Title: Evans v. Cook & Galloway Drilling Co.
Citation: 191 Kan. 439, 381 P.2d 341
Docket Number: 43,417
State: Kansas
Issuer: Kansas Supreme Court
Date: May 11, 1963

191 Kan. 439 (1963)
381 P.2d 341
WILLIAM T. EVANS, JR., Appellant,
v.
COOK &amp; GALLOWAY DRILLING COMPANY (Respondent) and FIDELITY AND CASUALTY COMPANY OF NEW YORK (Insurance Carrier), Appellees.
No. 43,417

Supreme Court of Kansas.
Opinion filed May 11, 1963.
J. Eugene Balloun, of Great Bend, argued the cause, and H. Lee Turner, of Great Bend, was with him on the briefs for the appellant.
Harry E. Robbins, Jr., of Wichita, argued the cause, and Dwight S. Wallace, William Porter, Dale Fair Jr., Lyndon Gamelson, and Donald C. Tinker, Jr., all of Wichita, were with him on the briefs for the appellees.
The opinion of the court was delivered by
PARKER, C.J.:
This is an appeal from a judgment of the district court terminating a temporary total disability award made by the Workmen's Compensation Commissioner, now Workmen's Compensation Director (see Laws 1961, Chapter 243, Section 7 [effective June 30, 1961], now G.S. 1961 Supp., 74-710). The primary facts are not in dispute as there is no conflicting evidence.
The claimant, William T. Evans, Jr., was employed by the respondent, employer (Cook &amp; Galloway Drilling Company). The respondent's insurance carrier was the Fidelity and Casualty Company of New York.
*440 On the night of November 5, 1959, claimant was working for respondent on an oil derrick about fifty-five feet above the derrick floor. While unlatching a joint of pipe a strong wind caught claimant, knocking him against the pipe rack and striking his back and hip.
Claimant did not return to work the following day but called a Dr. Evans who taped his back and sent him to the hospital at Great Bend to be X-rayed. Later Dr. Evans sent him to Dr. Thurlow in Hays who examined him on one occasion. Claimant then returned to Dr. Evans who saw him every three or four days for a time. On February 22, 1960, he was given an orthopedic examination and X-rayed by Dr. Jarrott of Hutchinson. He was examined again by Dr. Jarrott on June 8, 1960.
Claimant was examined by Dr. John F. Lance, another orthopedic surgeon, on July 1, 1960. This doctor gave him a complete orthopedic examination and took X-rays of the lumbar spine.
In a general way it can be said that Claimant's ailments were diagnosed as osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, degenerative disc disease, and a superimposed mechanical backache. The osteoarthritis and the degenerative disc disease were not related to the accident. However, the accident did cause the osteoporosis to flare up. Claimant was totally disabled by the osteoporosis but with proper medical treatment the disability might be reduced to fifteen per cent.
The Workmen's Compensation Examiner found that the claimant sustained personal injury by accident arising out of and in the course of his employment, resulting in temporary total disability; that he was in need of treatment; and that the respondent and its insurance carrier should provide treatment for him by a competent orthopedic surgeon.
On October 28, 1960, an award was made for temporary total disability with weekly compensation for a period not to exceed 415 weeks or until the further order of the Commissioner. No appeal was taken from the award.
On December 8, 1960, the respondent and the insurance carrier filed an application with the Workmen's Compensation Commissioner for a review and modification of the award, charging that the claimant was not co-operating in obtaining medical treatment.
On December 28, 1960, counsel for the respondent and the insurance carrier wrote a letter to the Workmen's Compensation Commissioner *441 requesting a dismissal of this application stating that claimant was now co-operating in receiving treatment. Following receipt of such letter this application was dismissed on January 11, 1961.
On May 8, 1961, the respondent and the insurance carrier again filed an application for review, modification and cancellation of the award based on grounds that claimant had refused medical treatment.
The evidence on the involved application for review, modification and cancellation was by depositions of doctors Nickell and Jarrott.
Dr. Jarrott testified that he received authority from the insurance carrier to treat the claimant by letter dated November 16, 1960; that he arranged an appointment with claimant for December 5, 1960, which appointment was not kept but another appointment was made and kept December 22, 1960; that he found no particular change in claimant's condition; that claimant advised him he was going to live in Oklahoma and he would like to be treated by Dr. U.E. Nickell of Davenport, Oklahoma. Dr. Jarrott also stated that he wrote Dr. Nickell on December 27, 1960, informing him of the nature of claimant's ailments and outlined recommended medical treatment.
In his deposition Dr. Nickell stated that the claimant called at his office in January 1961. We quote pertinent portions of Dr. Nickell's testimony:
..............
..............
Further testimony of Dr. Jarrott reads:
Further proceedings before the Examiner should be noted.
Claimant made the following offer through his attorney, Mr. Turner:
Mr. Robbins, attorney for the insurer, then made the following statement:
Mr. Turner replied:
At the close of the hearing the Examiner made findings as follows:
An order was issued in accordance with the foregoing findings on April 30, 1962. The respondent and its insurance carrier then appealed to the district court.
The district court heard the appeal on September 10, 1962, and rendered judgment on November 8, 1962.
In the judgment the court found that with treatment for osteoporosis, claimant's disability would have been reduced to ten per cent, and
The district court further found that the temporary total award should be terminated as of April 20, 1962; that claimant should be allowed ten per cent partial disability from such date; and that the respondent and insurance carrier take credit for any overpayments made as measured by payments that are owing under the awards. The mathematical calculations were made as indicated by the findings and judgment entered accordingly. Thereupon the claimant perfected the instant appeal.
Appellant first contends that the district court erred in finding that the claimant refused to submit to reasonable medical treatment "as the result of a plan formulated by appellant to remain on temporary total disability."
It should be noted that the issue is not whether there was an "unreasonable" refusal. If there was a refusal to submit to medical treatment, the refusal is clearly unreasonable under the facts disclosed by the record. Appellant so agrees adding "but we submit there was no refusal at all."
The admissions of appellant have narrowed the issues and render unnecessary a discussion of the authority of the Workmen's Compensation Director or the courts, on appeal, to modify or cancel *444 awards to a claimant, under the Workmen's Compensation Act, for refusal to submit to reasonable medical treatment. (Workmen's Compensation Law, "Manual of Procedure and Rules," Rule 51-9-5; Strong v. Iron &amp; Metal Co., 109 Kan. 117, 198 Pac. 182; Gentry v. Williams Brothers, 135 Kan. 408, 10 P.2d 856; McCullough v. Southwestern Bell Telephone Co., 155 Kan. 629, 127 P.2d 467.)
The rule that a workmen's compensation award may be modified or cancelled, for refusal to submit to reasonable medical treatment, is a forfeiture provision. Where the issue is raised, the burden of proof is upon the employer. (Wood v. Wagner Electric Corporation, [Mo. App.], 192 S.W.2d 579; Cuchi v. George C. Prendergast &amp; Sons, [Mo. App.], 72 S.W.2d 136.)
Our attention is called to the limited responsibility of this court, in reviewing a workmen's compensation case. We adhere to the fundamental rules announced in the recent case of Philips v. Skelly Oil Co., 189 Kan. 491, 370 P.2d 65. The numerous citations of pertinent authorities are here omitted, but the rules are quoted as follows:
However, strict observance of the foregoing rules presents no difficulty in the reversal of the judgment of the lower court in this case. The burden of proof being on appellees, we find no evidence of record to support a finding that the appellant refused to submit *445 to medical treatment, and of a certainty none that would support a finding that medical treatment was refused as the result of a plan to remain on temporary total compensation.
There cannot be a refusal until there is a definite request. With out again reviewing the evidence, it suffices to say that the appellant kept his definite medical appointments at all times. After appellant made contact with Dr. Nickell in Oklahoma, a definite appointment was never set up for him. Dr. Nickell questioned his authorization for a considerable time. He, at all times, showed a reluctance to treat the appellant on the diagnosis and suggested medication of Dr. Jarrott. He wanted to see the X-rays, stating: "`, ... you have your records transferred down here and I'll examine you and see if there is anything the matter with you,' but I said, `I ain't going to treat you on nobody's say-so about it, just what they say.'..." Dr. Nickell was never furnished with X-rays.
The only conclusion that can logically be reached is that the respondent, the insurer, Dr. Nickell, and the claimant were negligent in arranging a definite time for treatment and an agreed course of treatment.
The trial judge was evidently of the opinion that the only obligation on the part of the appellees was to authorize treatment. The obligation goes further. Before an award, under the Workmen's Compensation Act, can be canceled for refusal to submit to medical treatment, there must be a definite arrangement for a course of treatment, which is definitely refused. In Haill v. Champion Shoe Mach. Co., 230 Mo. App. 631, 71 S.W.2d 146, the rule is stated thus:
See, also, White Oak Refining Co. v. Whitehead, 149 Okla. 297, 298 Pac. 611; Tom Slick Oil Co. v. Sullivan, 167 Okla. 72, 26 P.2d 926; Pee Wee Coal Co. v. Hensley, 196 Tenn. 498, 268 S.W.2d 367; O'Neill v. Industrial Acc. Com., 91 Cal. App. 121, 266 Pac. 866.
After a detailed examination of the evidence before the district court at the time of its rendition of the involved judgment, and after having given careful consideration to all arguments advanced by the respective parties regarding the force and effect to be *446 given such evidence, we are forced to conclude the record in this case discloses no competent substantial evidence to sustain a finding by the district court that the appellant refused medical treatment and that such refusal was the result of a plan formulated by him to remain on temporary total compensation.
The conclusion just announced requires that the judgment be reversed and the cause remanded with directions to proceed in accord with the views herein expressed. It also makes the consideration of other questions raised and discussed in the briefs unnecessary.
The judgment is reversed.