Opinion ID: 1350624
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: the anatomy of instant controversy

Text: On March 27, 1982 claimant, an employee of Lee Way Motor Freight, Inc. [Lee Way], suffered an on-the-job heart attack. Lee Way was then a subsidiary of PepsiCo, Inc. [PepsiCo or guarantor] and was an own-risk employer. On August 9, 1983 the Workers' Compensation Court awarded claimant compensation for temporary total disability and 75% permanent partial disability. Claimant received regular payments until November 9, 1984 when Lee Way ceased to comply with the orders for payment of compensation benefits. Upon claimant's motion, the trial tribunal on February 14, 1985 commuted the unpaid balance of the award entered on August 9, 1983 to a lump sum ($21,617.66) and authorized its certification to the district court in accordance with the terms of 85 O.S.Supp. 1983 § 42 and Rule 28 of the Workers' Compensation Court. [3] In his motion to commute and certify the award, claimant sought the inclusion of PepsiCo, the guarantor, as an additional party-obligor. Because he did not succeed in this effort, claimant appealed to the three-judge review panel for modification that would add PepsiCo. After the review panel refused to modify the trial judge's order, claimant brought the instant proceeding for corrective relief. Claimant relies on the guaranty executed by PepsiCo as the basis for PepsiCo's liability. That guaranty, submitted to the Workers' Compensation Court on July 27, 1984, was revoked by PepsiCo on August 29, 1984. It was filed below after claimant secured his initial award and was revoked before Lee Way ceased to meet its obligation.