252 N.C. 295 | N.C. | 1960
The questions presented for determination on this appeal are: (1) Did the Superior Court have jurisdiction of the subject matter of this action? (2) Does a widow, upon her remarriage, forfeit her right to receive future compensation under an award of the Commission adjudging her to be the sole dependent and entitled to receive the full compensation awarded by reason of the death of her husband? (3) If a widow, who has been adjudged the sole dependent of her husband pursuant to the provisions of our Workmen’s Compensation Act, dies before all the compensation awarded has been paid, is her estate entitled to the commuted balance or should such balance be paid to the next of kin of the deceased husband?
With respect to jurisdiction, it is clear that this action was instituted in the Superior Court by the plaintiffs to recover funds which they allege were erroneously and wrongfully paid by the defendant U. S. Fidelity & Guaranty Company, the insurance carrier of the Du-Bose Construction Company, to Thelma Philyaw Jones after her remarriage, and after her death the commuted balance of the compensation awarded to Louise J. Cahoon, the personal representative of the estate of Thelma Philyaw Jones.
In the case of Green v. Briley, 242 N.C. 196, 87 S.E. 2d 213, which was a proceeding before the Commission, evidence was admitted which clearly established the fact that the mother and brother of the deceased employee had knowingly and falsely testified in a previous hearing before the Commission that the deceased employee had never married and that he had no children. Evidence was further offered to the effect that his mother was partly dependent upon him. The insurance carrier of the employer paid the commuted value of the award to the mother of the deceased. The above proceeding was begun and thereafter heard before the Commission which found as a fact that the plaintiff, Fannie Ellis Green, was the wife of the deceased employee and awarded judgment in her favor against Hattie Green Young, the mother of the deceased employee. The Commission further found that the defendant employer and its insurance carrier had acted in good faith in paying the award of the Commission and that they were discharged from any further liability. G.S. 97-48 (c). On appeal to the Superior Court the rulings of the Commission were
On the second question posed, the weight of authority is to the effect that a widow, upon her remarriage, does not forfeit her right to receive compensation awarded her pursuant to a workmen’s compensation act in the absence of a statutory provision to the contrary. Hansen v. Brann & Stewart Co., 90 N.J.L. 444, 103 A. 696; Adleman v. Ocean Accident & Guarantee Corp., 130 Md. 572, 101 A. 529, Ann. Cas. 1918B 730; Andersen-Nelson v. L. G. Everist, Inc., 65 S.D. 568, 276 N.W. 257; Britten v. Berger, 18 N.J. Misc. 215, 12 A. 2d 875; 58 Am. Jur., Workmen’s Compensation, section 187, page 701; Anno: 72 A.L.R. 1325; 99 C.J.S., Workmen’s Compensation, section 147, page 511, et seq. Therefore, since there is no provision in our Workmen’s Compensation Act contrary to the general rule in this respect, the answer to the second question posed must be answered in the negative.
On the third and final question presented, the workmen’s compensation statutes of the different states differ so materially, no general rule has evolved with respect to survival of the right to compensation upon the death of the person entitled to the award. Anno: — Workmen’s Compensation — Survival, 87 A.L.R. 864. Consequently, our decision must be determined by the construction of our own statutes bearing thereon.
G.S. 97-38 (1) of our Workmen’s Compensation Act provides: “Persons wholly dependent for support upon the earnings of the deceased employee at the time of the accident shall be entitled to receive the entire compensation payable share and share alike to the exclusion of all other persons. If there be only one person wholly dependent, then that person shall receive the entire compensation payable.”
G.S. 97-39 provides, among other things, the following: “The widow, or widower and all children of deceased employees shall be conclusively presumed to be dependents of deceased and shall be entitled to receive the benefits of this article for the full period specified therein.” (Emphasis added)
In Queen v. Fibre Co., 203 N.C. 94, 164 S.E. 752, J. Coleman Queen,
Likewise, in the case of Inman v. Meares, 247 N.C. 661, 101. S.E. 2d 692, Howard Inman, while in the discharge of his duties as an employee of the defendant, was temporarily totally disabled by reason of an injury from 18 October 1954 until 13 June 1955, at which time he returned to work for the defendant employer. This employee died on 17 June 1955 from causes not connected with his injuries. Claim had been filed with the Commission for compensation but no compensation had been awarded at the time of his death. The question was then raised as to whether or not his personal representative was entitled to collect the amount of the award entered thereafter. The Commission held that he was so entitled, and upon appeal to the Superior Court the ruling of the Commission was affirmed. Upon appeal to this Court we affirmed the ruling below.
Since our General Assembly has provided in G.S. 97-38 (1) that, “Persons wholly dependent for support upon the earnings of the deceased employee at the time of the accident shall he entitled to receive the entire compensation” and has not seen fit to place any limitation thereon by way of forfeiture if such beneficiary remarries or dies before the award is paid in full, we hold that the plaintiffs herein have alleged no cause of action against any of these defendants. (Emphasis added)
Therefore, the demurrers interposed in the court below were properly sustained.
Affirmed.