a spin and threw the claimant backward injuring his back. The Commission awarded compensation to claimant, which award was sustained by the district court. The only issue raised in this court was whether the accident arose out of claimant's employment. This court affirmed the award of the Commission. In the opinion so holding, a discussion appears of two lines of authority, under one of which such accidents are held to arise out of the employment, and under the other they are held not to arise out of the employment. The court in the Gates Company case, supra, pointed out specifically that the *219 McKnight case, supra, was not intended to be controlling where an injury is suffered by one who is not an active participant in the "horseplay." Under the decisions above cited, the controlling element is whether claimant was a participant in the playful conduct which caused the injury. If he was participating in the play he cannot recover workmen's compensation benefits for injuries sustained as a result thereof. If he was not a participant he will not be denied such benefits on the sole ground that playful conduct of a fellow workman caused the injury. There was no conflict in the evidence, and it amply supported the findings of the referee and the award of the Commission based thereon. The judgment is reversed and the cause remanded with directions to affirm the award of the Industrial Commission.