Court Opinion

ID: 9847252
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 03:56:39.486508+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:17:04.426273
License: Public Domain

Hall, Presiding Judge,
concurring specially. Code § 114-303 relates to the requirements for giving notice of the accident. There is nothing in the Code section on the form or content of the notice. For many years this court construed the provision as requir*365ing only such notice as "will put the employer on notice of the injury so that he may make an investigation if he sees fit to do so.” Railway Express Agency v. Harper, 70 Ga. App. 795 (29 SE2d 434); Davison-Paxon Co. v. Ford, 88 Ga. App. 890 (78 SE2d 257). However in 1957, the Supreme Court reversed a decision of this court which followed the above stated principle and proclaimed a new rule: "Obviously, the notice required is notice of an injury by accident arising out of and in the course of the employment, and mere notice that an employee is suffering an injury from an accident does not meet the requirement of the statute.” Royal Indent. Co. v. Coulter, 213 Ga. 277, 279 (98 SE2d 899). See Feild and Holley, Workmen’s Compensation, 9 Mercer Law Rev. 193, 212-214 (1957); Feild and Kelly, Workmen’s Compensation, 11 Mercer Law Rev. 188, 207-209 (1959); Feild and Feild, Workmen’s Compensation, 17 Mercer Law Rev. 270, 285 (1965).
In commenting on the Coulter test, a Georgia authority on the subject has said that "it is patently unrealistic to require of an employee that he make a highly legalistic and technical statement in order to give proper notice to the employer.” Feild and Richardson, Workmen’s Compensation, 15 Mercer Law Rev. 229, 248 (1963). In 1959, this court apparently went back to its old rule and ignored Coulter. Skinner Poultry Co. v. Mapp, 98 Ga. App. 772 (106 SE2d 825). This produced the following comment: "Obviously, the rigid standard of the Supreme Court is not workable and in the future the Court of Appeals, by utilizing the unlimited means of the 'art of judging,’ will continue to implement its own interpretation as to what is adequate notice,” Feild and Kelly, Workmen’s Compensation, 11 Mercer Law Rev. 188, 208 (1959). In 1964, it was said that there was "a strong indication that the Court of Appeals is gradually 'wending its way’ back to the halcyon days that predate Coulter.” Feild and Sanchez, Workmen’s Compensation, 16 Mercer Law Rev. 253-271 (1964).
Dean Feild’s hope proved to be illusory however, as we have been inconsistent in this regard. It is true that in many cases this court has "wended its way” back to the pre-Coulter days. Rhodes v. Liberty Mut. Ins. Co., 101 Ga. App. 642 (115 SE2d 363); Employers Liab. Ins. Co. v. Shipman, 108 Ga. App. 184 (132 SE2d 568); Bryant v. J. C. Distributors, 108 Ga. App. 401 (133 SE2d *366109); Employers Mut. Liab. Ins. Co. v. Dyer, 108 Ga. App. 623 (134 SE2d 49); Baggett Transportation Co. v. Barnes, 109 Ga. App. 98 (135 SE2d 343); Cofield v. Liberty Mut. Ins. Co., 110 Ga. App. 225 (138 SE2d 115); Ga. Pacific Corp. v. Buchanan, 113 Ga. App. 844 (149 SE2d 831); Duchess Chenilles v. Goswick, 116 Ga. App. 384 (157 SE2d 304). It is also true that in an even greater number of cases we have followed the rigid Coulter test. New Amsterdam Cas. Co. v. Kidd, 101 Ga. App. 910 (115 SE2d 427); Smith v. Continental Gas Co., 102 Ga. App. 559 (116 SE2d 888); Kresge v. Holley, 104 Ga. App. 144 (121 SE2d 182); Anderson v. Houston Fire &c. Ins. Co., 104 Ga. App. 680 (122 SE2d 589); Complete Auto Transit, Inc. v. Reavis, 105 Ga. App. 364 (124 SE2d 491); Consolidated Underwriters v. Smith, 106 Ga. App. 167 (126 SE2d 465); Crews v. General Motors Corp., 107 Ga. App. 592 (130 SE2d 925); Carden v. Liberty Mut. Ins. Co., 108 Ga. App. 829 (134 SE2d 879); Griffith v. Coggins Granite Industries, 114 Ga. App. 537 (152 SE2d 15); Hoard v. Phoenix Assurance Co., 117 Ga. App. 383 (160 SE2d 621); Jackson v. U. S. Fidel. &c. Co., 119 Ga. App. 111 (166 SE2d 426). Let it be understood that I concede my performance in some of the above citations is inconsistent.
Perhaps these inconsistencies can be partially explained by the fact that the Workmen’s Compensation Board, faced with two different appellate court tests, has sometimes followed the preCoulter rule of Railway Express Co., supra, and Davison-Paxon Co., supra, and sometimes followed the Coulter rule. In turn this court has affirmed the board under the "any evidence” rule when it used these different tests in various cases. With hindsight, however it is clear that this is inconsistent and inapposite to the rule of law. An affirmance under the "any evidence” rule, regardless of which test is used by the board, is in reality an affirmance under an "any law” rule.
In the absence of any subsequent definitive ruling by the Supreme Court, I vote to keep "wending.”