Hinkelman v. Wheeling Steel Corp., C. C. No. 481.

CourtSupreme Court of West Virginia
Citation171 S.E. 538
Decision Date31 October 1933
Docket NumberC. C. No. 481.
PartiesHINKELMAN .v. WHEELING STEEL CORPORATION et al.

Syllabus by the Court.

If a doctor, who is employed by a subscriber to the workmen's compensation fund to render medical and surgical aid and treatment of its employees, is so unskillful and negligent in his treatment of an employee, injured in the course of and resulting from his employment, that the injury is aggravated thereby, such action on the part of the doctor comes within the Compensation Act. Therefore, under such a state of facts, an action is not maintainable against the doctor.

Certified from Circuit Court, Marshall County.

Action by John Hinkelman against the Wheeling Steel Corporation and another. The circuit court overruled a demurrer to the declaration, and certified its rulings for review.

Ruling reversed, and the demurrer sustained.

Martin Brown, of Moundsville, for plaintiff.

Erskine, Palmer & Curl, of Wheeling, for defendants.

WOODS, Judge.

The purpose of this certificate is to determine the correctness of the trial court'saction In overruling a demurrer to a declaration, under which an employee of the Wheeling Steel Corporation, a subscriber to the workmen's compensation fund, seeks to hold a doctor, employed by said corporation, in damages for an aggravated condition of his hand, alleged to have been due to the unskillful and negligent treatment rendered by said doctor.

The first count alleges, among other things, that the doctor was employed by the steel corporation to render medical and surgical aid; that plaintiff, an employee, injured his hand in the course of and resulting from said employment; that he was required to present himself to said doctor for treatment; that the doctor became bound to carefully and skillfully render medical and surgical aid and to give plaintiff proper treatment, care, and attention; that he failed to render the aid and treatment which the injury required, and so unskillfully and negligently conducted himself that through want of skill the injury was increased and aggravated. The second is in substance the same, except that it alleges that the company agreed as part of plaintiff's employment that he was to save first-class and expert medical and surgical aid in case of injury during his employment.

The law regards the negligence of the wrongdoer in causing the original injury as the proximate cause of the damages flowing from the subsequent negligent or unskillful...

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24 cases
  • Makarenko v. Scott
    • United States
    • Supreme Court of West Virginia
    • 8 Marzo 1949
    ......, this Court considered and overruled the case of Hinkelman v. Wheeling Steel Corporation, 114 W.Va. 269, 171 S.E. ......
  • Deller v. Naymick, CC950
    • United States
    • Supreme Court of West Virginia
    • 21 Noviembre 1985
    ...... [his or her] employer[.]" West Virginia Coal & Coke Corp. v. State Compensation Commissioner, 116 W.Va. 701, 704, ... action is not maintainable against the doctor." Hinkelman v. Wheeling Steel Corp., 114 W.Va. 269, 171 S.E. 538 ......
  • Makarenko v. Scott, (No. 10013)
    • United States
    • Supreme Court of West Virginia
    • 8 Marzo 1949
    ......, this Court considered and overruled the case of Hinkelman v. Wheeling Steel Corporation, 114 W.Va. 269, 171 S.E. ......
  • Smith v. Beard, 2159
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Court of Wyoming
    • 18 Febrero 1941
    ......351;. Williams v. Dale (Ore.) 8 P.2d 578; Hinkelman v. Wheeling Corp. (W. Va.) 171 S.E. 538; Sugar Co. v. ......
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