Opinion ID: 1395083
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The decision by the Court of Appeals would require a result contrary to decisions by courts of other states.

Text: Although decisions by other courts under other statutes may not be controlling upon this court in such a case, it is nevertheless significant, in our opinion, to note that the independent and nonderivative status of claims by widows for widow's benefits filed after death is also supported by numerous other cases and authorities. In 2 Larson, Workmen's Compensation Law, § 64.10 (1980), Independent Status of Death Benefit Claim beginning at page 11-119 and ending at page 11-123, the author states: The most striking consequence of the independent status of dependency rights is the rule, accepted by the majority of jurisdictions, that an adverse decision on the merits of a claim by the employee while he was alive does not bar a dependency claim under the Doctrine of Res Adjudicata, since the parties and rights involved are different, and since the dependent is not in privity with the injured employee as to the rights asserted by him.    A fortiori, the defeat of the employee's claim on procedural grounds such as failure to file a timely claim, or his complete failure ever to make claim during his lifetime, is not a bar to the rights of his dependents. His unexcused failure to give a required notice of injury has, however, elicited a difference of opinion among the courts, on the theory that the employer is prejudiced as to all possible claims growing out of the injury if he is not given timely notice of it. To the same effect, 3 Larson's Workmen's Compensation Law, § 78.62, pp. 15-192 to 15-195 (1980), states as follows: Death claims present one special question, however, which is the problem of the extent to which death claims should be barred by omission of the original notice of injury or by failure of the employee himself to make a claim within the original claims period. Although the question has had comparatively little attention, the employee's failure to make claim has usually been held immaterial. There are several routes by which to approach the question of failure to file the injury claim in time. The usual argument is that the injury claim and the death claim are entirely independent of each other, and that the dependent's rights cannot be affected by the employee's omission to claim, because the dependent is claiming in his own right. This view is consistent with the general principle, often found expressed in connection with employees' waivers, releases or compromise settlements, that the employee by his own acts during his lifetime extinguish or restrict the rights of his dependents. It is also consistent with the social purpose of the act, which includes the protection of dependents as well as of injured employees. One of the leading cases on this subject is a decision by the Washington Supreme Court in Beels v. The Department of Labor & Industries, 178 Wash. 301, 34 P.2d 917 (1934). A deputy sheriff had been injured on December 31, 1931. He died January 14, 1933, without filing any claim. The time for filing such claims in Washington was one year. [4] The insurance carrier denied the claim on the basis of the statutes. The court held 34 P.2d at page 919: [1] Under sections 7679 and 7686, Rem.Rev.Stat., by authority of which respondent's claim, as deceased's widow, for compensation was made, the widow could not be deemed, during her husband's life, a party in interest to any proceeding by him for enforcement of any claim for compensation. Her rights accrued the instant her husband died. Her application for compensation was filed within one year after the day upon which her rights accrued, hence the claim was timely filed. Her husband's failure to make application for compensation within one year after the day upon which the injury occurred did not beneficially or detrimentally affect her claim, which was based on a new, original right arising from his death. Curtis v. Slater Construction Co., 202 Mich. 673, 168 N.W. 958. To the same effect, see Pardeick v. Iron City Engineering Co., 220 Mich. 653, 190 N.W. 719 (1922), in which an injured workman had made no claim for compensation although he lived for nearly 14 months after the accident. [5] The court held 190 N.W. at page 720:    It is insisted that [the injured worker's] failure to claim compensation within the time required by the statute bars plaintiff from recovery in this proceeding. We cannot follow this contention.       From this it would seem to follow, in harmony with the previous ruling of the board above referred to, that, not being a party in interest to the proceeding by her husband during his lifetime, plaintiff's subsequent claim or `new cause of action' arising from his death was not beneficially or detrimentally affected through anything done by him in his proceeding, except a possible reduction of her claim by reason of payments actually made to him. The claim of plaintiff as dependent was made April 25, 1921, about a month after her son's death. It was made within the time required by the express terms of the statute. The action or nonaction of the employe in no way aided or detracted from her right. The New York court in the case of O'Esau v. E.W. Bliss Co., 186 A.D. 556, 174 N.Y.S. 739 (1919), is also to the same effect. The employee was injured on March 28, 1916, and died on account of such injuries on March 21, 1918. He had failed to file a notice of injury as required. [6] The widow filed a claim for death benefits the day after his death. The court held:    By section 28 the right to compensation `shall be forever barred unless within one year after the accident, or if death results therefrom, within one year after such death, a claim for compensation thereunder shall be filed with the commission.' This section makes it clear that she is not prejudiced by the fact that he lost his right to compensation by failure to file a claim. In Wray v. Carolina Cotton & Woolen Mills Co., 205 N.C. 782, 172 S.E. 487 (1934), an employee was injured on November 28, 1930. His claim was filed April 12, 1932, and was dismissed because it had not been filed within one year after the accident. [7] The claimant died on August 24, 1932, and on September 8, 1932, his mother filed her claim. The Supreme Court of North Carolina held 172 S.E. at page 488: With respect to the claim of the employee, it may be granted that as to him the order denying relief was conclusive; but during his lifetime his dependents were not parties in interest to the proceeding he brought for the enforcement of his claim. Their right to compensation did not arise until his death, and their cause of action was not affected by anything he did, not even to the extent of a reduction of their compensation by payments sought by him, because no such payments were made. The basis of their claim was an original right which was enforceable only after his death. Curtis v. Slater Const. Co., 202 Mich. 673, 168 N.W. 958; Geannotti v. Giusti Bros., 41 R.I. 122, 102 A. 887. In Holahan v. Bergen Coal Co., 164 Pa. Super. 177, 63 A.2d 504 (1949), the Pennsylvania court found that the deceased's last employment was January 22, 1941. The widow filed her claim on December 1, 1941. [8] The court held at page 183, 63 A.2d 504: [8] While any claim by the employe would be barred the question is what effect the failure to give notice has on the rights of the widow. Under the Workmen's Compensation Act that right was held to be independent and not derivative. Rossi v. Hillman Coal & Coke Co., 145 Pa.Super. 108, 20 A.2d 879; Polk v. Western Bedding Company, 145 Pa.Super. 142, 20 A.2d 845; Lambing v. Consolidated Coal Co., 161 Pa.Super. 346, 54 A.2d 291. The Occupational Disease Act is a supplement to the Workmen's Compensation Act of 1915, as amended. 77 P.S. § 1 et seq.; Jones v. Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Co., 154 Pa.Super. 465, 36 A.2d 252. Both acts provide that claims for compensation will be barred unless brought within one year. Claimant had merely an inchoate right to compensation until her husband's death. At that time her right accrued, and this action is not barred since she filed her claim petition within one year. To the same effect, see Laird v. The State of Vermont Highway Dept., 112 Vt. 67, 20 A.2d 555 (1941); Fitzgerald v. Fisher Body, 234 Mo. App. 269, 130 S.W.2d 975 (1939); Judd v. Rinelli, 75 Idaho 121, 268 P.2d 671 (1954); American Radiator & Sanitary Corporation v. Gerth, 375 S.W.2d 817 (Ky. 1964); Lambing v. Consolidated Coal Co., 161 Pa.Super. 346, 54 A.2d 291 (1947); Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp. v. Dependents of Harris, 187 So.2d 886 (Miss. 1966). See also Haco Drilling Co. v. Hammer, 426 P.2d 689 (Okl. 1967); Industrial Commission v. Kamrath, 118 Ohio St. 1, 160 N.E. 470 (1928); Ross v. Mankato, 199 Minn. 284, 271 N.W. 582, 584 (1937); Wolanin v. Chrysler Corp., 304 Mich. 164, 7 N.W.2d 257 (1943); Magma Copper Co. v. Naglich, 60 Ariz. 43, 131 P.2d 357 (1942); Anno., 119 A.L.R. 1158-65 (1939). These cases hold that the failure of a worker to file within the appropriate time period after disability or injury in no way prejudices the right of a widow to file a claim for widow's benefits after the death of her husband, contrary to the result required by the decision of the Court of Appeals.