11 S.W.2d 388 | Tex. App. | 1928
The article of our statutes above referred to provides that with certain exceptions not relevant here, the term, an "injury sustained in the course of employment," shall include "injuries of every kind and character having to do with and originating in the work, business, trade or profession of the employer received by an employee while engaged in or about the furtherance of the affairs or business of his employer whether upon the employer's premises or elsewhere." Appellee, when he left the highway on the morning of the accident and entered the premises of his employer, entered what is termed by the authorities the area or zone of his employment, and he continued therein until after, having finished his labors for the day, he could in the usual and customary time and manner have returned to the highway from said camp. All dangers and perils incident to the use of such method of entrance and retirement were perils incident to and arising out of his employment. Lumberman's Reciprocal Ass'n v. Behnken,
"An accident arises in the course of and out of the employment when it occurs within the period of the employment, at a place where the employee reasonably may be in the performance of his duty and while he is fulfilling that duty or engaged in doing something incidental thereto." (Italics ours.)
The leaving of the premises where appellee was employed was so closely connected with his employment as to render it a necessary incident thereto. Wabash Railway Co. v. Industrial Commission, supra (
Appellant's said contention is based on the theory that, since the cranking of the car by appellee was a voluntary act, done for personal purposes, the danger attending such act was not a hazard incident to appellee's employment. There was no contention that the employer had in any way undertaken to furnish appellee transportation to and from the camp through its premises. Neither was there any contention that the employer owned said car or had any control over the same. It is conceded that said car was the private property of said Herring and that appellee was being transported therein by virtue of some agreement between him and said owner. In making such agreement, however, he was not doing anything improper, censurable or unlawful. Neither was he doing anything forbidden by his employer. We think that the situation is substantially the same as it would have been if he had owned the car himself and his injury had resulted while he was attempting to crank the same. He was as much interested in starting the car as if it had been his own, because until it started his only means of transportation from the premises and to his home were unavailable. Such transportation was, as heretofore shown, a necessary incident to the service he was rendering his employer, and, under the facts shown, the means employed must have been necessarily known to the employer and to have been tacitly approved and consented to by it. It is not necessary, to render an injury received in entering or retiring from the employer's premises compensable, that it should result from some danger necessarily incident in the use of such premises in the manner intended by the employer. In the case of Employers' Liability Insurance Corporation v. Light, supra, the employee, Light, was riding on a truck which belonged to and was operated by a coemployee, and the employer was in no way responsible therefor. While said truck was traveling over a private road provided by the employer as a means of ingress and egress to its premises, Light "slipped from the truck on which he was riding and was run over and killed." There was no defect in the road which caused or contributed to the accident. It was level and smooth and fraught with no inherent hazard. So far as shown, Light's fall from said truck was due solely to his own lack of attention or care. It was contended in that case that the danger encountered by Light in the use of such private means of transportation over said roadway was not a risk incident to his service for his employer. We quote from the opinion in that case (pages 687, 688 of 275 S.W.) as follows:
"Nor is there any merit in appellant's contention that only where there is a `danger caused by the permanent condition of such place,' or means of access to such place of employment, such as a railroad crossing or other similar hazard, is there a risk incident to the business; his contention being that, in as much as the place where Light was killed was level, smooth, and fraught with no hazards, there was no risk to be borne by the employment, and hence none insured against by appellant. * * * The right of recovery is based upon the relationship, and not on the danger involved."
Compensation was awarded in that case and writ of error was refused by the Supreme Court. See, also, in this connection, Western Indemnity Co. v. Leonard, supra; Fidelity Union Casualty Co. v. Hammock, supra; Bennett v. Russell Sons Co., 12 N.C.C.A. 659, note; Taylor v. Jones, 1 B. W. C. C. 3; Hoskins v. Lancaster, 3 B. W. C. C. 476; In re Hallett,
Appellant complains of the judgment of the court awarding appellee a recovery of $12 for a sanitarium bill and $50 for a doctor's bill incurred by him. Appellee testified that he spent two days in the sanitarium and that he was charged $12 therefor. He also testified that he was treated by a physician several times a week for a period of about three months and was charged $50 therefor. He further testified that neither of said bills had been paid. There was no testimony that said charges were reasonable. Such proof was necessary before a recovery could be properly awarded. M., K. T. Ry. Co. v. Warren,
For this error, the judgment of the trial court is reversed, and the cause remanded. *392