45 Cal. App. 2d 664 | Cal. Ct. App. | 1941
This cause comes before us on the application of the above-named petitioner to review an award made by the Industrial Accident Commission in favor of J. A. Crane, Pacific Fidelity Owners, Ltd., and National Automobile Insurance Company, a corporation. The record discloses that petitioner was employed in the capacity of a horse trainer and ranch hand by respondents J. A. Crane and Pacific Fidelity Owners, Ltd., on a ranch at Cypress, California. On March 3, 1940, while petitioner was engaged in the act of roping a horse, the rope parted and one end thereof flew back, striking petitioner in the left eye. Respondents concede that the accident occurred during the hours of employment and at a place where the employee had a right to be. The contention that the accident occurred during the course of the employment, however, is disputed by respondents. Inasmuch as the cause is remanded for another reason, it is unnecessary to determine, nor in the light of the record would it be proper to determine, whether there is evidence to support such a finding.
Although respondents dispute petitioner’s contention that any prejudice resulted therefrom, we are not persuaded that such issue should be permitted on review in the circumstances here presented. To the contrary, it is our conviction that when the commission handed down a decision through the instrumentality of a referee who had neither heard nor read all of the evidence in the case, it acted in excess of its jurisdiction.
For this reason, therefore, the award is annulled and the cause remanded to the commission with directions to conduct a hearing or hearings in accordance with the views herein expressed.
York, P. J., and Doran, J., concurred.
Respondents ’ petition for a hearing by the Supreme Court was denied August 28, 1941. Gibson, C. J., and Traynor, J., voted for a hearing.