https://haylibrary.cvlcollections.org/files/original/c2baf3b317d061bc6aa369b34e5c4c3f.pdf 8b1a251089fd0acc7aa0fbbf0854809c PDF Text Text Special file No. 184 J!orkmen • a Compensation Individual cases involv:i.ng - Mezeath Coal Company_ 1933 - �August 19 9 1938 I Rouoro.blo B. 1 • Ch ri str.!S.o EGm,.lo "C • 9 ., yor,rir1 l!B: 'l'H.C .';Om{1.2J\N h In tl-10 llitter of the CluiE of Reno Eo retti 11 iliployee of The Union Facific Coal Company 0 11 11 B lli.ne 9 Sup0rior 11 Gyorning 0 r:-:ade under the --:'o rkmen 9 s COic,Pe11sation Lan. !JOT b Rl.!MJE~TLY TuTuLLY DIS-'.3LED. PorL.- nent totul diGo.bility is definitely fi,wd by tho statute, to-ui.t: Section 124-120 (B). uPora:::ment tota l disabilit y" mcuns t ho lo~ ::, of both legs or oot l: c.rr:.s 11 iotol loso of eyesight, purnl • sis or- otho r co:1d itions per o,unently incapacitatin._: the 'u"Orkr::!m fro rJ perforcinr, uny c:ork ut any r;uiuful occup:.tiou." ( Underscoring supplied) 'l'hc '.:.iO?l.u:.:c.n's nur , con-Dr. R. H. :2e:.nders- t1ho vo.s ol£o the °'·;orlman'a oitne::io , G.!'1 i 1e only nit1:1om:i, except t l:c cla.i ~e:nt himself, t estif'ic;o. on his direct cxoo: nation tta t t ~e DCTk, n na o not "perc.snently tote..l ly disabled ". The r,ork:-i:an hi1us0lf' testified t _;::.t Le: J-:e.tl Gought el:;lployncnt since the o.ccidon'i, e.nd ubout a· conth or t -1ro 0 ueeks e.r:o, fro o the Union Pacific C~o.l Conp::my . Since the n orlur:an throu6 h his ovn surg eon, us his o,m oitnoso, cntl i'rozi hio oun lip:, disclains that h e is p err;:c.nently totally dicubl~ll this phnoo of tho cc se r.:c.y b e disfilisscd from furt .ilex- considera tioap e.nd 'JC n:ust vie·a t hi o r:.att er cs a pcrsoual injui'y, rceul t ing in "permanent partial dioubi - ity,." and that o.lone. !Joo i n 11 pern.unent partial disability", \7.bicb Dr. Sc.nders testified to Your Honor .:Jt.S in fact the pbysicc.l condition of the ,1or;,.~&n, tb~ question urises, io there any statute, or e.ny lo.u, "Judo;e c.ude", or ctheroise 9 u:.ich directs t he employer of extra hazardous labor to pay u uorlrn:en , .-bo ,J cH.J ·:. om blind in one eye, or uho uas born o-it b e;o ,._ e other deformity, or v},o in pursuit of hio 0\1?1 pleasure, . ith gun or rod, and rr.a.ims hi mself, to pay for auch d efonnty or ptysical lose? It seemo to the auttor of this letter that not only uould th e affirmative be illogical and unrca :;onable, but thet tl:e stutute le.\, and the court decisions ansoer tne query in the ne~ative. fJ'hat is "periwnent partial disability", as defined by the statute? �£QEr Section 124=106=7 (L~ Tho words "injurioo sustainsd in extra-hazardous employment" 11 na usGd in. this chupter, shc.ll include * -:t- ·:i- injuries to employo03, e s o. reoult of their eroplo:yernent and ·ahile ut vork in O? about the promises occu) ied, used or controlled by the cmployo&9'.:- ~,- -;; o Tbo n orlrni.an tocti fi ed t hat the los s of hie right urm above the elbou dia not oc cuX':) "as 0 r ooul t o f bis employment und r,bile at ,., ork in or about t he pr emi..,es occupied, uocd o r controlled b·, the employer," end therefore neither dirG:ctly o. indirectly ee n the loss of the ri ght erm be impugned to th0 er plc yer 11 nny _ore t hm-i it could be im ugned that in "perCJ£.nen"t parti al disa bility" that t h e employer is responsible to an employee 9 \, ho ·llas born bli!'.ld in one eye. r'ercanent parti a ldisability covers no s uch physicc l deficiency. Th0 ctatute says: Section 124-12~ (~) 11 .Ferrw.nent pa rtia l di:;.;nbi l ity" ::rirnno t h e l os s of citi.1 e r one foot 9 one leg , one b '.u'ld 9 0.-10 a r m, on e c:vc, or th e si s)1t of one eye, o, e or n:;or-o fin1- oi's 11 one or rr.ore toeo, o.nd disloco.tion w'.· cr-0 the ligpMents are severed, or nay other inj ur y kno'l:m to 01.A:'£ 0ry t o be perrr.cment partial disability . ·:Em Sche::dules for t h0 los nco of s evera l f ingers, pa lm, hand, ariiJ, foot~ und e:,+ e 9 or s ight t hereof O n. re t hen set forth v.nd then tho stetute conti21-uos: For c..ny "otl~o r inj ury'' kno un to our[;e.FJ to bo per:,:enoni partial dis= a bility ~ t ~e :o rirr:an sha ll rec ei vE: e. sue in t e o.rr.Ou!lt pro po:rt ional to t h e ext .:-.!'.lt o f rm.ch pcrmS'..nent p:;1. r t i e l d i ::0.bility b~o€d as near uo may be upen tbe forogoiug schedule .. " It oe 2Qo to t he uriter of' tbio lc.tter thc.t t 2:o things t-;.re quite appr3.:r= cn.t~ fro m the last quoted excerpt o.f the statute. To-nit: 0 Fi.rot: The ''injury" can mean no other injury than the injury recehed by the vork£ano In the language of the statute, to-uit: Sustuined in extra-hazardouo e@ploymeni 11 "uhile at 11ork in or about the premiseo occupicd 9 used or controlled by the enployer." Second: The "injury" so received cannot be conjoined in "permanent partial disa bility 12 , ..:;ith some physicul defect con[:; enitul in the -:;orkman or received by him uhen engaged in ''his 0\711 sports end plea.sures"o To construe the statute in e: n:;r such ,·an!lcr ,:ould be equivalent to mleint tl:ot every emplo:;cr of extr'"'•ta:,, a!'dous labor is un insurer of his cm-ployoes a r;oinst accidento, <7hich is contra ry to tbe very funda.:nentul theory of ell ~orkmen's Compensation Acts, rmd ~ould probably render every net both of State and Federal Co•1ern~ento unconstitutional end void us divesting �QQIT ..: ,I l- the employer of bis proporty vithout compensation. Jin ornployeir can con~titut io nully be rr.ad e to insure a n employee u-=-ainst a ccidents occurring in and upon the employers pr0rai ~eG 9 and in t he employers occupation, just e;,xa ctly O.G a hct0l keeper or a ctore keeper may b e comp0lled t o inSi.'. re the se.f et y c f a. [ Uest or v. cust o!:er 1:Jbile in the hotel or store, ,,ut neit her :::rr.~ loyer, or hot el ke -c,_per or store keeper cc.n be compelled t o ins . re those ·J aO ·•re not o..t tho iimc employees or guests or cutoc ers. Ho1; he claill:!lnt, nhile in the employment snd upon the prcrni ses of The L'tli o;;i F cific Cowl CO!:ip3Uy O Wl s " p e 1·.:mr1e11tly pnriia;lly: diso.bled " 7 rmd uotr..ing r;;ore . 'i.'} ero i s no ot her evi dence before th e Court\) end there io no othel'" evide ~e in the record o f this cc. s e\) a s · t ~l: en by t e reporter 9 thun tl': e.t of the clui :n2.nto surgeon, iJro R. H. Sanders , n ho both upon direct u.nd cross o;.:um. nation, st c-.t ed pooiti,rely, c e rt e inl y, ~nd ·.?ithout quc.li£icc.ticm., thv.t U,e ap plicent Y/Cl S not "per:-·£-r. cr.:t l :1 t ·llt lly disc. led" o This boin~ t. hc truth, the \,ho le trut h , e nd t1 thing but t he truth, the Court is ':':ithout ri ght to con sider t h- r i ._lht ar□ 9 YJ iich t he cldrn3nt testified he lost n hen not in th e e!!lplo y o ;~ ? he Uni on fo.cifi c Co:;;l Co!'.:pany, but ,:hem ~ na. s out hi.mting , cn:_: ng cd in t i s Oun s port s c.ncl plm.1. s ureso 0 Tl c u riter of tti o leti or i s n t unBindful o f t h~ i'uct that considero.blo ·.-;>uo ~a id to the Court on !\u p 10t 18 ut this hco.riue ~ by Er. G.t? licich und the s;-;rit m· about "por n:Sl!lcnt t otal d isc.bi . :.ity" . Some o f t h2 r etc.c. rks nros€:l b0ct.:.uo0 or ol> j ection s t:n c :<. cc. tions. r·ore r ef erence ,r s ,r.ad e t o "poxrr:;.::.ncnt .1- t :.:..l d i a::lbilit y ", nhc the filing of b riefs e nd t he citat ion of n utl::ori ~i oo i n support o f tl~ o briefs 9 :;o.s ' r.ing d iscussed. r.f-t c_ .furth er consi deTaticn of --:. ,... t est i r..1 ony and the stc.tutes~ the vrit0x> of.' t his lotter l:ae cor.1e t o the concluoion the.t it 7.'0 uld te "ultruYi I"e s'' for hlr,1 to discus s , ·ith tee Cour-t 9 a s e.t f irst he hnd thou cht t o do 9 t.!ly uection mwep1. tho.t ·,;bich -::;·~e c0,id ence -ohovis to be the issue 9 to-oit~ "Perr.:crn.ont pari:fol disability;: becauoo the evidence s t .. \,s ..:e ncl us.:. vely , 2nd 1.7i thout contridiction 9 t hat "peri.:-..c.ncut pur-'i:.iul disability" 5..s the onl:: is sue in the case. If there had been conflictins evidence or ev::.dence lees positive and dired sub mi tt ed b y t se clo.in;riint 11 l:i ms 0lf II o different situation rn:Lght arise in the mind of the s- ritero 0 The vrite:r subcits tl',et the only is , ue before the Court is im emard £or the injury ouf'fer e-<.i b y the s.:~plicant ,,l.i lc oagagcd in extra-hazardous uork for Tne Union Pacific Coal Co~po.oy, that the injury uas to the fingeYG and palm of the applicants left hand, is uncontradicted and undisputE:do The stetuta provides a schedulep the conclusion io for the court, and the ccurt aloneo B0i'ore submitting the n;utter 9 \?e feel that i -': ..rould be only foir to �i$.!1 .,1J ~-✓ ,,/ t he C~u:tD to cull e;t t ent i on "iio In Ro Ko proi:,ski 11 (r!y.o:') 46 Pe.c (2nd.) 85° ihilo t ,o nritcr bcms i i.'l Gubmissi on t o t he ruling of the Supreme Cou?t in th0 Kopirou01d cas8 ~ h e i s fu r .from being' convinced with the logic and ! ' thoj osgw:ic.m'i cf i c do ci oion . If l'oprov s,,,._~f lmd injuries as sug~ested • . ~ 11 b Y -~r_, _u.• oor t o hin okull 11 ? or to his 11 bruin " or to his "spine", v,hich uere o f n _o. rtiu l JPO!?'i'"•" 1iJ0nt nature 9 the e"i;ntut e·'' in exnress terms reauired the Court t b ... oe ' ucb i ju!'y O or ouch i ni ur.i"es 0 • 0 t,; / / f s €tu· s n;e.y b upon tho norogoing oched ule. not upon o.n ana.rd ( no scbGdulo ut all) fi xc.=:d t her ecftcr1> and dec ling ,;;i th an euth~el y di ffere,rt rr;attor o 'l'h ere is c e rtc ~.nly no lo gica l rea son u hy an inj ury to the "skull " ~ to t he "br ui n" or to t he " 02)i n0u , or to a ll of them9could ot c b sed upon t t at which the statute fi xes as t he "forcwoing ochc~ule 9 " vr.ct hoi' i t be 25'/, or 751-, or 1 25~ O i' 200~ 9 of t he high est fi gure i n the ochcdulo 0 s vel l as 25~ of an a r;;ount 0 aot ''h0r0tofore" but t h erea fter montioncd und er an o:atirel y diff erent pa:r-ag:raph . 1i0 n re not sugr_ osti ng to t hin Court by the obo erv,,tion to depart from a rulins k i d dom1 by the .:upre::uo. Court in the Kopronsld ca se. The ,1:dter n ill l'. l i,;ni n n r c;uo t hG propo sition 9 if e.r. opportuni iy ever ufforos its elf. ut !) what th0 i:1rit 0r insists upon i s t ha t t his Court give full f orce nml effect to the Supre□e Court. n s ru1:'..t1£ in t h e Kopro·,rnki ca.sell 1:1hi ch says: .,.t7e thi nl~ it d sducibl e fro□ th£ _'languo.ge of section 124-120, supra» tckou as a uhole 9 tlm t nhen £!. ,10 ·ltr: an su f ers on injury kno,,n to om'gory a s p0r rr.enent p:ar-tie. l di sabil ity ond ';, hich is not listed in the s chedule of ihe statut e, e.nd i t i s of s uch a character a s not t o be proporc.ionally r cf e:r.;;.tle to any i njuries s pecifically named t herein, the district court is aut horiz€d 9 upon substantial evidence 9 t o do a u 1.'10.s done i n t he ca s e a t ba r 9 ioe. ~ to allocr ~ proportional uc m.u1t of t he statut or y sun f or a tota l perwflne nt disability anard." Uor,1 in t he case c.t bar t h e fe.cte a re in ox.act juzta=position to tl:ose that the Court 9 by the above excerpt authoriz ed in the case then before it. Respectfully submitted . THE UNION PACIFIC CO.I\L COL~P_l\l1Y By (scd) T. S. Ta liaferro, Jr. Its attorney TST;vk �'l _1 ATiENT\ON MR. BAYLESS r3r. T. s. Taliafe:rro, Jr. : I tho.nk yo u vory U i. ch for youi' l otter of April 27th, i1~tl ic ating that Ju.tl[;O 'i:'idbnl l h"' o deaicd per r;inmnt di o::i.bili'i:,y t o Jllbort I<opronski. Buck injurio£J cro cooin~ to b0 a. 0odous queotion ,:,i·th all coal op 0rr:rto?o in thiG fiel d , 2.0 D:ro. LG.uzer and 3D.nciors havo r;one to extremes, I -think , ::.n di 05no si nJ th ose • 2c.: i n jurio;:; . I no.s vory cl ad i ndeed to · see tl:'.1t Jud~o 'i'idbull hM rulGc.1 o. ' v ors ol y in this case, oci it ulll have u sor:::o•.,'1~t oo.lutory of _oct. Ol"\itlnr.l SiP.oed.: GEORGE B. PRYDE V �tHOMAS 5EODON TALIAF'ERRO,JR . ATTORNEY AND Cc:;>UNSELOR AT LAW ROCK SPRINGS , WYOMING April 27th, 19330 Mr. Georg e H. Pryde City Dea? Sir: You will be inter est ed to know that Judge •ridball has denied permanent ciisability to . Albert Koprowski, employee of Meg e ~~~ ~_9al Company. Of course> ii" it should be demonstrated at any time in the future that Koprowski was actual ly permanently injured while working for the Megeath L:oa.l Company.s, the Megeath Coal Company itself will be first to ask the court for reconsideration. I think this de cision shows great care and judicial equipoise on t he part of Judge •r idball. You will recall that the amenclment made by the last Legislature iimits the unconscionable cost entailed upon the employer in the Koprov1ski case. 'rhe court .s> under the amendment J> now has control oi" the number of' witnesses that the Prosecuting .Attorney can subpoena at the cost of the employer. Yours truly, i · TS'f :ga �i I I \ - liook SpriDJs - Jc.nut~ 27, 1933 1re,f· -~ .. .. __,,.... could ________ .. octor 1 - ---· 1" • "-" \/ • � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Union Pacific Collection Description An account of the resource This collection is made possible in part by a generous grant from Wyoming Humanities. All materials are the property of Union Pacific Coal Company, on long-term loan at Western Wyoming Community College. For usage inquiries, contact the <a href="https://www.uprrmuseum.org">Union Pacific Museum</a> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Workmans Compensation Megeath Coal Company 1933 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource CC BY-NC-ND Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1933 Subject The topic of the resource Workman's Compensation, 1933, Megeath Coal Company Description An account of the resource Letters documenting Workman's Compensation involving the Megeath Coal Company in 1933. Papers are held together by a brass pin. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource T.S. Taliaferro Jr., George B. Pryde Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 1-0213 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Union Pacific Coal Co.