The single question presented to this'
•court in case No. 78-76 is whether the order of the deputy administrator of March 20, 1973, allowing the claim for injury to the left elbow, but denying the claim as to the low back and left leg condition, is an order “other than ■a decision as to the extent of disability” within the purview of R. C. 4123.519.
On the basis that the March 20, 1973, decision accepted, .jurisdiction of the claim by allowing the claim, ordering certain benefits to be paid on it and denying other benefits, the Court of Common Pleas concluded that “the decision of the Industrial Commission does not constitute an absolute denial of plaintiff’s [claimant’s] underlying right to participate in the fund and is a decision as to the extent of disability of the plaintiff [claimant].”
The opinion of the Court of Appeals, affirming the Court of Common Pleas, concluded that “ [i]f a part of a claim is allowed and a part is refused, there has not been a ‘denial on a jurisdiction [al] ground,’ ” citing as authority therefor certain language contained in Mooney v. Stringer (1976),
The single question presented in case No. 78-241 is-whether the order of the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (affirmed by the regional board of review and appeal, therefrom refused by the Industrial Commission), is an order “other than a decision as to the extent of disability.”' The order of the Court of Common Pleas dismissing the-appeal was routinely entered without any reason being-given therefor. The majority opinion of the Court of Appeals, affirming such dismissal, relied upon certain language contained in this court’s opinions in Reeves v. Flowers (1971),
R. C. 4123.519 provides, in pertinent part, as follows:.
“The claimant or the employer may appeal a decision of the industrial commission in any injury case, other than a decision as to the extent of disability, to the court of common pleas of the county in which the injury was inflicted or in wliich the contract of employment was made if the injury occurred outside the state. * * *
< < # & #
“ * * * The court or the jury under the instructions of the court, if a jury is demanded, shall determine the right of the claimant to participate or to continue to participate in the fund upon the evidence adduced at the hearing of such action.”
The underlying rationale adopted by the lower courts herein is simply to the effect that so long as a claimant is receiving compensation or benefits under the Workers’ Compensation Act for other injuries or other, losses or impairments of bodily functions, any and all orders of the Industrial Commission either granting or denying claims seeking the right to participate in the Workers’ Compensation because of injuries or .losses or impairments of bodily functions other than those for which the claimant is being
It is common knowledge that the vast majority of industrial claims are not contested. They are recognized by the employer and by the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation as valid injuries to specific parts of the body and for specific physical conditions. After a claim is recognized as valid for such a specific physical condition, claimants frequently allege that they also injured another part of the body in the same industrial accident, or allege that a physical condition, other than that originally claimed, has developed from the original injury. For example, a claimant with a recognized low back injury may later claim that he has developed a heart condition, a psychoneurosis, ulcers, etc., as the result of his recognized injury. A claimant’s right to make such a claim is specifically recognized (R. C. 4123.84).
Where, as frequently happens, a claim is made under R. C. 4123.84 that the original injury has caused a heart condition, the denial of such a claim could not be appealed by the claimant so long as he was still participating in the fund for the previously recognized injury or condition..
This court can not agree that such rationale is or ever was the law of Ohio. Accordingly, we reverse the judgment of the Court of Appeals in each case.
Since many of this court’s prior opinions have contained language which might tend to confuse those who do not possess a background of knowledge of the derivation and meaning of certain terms employed therein in the context of the development of the Ohio Workers’ Compensation Law, we believe that some clarification thereof is indicated.
R. C. 4123.519, insofar as the pertinent language here under consideration is concerned, has been in effect since 1955.
From 1937 until 1955, Qt. C. 1465-90 (R. C. 4123.51) specifically provided for an appeal by the claimant in the event any claim was denied on the basis that claimant’s disability is not the result of an injury. Between 1925 and 1937, Gr. C. 1465-90 authorized the commission “to hear and determine all questions within its jurisdiction,” providing that its decision thereon “including the extent of disability and amount of compensation to be paid” shall be final. The statute at that time authorized an appeal by the claimant to the Court of Common Pléas on a rehearing record in injury claims “if the commission finds that it has no jurisdiction of the claim and has- no-authority thereby to inquire into the extent of disability or the amount of compensation, and denies the right of the claimant to receive compensation or to continue, to receive compensation for such reason.” The statute, as early as 1925, provided that the court
In Indus. Comm. v. Phillips (1926),
Thus, it is clear from the holding in Phillips and this court’s eases cited in Phillips that, at least since 1921, a denial of a claim on the basis that the claimant’s disability is not due to a compensable injury is equivalent to the denial of the claim on a “jurisdictional ground.” See, also, State, ex rel. Butram, v. Indus. Comm. (1932),
Carpenter v. Scanlon (1958),
“The finding of the administrator that ‘the claimant’s generalized arthritic involvement is not related to or the result of the injury in this claim, and, therefore, payment of compensation or for medical services for the treatment of said condition is not authorized,’ is clearly not ‘a decision as to the extent of disability’ but rather a finding that the arthritic condition of claimant was not a disability resulting from the injury — an absolute denial of the claim on a jurisdictional ground going to the basis of claimant’s right. From such a decision an appeal is authorized by the above-quoted provision of the Code.”
A study of the language employed by the court in Carpenter, when compared with the language of GL C. 1465-90, as it existed prior to 1937, clearly demonstrates that this court in Carpenter was holding that the denial of the arthritic condition on the ground that such was not a disability resulting from the injury is equivalent to a denial of that particular claim on a “jurisdictional ground going to the basis of claimant’s right” to participate for that particular claim or condition.
In effect, therefore, Carpenter stands for the proposition that, so far as the claimant be concerned, his rights to appeal a decision denying compensation, or additional compensation, on the ground that the disabling condition which was the subject of the claim was not the result of a compensable injury, were in no way affected by the repeal in 1955 of R. C. 4123.51, and the enactment of R. C. 4123.-519.
- "With respect to the right of a claimant to appeal ail Order denying the relationship of a claimed disability, it is
"While, it is true that in a series of recent cases inter-: pretating R. C. .4123.519 it has been held that ‘‘ * * it is ah order constituting a “denial that is absolute going to. the the basis of claimant’s right” that is appealable’ ’’ (see Smith v. Krouse (1978),
In State, ex rel. Mansour, v. Indus. Comm. (1969),
' The language,' “going to the basis of claimant’s, right,” again was employed in Reeves v. Flowers, supra (
State, ex rel. Campbell, v. Indus. Comm., supra (
Rummel v. Flowers, supra (
In State, ex rel. General Motors Corp., v. Indus. Comm. supra (
In State, ex rel. Commercial Motor Freight, v. Stebbins, supra, (
In State, ex rel. General Motors, v. Indus. Comm., supra (
In Ford Motor Co. v. Mosijowsky, supra (
The order attempted to be appealed by the employer
In Mooney v. Stringer, supra (
Claimant, pursuant to the provisions of'R; C. 4123.84, filed ah application for adjustment of the claim in 1969. In ruling on such application the deputy administrator allowed the claim made therein for disability on the basis that the injury had caused thrombophlebitis. At the same time the députy administrator found that other conditions from which claimant was suffering, osteoarthritis, chronic pye-lonephritis, cystitis, hyperuricemia, hypertension and obesity were not related to the allowed injury in the claim. Claimant thereupon appealed to the regional board of review, which found that her temporary total disability and
Claimant then appealed the order of the regional board of review to the Court of Common Pleas of Montgomery County. At the inception of the trial “[t]he parties had stipulated, in the trial court, that appellee abandoned her elaim that the conditions set forth above were causally related to her allowed elaim for thrombophlebitis ot her right leg.” (Id. at page 376)
Smith v. Krouse (1978),
In Smith, instead of filing the application required by R; C. 4123.84, claimant attempted to raise the issue of an additional condition, or additional disabilities not previously considered in the proceeding before the Industrial Commission. Pursuant to the application which had been filed, the hearing before the commission was limited to whether, considering those disabilities which had been allowed, claimant was permanently and totally disabled.
. It should be noted that Smith involved “ ‘only the extent to which * * * [appellant] may continue to participate in the Workmen’s Compensation Fund under an allowed claim.'’ ” (Emphasis added.) Thus, this court in Smith properly concluded that the order sought to be appealed did not concern an “ ‘absolute denial of a claim going to the basis of [claimant’s] right to participate, or to continue to participate * * *.’ ”
. Although by custom, a “claim number” is administratively assigned, this does not mean that the “claim number filé” constitutes but a single “claim” for compensation as to any and all parts of the body, or as to any and all losses or impairments in bodily functions allegedly resulting therefrom. at that time, or allegedly resulting therefrom at a later time.
While, with reference to the first filing, R. C. 4123.511 refers to “[a] claim,” R. C. 4123.84.authorizes the filing of
This court, therefore, holds that:
(1) An order of the Industrial Commission which either denies, or allows a claimant the right to participate in the Workers’ Compensation Fund for injury to a specific part or parts of the body involving loss or impairment of bodily functions on the basis that such was or was not the result of a compensable injury, is a decision other than one as to the extent of disability and, thus, pursuant to R. C. 4123.519, may be appealed to the Court of Common Pleas by the claimant in the event of such a denial, or by the employer in the event of such an allowance; ■
(2) A determination of “extent of disability” under R. C. 4123.519 presupposes that claimant has been allowed the “right to participate” in the Workers’ Compensation Fund for injury to a specific part or parts of the' body involving the loss or impairment of bodily functions. The decision of the Industrial Commission as to “extent-of disability” constitutes a determination of the basis for the computation of the compensation or benefits payable under the provisions of the workers’ compensation law for those losses or impairments of bodily functions allowed as compensable injuries;
(3) The right of either the claimant or the employer to appeal to the Court of Common Pleas from a decision of the Industrial Commission which is “other than a decision as to the extent of disability” is not affected by the fact that the claimant is receiving or will receive compensation or benefits for allowed injuries involving losses or impairments of bodily functions other than those which are the
Thus, we conclude in case No. 78-76, that the order of the deputy administrator of March 20, 1973, reaffirmed by the administrator on reconsideration on November 19, 1974, to the extent that it determines claimant’s low back and left leg condition not to be the result of or related to the .allowed injury, is an appealable order under the provisions of R. C. 4123.519. The judgment of the Court of Appeals for Mahoning County, therefore, is reversed and the cause remanded to the Court of Common Pleas for hearing on such appeal.
We further conclude in cáse No. 78-241, that the order of the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation of October 9, 1974, allowing the amendment of the claim to include “hysterical neurosis,” such order having been affirmed by the regional board of review and the Industrial Commission having refused further appeal, likewise is an appeal-able order under R, C. 4123.519. The judgment of the Court of Appeals for Cuyahoga County therein is reversed and that cause remanded to the Court of Common Pleas for hearing on such appeal.
Judgments reversed and causes remanded.
Here, it should be noted that R. C. 4123.519, in effect, provides that an appeal by the employer from a decision of. thé commission shall not stay certain payments of compensation during the tendency of the appeal, and further provides that in the event payments are made to a Claimant, which should not have been made under the' decision of the appellate court, the amount thereof shall be charged to the surplus fund, and in the event the employer is a self-insured, such amount shall be repaid to the self-insured from the surplus fund.
Some of the information essential to full understanding as to the scope of this court’s holding in Mosijowsky, was not included within this court’s opinión, but was ascertained by the writer from a study of the original records of the case contained in 655 Ohio Supreme Ct. Briefs and Records 3d, case No. 75-162, in the Ohio Supreme Court law Library.
This court’s opinion, as originally reported in the January 3, 1977, issue of the Ohio Bar, had made no reference to this stipulation and thereafter, on motion of the Attorney General, this language was added. The trial stipulation in Mooney thus eliminated the the only issues which were appealable, i. e., whether the osteoarthritis, chronic pyelone-phritis, cystitis, hyperuricemia, hypertension and obesity were related to the injury. The balance of the order involved only the thrombosis. Since the right to participate for the thrombosis had already been allowed and no claim was being made that the injury was the proximate cause of .any disabling condition except the thrombosis, the attempted appeal necessarily was ap attempt to appeal, a decision as to “extent of disability.”
Again, as an aid to a full understanding of the scope of this court’s holding, a study was made of the record of Smith, still on file with the clerk of this court.
