Court Opinion

ID: 9563643
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 18:44:08.533455+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:17:59.375061
License: Public Domain

TAYLOR, Justice,
with whom
KEETON, Chief Justice, concurs (dissenting).
I am impelled to dissent by my conviction that the majority opinion not only destroys precedents existing from statehood, but it assumes and arrogates to this court functions and powers denied to it by the constitution.
The mere assertion by the majority that the evidence is undisputed does not make it so. It must be assumed that the statement in the majority opinion that the evidence is undisputed means that it is not contradictory and is without substantial conflict. Otherwise, the second premise, that it presents a question of law within this court’s jurisdiction, would be wholly false.
It is demonstrable beyond cavil that the evidence as to whether the hernia resulted from the accident, and whether the hernia appeared suddenly and immediately following the accident, is contradictory and conflicting, and that the findings of the board on these issues are supported by substantial and competent evidence. Further, in my opinion, the evidence on the issue as to whether the hernia appeared suddenly and immediately following the accident, overwhelmingly supports the finding of the board that it did not so appear.
The only evidence, supporting an inference that the hernia resulted from the accident and appeared suddenly and immediately following the accident, is the testimony of the claimant that he felt “a dragging pain in the right side of the abdomen * * immediately after the accident * * * and later I felt the dragging pain in my right side and back”; and that he could not recall any accident that caused any strain or pain between the time of the accident and the discovery of the hernia.
It is to be noted he did not say that this dragging pain occurred in the groin area where the hernia was later found. If his testimony could be regarded as referring to the groin area, then he was impeached by *456Dr. Wilson. The doctor testified that on February 24th, when claimant called upon him, claimant stated he was unaware of the hernia "and had had no trouble in this region before the physical examination.” Dr. Wilson also testified that on that occasion he told claimant he doubted that the hernia was related to the injury of November 14th. Dr. Wilson was the attending physician who examined and treated the claimant on November 14th, 16th and 19th. He testified as to the contusions, discoloration and soreness immediately below the right floating rib, right flank and back. This is the area he examined, and the same area in which claimant later testified the dragging pain occurred. He did not on that occasion examine the groin and testified claimant made no complaint of any pain or discomfort in trie groin area. In this the claimant corroborates the doctor. Claimant testified he did not tell the doctor, or complain to him, of pain in the groin.
The only other doctor who testified was Dr. Shrum, who operated upon claimant and repaired the hernia. In answer to a hypothetical question, in which the accident was described to him, Dr. Shrum answered, “That could have been enough to cause the hernia.” In other words, it was a possible cause. This answer was stricken on the objection that the question did not include the incident of the claimant lifting the sanding machine on February 6th, and the fact that he made no complaint of pain or discomfort in the inguinal area. The hypothetical question was not pursued further, except by reference. Dr. Shrum testified further:
“Q. And in view of the facts related, would you have an opinion as to the hernia, whether or not the hernia appeared suddenly and immediately following the accident? A. No, because I didn’t see him following the accident.
“Q. In view of those facts would you have an opinion as to whether or not the hernia existed in any degree prior to the accident in November? A. No opinion.”
It is without dispute in the record that claimant went back to work on November 21 st and continued in the same employment up to and including February 6th. It is also undisputed that he had never at any time, from the date of the accident made any complaint to anyone .of pain or discomfort in the inguinal area where the hernia occurred. Dr. Shrum’s testimony on this was, “He told me that he had had some discomfort in his lower abdomen.” Whether the doctor meant to refer to the groin area is not clear. His answer could as well refer to the area beneath the ribs, right flank and back, the same area where claimant testified the pain occurred.
The doctor’s testimony that the hernia was probably due to the claimant’s straining *457against the man holding him down at the time of the accident, was based upon what the claimant told him as to the pain. If he told Dr. Shrum it was in the groin area, then he made a contradictory statement to Dr. Wilson the next day, and he likewise failed to support the making of any such statement to Dr. Shrum in his testimony before the board. Consequently, there is to this day no evidence of any complaint of pain or discomfort in the groin area. Yet, over three months after the accident, with an intervening work period, and without any warning to the claimant himself — he was unaware of it — a hernia is “discovered”, so complete and swollen that it presented a danger of strangulation and a need of immediate emergency surgery. And the doctor testified it was not of long standing.
Thus, the record is almost devoid of any substantial evidence to support a finding that the hernia appeared suddenly and immediately following the accident. Such a finding by- the board, on this record, would have, been of very doubtful validity. A finding of that essential fact by this court, upon such a record, is a finding against the overwhelming weight of contradictory and conflicting evidence, and contradictory and conflicting inferences arising therefrom. In view of the constitutional provision limiting the jurisdiction of this court to a review of questions of law, the finding of these facts by this court by the process of weighing of. conflicting and contradictory evidence and inferences, and basing its decision thereon, is no less than startling.
From territorial days this court has followed the rule that findings of fact made by a court, jury, or other fact-finding tribunal, based upon substantial, competent, though conflicting evidence, will not be disturbed on appeal. But, in the case of an appeal from the industrial accident board, the constitution commands this court to confine itself to a review of questions of law. Art. 5, § 9, Constitution. Moreover, this court has quite consistently obeyed that constitutional limitation.
It is perfectly obvious, from a recital of the facts contained in the majority opinion, and in this dissent, that the evidence, particularly on the issue as to whether the hernia appeared suddenly and immediately following the accident, is not undisputed, but, on the contrary, is contradictory and conflicting, and that there is competent and substantial evidence supporting the board’s finding. Consequently, no question of law on that issue is presented. The finding of the board thereon is conclusive, and beyond the authority of this court to alter.
The governing rules were most recently stated by the author of the majority opinion as follows:
“Idaho Constitution, Art. V, sec. 9, and I.C. sec. 72-609 limit the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court on appeals from the Industrial Accident Board to *458a review of questions of law only. (Citations.)
“It is only in cases where the evidence is not conflicting and not in dispute, that the application of the law to the undisputed facts raises a question of law. (Citations.) Also, where the findings are absolutely unsupported, they may be reviewed as a matter of law. (Citations.)
“The findings of the Industrial Accident Board, when supported by competent, substantial though conflicting evidence will not be disturbed on appeal. (Citations.)” Miller v. Bingham County, 79 Idaho 87, 310 P.2d 1089. at page 1095.
Some of the previous decisions of this court supporting those rules were there collected and cited by Justice Smith.
“Furthermore, it is-the duty of the Board, and not the court to make findings of fact and rulings of law (Citations). On appeal from orders of the Industrial Accident Board, this court can review only questions of law. (Citations.) We can neither weigh the evidence nor make findings of fact.” Dyre v. Kloepfer and Cahoon, 64 Idaho 612, at page 617, 134 P.2d 610, at page 613.
“The Industrial Accident Board is the arbiter of disputed and conflicting facts and opinions of experts, and its determination — when substantially supported — may not be disturbed by this Court.” Oliver v. Potlatch Forests, 73 Idaho 45, at page 49, 245 P.2d 775, at page 777.
“ * * * The weighing and evaluating of such evidence is also for the board.” Kernaghan v. Sunshine Mining Co., 73 Idaho 106, at page 111, 245 P.2d 806, at page 809.
“ * * * Our quest goes only to the extent of determining whether or not there is competent and substantial evidence to support the findings of the board. Beyond that we may not go. Constitution, Art. 5, § 9; §§ 72-608 and 72-609 I.C. As we' have so often stated, it is a question of law for the court to determine whether or not the findings of the industrial accident board are ‘based on any substantial, competent evidence’. And if an examination of the record reveals that the board’s findings are supported by substantial and competent evidence, such findings will not be disturbed by this court. (Citations.)” Smith v. Potlatch Forests, 74 Idaho 470, at page 472, 264 P.2d 684, at page 685.
In Yanzick v. Sunset Minerals, 75 Idaho 384, at page 388, 272 P.2d 696, at page 698, Justice Porter stated the rule as follows:
“On an appeal from an order of the Industrial Accident Board, we are lim*459ited to a review of questions of law. Article 5, § 9, Idaho Constitution; Section 72-608 I.C. We can only consider the evidence to determine whether or not there is competent and substantial evidence to support the board’s findings of fact.”
Not only does the majority weigh the conflicting evidence and make its own finding that the hernia appeared suddenly and immediately following the accident, against the clear weight of such evidence, but it also undertakes to determine the weight and probative value of the testimony of Dr. Wilson. Can there be any question that that is the prerogative and function of the fact-finding tribunal, and not a question of law for this court?
As a precedent, the opinion in this case stands for the proposition that in cases of appeal from the industrial accident board, where the evidence as to essential facts is conflicting, this court, without seeing or hearing the witnesses, will examine and weigh such evidence and the inferences to be drawn therefrom and, in case it disagrees with the findings made by the board, will set those findings aside and make its own contrary findings from the cold record, even though the weight of competent and substantial evidence sustains the findings of the board; all in disregard of the constitutional denial of its jurisdiction so to do.
The order of the board should be affirmed.