187 Iowa 904 | Iowa | 1919
The issues, as stated by appellant, are that they are the usual questions of negligence and contributory negligence, and in addition thereto, the following:
Was the plaintiff, after having received from his employer payments due him under the provisions of the Workmen’s • Compensation Act, entitled to maintain this action for damages against the defendant? One or two other questions are argued briefly, but the principal question, and the one most argued, is the one last stated. The
“As we approached the crossing from the south, I looked and listened; as we got up within probably 75 feet of it; I listened to see if I could hear any sounds or any sign of anything coming, and I did not hear anything. When we got up about 40 or 50 feet, I should judge, I saw the engine coming, and I guess we must all have seen it about tho same time. I was looking ahead and sideways too, always.
As the truck approached the track, plaintiff did not say anything to the driver, before they reached the point where they saw the approaching train, because, as he says, he saw the driver was looking and listening for a train, the same as he was.
“I was looking, just the same as anybody riding in a car, coming up to a railroad crossing, looks to see if anything is coming, whether they are driving the car or not. I saw the train just about the time I felt the car slow down. I had no purpose to tell De Fore of the approach of the train, as long as he was looking. If he had been looking some other way when I had Seen the train, I
The driver gave similar testimony, and that, when he and plaintiff saw the engine, he applied the brakes to the truck, which skidded for a distance of about 50 feet to the track, where it was struck by the locomotive; that the car stopped right on the track, practically as the engine struck. Another witness testifies that he was not in a position to see the truck skid, but that he noticed skid marks, with the first mark about 15 feet from the rail. The driver further testifies that the truck began to slide immediately as he put on the emergency; that he put on both pretty near the same time he saw the engine; that they all saw the train at the same time; that plaintiff said there was a train coming, and they all saw it at once; that he had the brakes on as he said it, and had commenced to slow down. The evidence is that, when they saw the engine, it was about 150 feet east of the crossing. There were other witnesses for both plaintiff and defendant. Defendant’s witnesses give a somewhat different version as to some of these matters which have a bearing on the question of plaintiff’s alleged contributory negligence.
After the plaintiff’s injury, he was paid $378 by his employer, under the Iowa Compensation Act.
The city ordinance was introduced in evidence. We have not gone into the evidence as to the alleged negligence of defendant, nor as to the extent of plaintiff’s injuries, because such matters are not argued. As said, the principal point in the case is whether defendant’s point is well taken, that plaintiff cannot maintain the action because of the payment of compensation under the Compensation Act. We shall take up the other matters first.
1. It is contended by appellant that the plaintiff was, as a matter of law, guilty of contributory negligence, and that its motion for a directed verdict should have been sustained. The argument is that either plaintiff appfoached
“I don’t know as I noticed how much you could see from 75 feet. I wasn’t looking at the track, but to see if anything was coming. I was looking up the track, but did not pay any attention to how far I could see.up the track, and don’t remember how far I could see up the track. I looked all the time from the time when we came within 75 feet of the track.”
The argument is based in part, as we understand it,
“That the Ware Transfer Company, by making payment of the sums due the plaintiff under the terms of the Workmen’s Compensation Act, became subrogated to whatever right of action the plaintiff had against this defendant, on account of the injury so received, and by reason of such subrogation, the plaintiff is not entitled .to maintain this action against the defendant.”
Appellant also cites McGarvey v. Independent Oil & G. Co., 156 Wis. 580 (146 N. W. 895), Turnquist v. Hannon, 219 Mass. 560 (107 N. E. 443), as holding that, plaintiff’s right being an indivisible right, his entire cause of action passes to his employer by subrogation, upon the payment of compensation. But the statutes in those states are entirely different from ours. The Wisconsin statute provides, in part, that the making of a claim against an employer for compensation operates as an assignment of any cause of action in tort which the employee may have against any other party, and that the employer may enforce, in his own name, the liability of such other party, and that the making of a claim against a third party for damages shall operate as a waiver of any claim for compensation. Under the Massachusetts statute, the employee or his representative has the right of election to sue at law, or to sue for compensation, but may not proceed against both, and provides that, if compensation be paid under the act, the association may enforce, in the name of the employee, or in its own name, and for its own benefit, the liability of such other person. It was held that the liability created by the act for negligently causing the death of another is a penalty, and that the association, which compensates the widow, has a right of action against the person who negligently caused the death of the workmen, and that this right does not depend upon any theory of reimbursement or subroga
A surety cannot speculate upon his principal’s misfortune, his right being limited to actual repayment and indemnification. 37 Cyc. 430; 25 Ruling Case Law 1388, 1389. And we have seen by a prior citation that the party guilty of the tort may not reap a benefit. Possibly the employer, having paid compensation, could be treated as an assignee or trustee, and sue the wrongdoer and recover damages as trustee for plaintiff for all over the amount of compensation paid. The statutes of some states have such a provision. Ours do not. At any rate, no such claim is made in defendant’s answer, if, indeed, it can raise such a question at all; or if the employee refuses to sue, or there is collusion between the employee and the wrongdoer, possibly the employed could sue to recover the amount sufficient to indemnify him, or, as trustee, for himself and employee; but that is not this case, and no such question is presented. It should be said, perhaps, in passing, that formerly the right of subrogation was limited to transactions between prin
The amount of the recovery for tort might be in a greater amount than the compensation fixed by the statute, since there may be other elements of damage allowed in an action for tort, as, for instance, pain and suffering, etc. It is true, as argued by appellant, that there may not be a double recovery by plaintiff by receiving compensation and recovering damages, in the sense that plaintiff may receive both for his own benefit. But he recovers full compensation in the action for damages, but the employer is subrogated to the rights of plaintiff to the extent of the amount of compensation paid by the employer, if, as in the instant case, the compensation is less than the damages recovered. He may recover both, but subject to the right of the employer to be indemnified for the amount paid. This is doubtless one object of the statute, to prevent a double recovery; find another purpose is to provide indemnity to the employer, and allow him to be subrogated to that extent. It may be that a proper construction of Subdivision a of the statute cited, is that the amount of the compensation is to be reduced by the amount of damages recovered,' in a case where the damages recovered are less than the compensation. In the instant case, compensation was much less than the damages, so that Paragraph b of the statute applies. Under this last provision of the statute, the employer is entitled to be subrogated. 37 Cyc. 383, 387; 25 Ruling Case Law 1391, 1393.
The defendant may not plead or assert the right for the employer, in the manner attempted here,, in the sense that all .plaintiff’s rights pass to the employer. Our statute, Section 2477-m6, Code Supplement, 1913, provides:
“Where an employee coming under the provisions of this act receives an injury for which compensation is payable under this act and which injury was caused under cir
“(a) The employee or beneficiary may take proceedings both against that person to recover damages and against the employer for compensation, but the amount of the compensation to which he is entitled under this act shall be reduced by the amount af damages recovered.
“(b) If the employee or beneficiary in such case recovers compensation under this act, the employer by whom the compensation was paid or the party who has been called upon to pay the compensation, shall be entitled to indemnity from the person so liable to pay damages as aforesaid, and shall be subrogated to the rights of the employee to recover therefor.”
Section 8 of the Illinois statute provides, in substance, that no common-law or statutory right to recover damages, other than compensation provided for by the compensation act, for injury received in the line of his duty, shall be available to the employee against his employer. Section 17 of the Illinois act reads:
“Sec. 17. Where the injury for which compensation is payable under this act was caused under circumstances creating a legal liability in some person, other than the employer, to pay damages in respect thereof:
“(a) The employee or beneficiary may take proceedings both against that person to recover damages and against the employer for compensation, but the amount of the compensation which he is entitled to under this act shall be reduced by the amount of damages recovered.
“(b) If the employee or beneficiary has recovered compensation under this act, the employer by whom the compensation was paid or the person who has been called upon to ■ pay the indemnity under sections 4 and 5 of this act, may be entitled to indemnity from the person so liable to
The Illinois statute and our own are quite similar. Under the Illinois statute, the Supreme Court of that state held, in Houlihan v. Sulzberger, 282 Ill. 76 (118 N. E. 429):
“Sections 3 and 17 must be construed together, and, in spite of the provisions of Section 3, Section 17 recognizes that an injury may be caused under circumstances creating a legal liability in some person other than the employer, and preserves the right of the employee to proceed against both. Paragraph (a) provides that, in case of a recovery against a person other than the employer, the compensation under the act shall be reduced by the amount of the damages recovered. It does not provide that the amount of damages to be recovered shall be affected by the amount of compensation under the act. Paragraph (b) provides that, if the employee has recovered compensation, the employer may be entitled to indemnity from the person liable to pay damages, and shall be subrogated to the rights of the employee to recover damages. He is not entitled, however, to more than indemnity out .of the damages recovered, and the subrogation must be limited to that amount. The amount of the recovery, however, is not so limited. The Workmen’s Compensation Act is not based upon the principle of the common-law action for negligence. It is based upon the principle that the loss occasioned by accidental injuries in the employments affected should be borne to the extent fixed in the act by the employer; and beyond that, he is not liable. Negligence of the employer or employee has nothing to do with the question of compensation. This principle is confined to cases between employer and employee arising out of and in the course of the employment. The act of 1911 did not extend its provisions beyond the employer and employee immediately, concerned. It did not take away from the employee the common-law liability to
We think that decision is in point, and we are disposed to follow it. It answers some of the arguments advanced by appellant, in the instant case. The recent case of Southern Surety Co. v. Chicago, St. P., M. & O. R. Co., 187 Iowa 357, was an action brought by an insurer of the employer to recover from the wrongdoer the amount it had paid for the employer. The action was brought after the injured employee had been paid his compensation, and after he had recovered and been paid his damages in an action against the wrongdoer. In the course of the opinion, Mr. Justice Gaynor said:
“It is apparent from the statute that, when Whitney received his injuries, he was entitled to proceed against his employer, under this act. * * * When an injury is received under circumstances rendering the employer liable to the injured party under the statute, nothing is left for the employer to do but to make compensation. This compensation is required to be made, though the employer is in no way negligent, and in no way liable at common law for damages. The compensation is purely statutory, and the amount of compensation is fixed by the statute. Its provisions are for the protection of the workingman, as between him and his employer, and in no way affects or controls the right of the injured party to proceed at common law against the actual wrongdoer. In an action at common law, the injured party is entitled to recover all that the common law recognizes as proper to be recovered in suits of that kind. This includes compensation for the injury, loss of time, medical care, and treatment, and all other injuries which are shown to flow as a proximate result of the wrong
This meets some of the arguments advanced by appellants. It further holds that the third party, or the wrongdoer, may not plead the fact that the injured party proceeded against an employer and secured compensation under the •Compensation Act, in an action for damages at common law against the wrongdoer. He may not plead it as a defense, or, as here, to show, as defendant claims, full subrogation or assignment, though it is proper to call the court’s attention to it, that the employer may be brought in.
We hold that appellant’s contention that plaintiff cannot maintain the action cannot be sustained. The statute does not provide how the employer’s indemnity or subrogation shall be adjusted, whether by intervention after verdict in the action for damages, or during the trial, or whether it should be made a party defendant, or whether the wrongdoer may serve notice on employer before paying the judgment, or payment of money on settlement, if there is one, and so protect itself. At any rate, where it appears
We find no prejudicial error, and the judgment is, therefore, affirmed. Under the peculiar circumstances shown, the cause is remanded, with directions that the employer be brought in, to the end that any compensation which has been paid by him may be deducted from the judgment and paid to him, and the balance to plaintiff.— Affirmed.