Mitchell v. J.A. Tobin Constr. Co.

• Decision Date: 26 January 1942
• Docket Number: No. 19969.,19969.
• Citation: 159 S.W.2d 709
• Parties: WILLIE MITCHELL, RESPONDENT, v. J.A. TOBIN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, APPELLANT.
• Court: Missouri Court of Appeals

159 S.W.2d 709

WILLIE MITCHELL, RESPONDENT, v. J.A. TOBIN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, APPELLANT.

No. 19969.

Kansas City Court of Appeals, Missouri.

January 26, 1942.

Rehearing Denied March 2, 1942.

Appeal from Circuit Court of Jackson County. — Hon. Thomas J. Seehorn, Judge.

REVERSED.

Roy W. Crimm and Harry F. Murphy for appellant.

(1) Plaintiff's second amended petition pleads a common law master and servant tort action for accident and injury occurring in the foreign State of Kansas. If no cause of action existed there, none can be prosecuted here. Mitchell v. St. Louis Smelting & Refining Co., 202 Mo. App. 251, 215 S.W. 506, 507, 510, 511; K.C., Ft. Scott & M.R. Co. v. Becker, 67 Ark. 1, 53 S.W. (1st) 406; Gray v. Gray, 87 N.H. 82, 174 Atl. 508, 94 A.L.R. 1404; Root v. K.C. So. Ry. Co., 195 Mo. 348, 371, 92 S.W. (1st) 621; Piatt & Marks v. Swift & Co., 188 Mo. App. 584, 176 S.W. 434; Sing v. St. L. & S.F. Ry. Co. (Mo.), 30 S.W. (2d) 37; Mongiaracino v. LaClede Steel Co. (Mo.), 145 S.W. (2d) 388, 392; Rahm v. Railroad, 129 Mo. App. 679, 687, 108 S.W. (1st) 570; Farrar v. Railroad, 149 Mo. App. 188, 196, 130 S.W. (1st) 133; Chapman v. Terminal Ry. Assn. (Mo. App.), 137 S.W. (2d) 612; Chandler v. St. L. & S.F. Ry. Co., 127 Mo. App. 34, 106 S.W. (1st) 553; Michael v. K.C. Western Ry. Co., 161 Mo. App. 53, 61, 143 S.W. (1st) 67; Coy v. St. Louis & S.F. Ry. Co., 186 Mo. App. 408, 172 S.W. (1st) 446; Pendar v. H. & B. American Mach. Co., 35 R.I. 321, 87 Atl. 1, L.R.A. 1916A, 428; Johnson v. Nelson, 128 Minn. 158, 150 N.W. 620, 621; Logan v. Mo. Valley Bridge & Iron Co., 157 Ark. 529, 249 S.W. 21, 23; Kaiser v. North, 292 Mich. 49, 289 N.W. 325; Slater v. Mex. Nat. R.R. Co., 194 U.S. 120, 126, 24 S. Ct. 581, 48 L. Ed. 900; Re-Statement of the Law of Conflict of Laws, secs. 278, 384; 2 Beale, Conflict of Laws, secs. 378-1, p. 1288; Article on Master and Servant, 35 Amer. Juris., p. 874, sec. 456; Re-Statement of the Law of Conflict of Laws, sec. 618, p. 735; 2 Beale on Conflict of Laws, secs. 401-2, p. 1322; Newlin v. St. Louis & S.F. Ry. Co., 222 Mo. 375, 391, 121 S.W. (1st) 125; McRoberts v. Natl. Zinc Co., 93 Kan. 364, 365, 144 Pac. 247, 248. (2) The Kansas Workmen's Compensation Act pleaded by defendant in its answer, not being rejected by either plaintiff or defendant in the manner therein prescribed, gave the only remedy to plaintiff. Consequently, no action in tort was given by the laws of Kansas. Plaintiff so acknowledged in his reply. Gen. Stat. of Kan. of 1935, secs. 44-501, 44-505, 44-507, 44-532, 44-542, 44-543, 44-548 and 44-601a; Matlock v. Hallis, 153 Kan. 227, 232, 109 Pac. (2d) 119, 122, 123; Chicago Ry. Co. v. Industrial Board, 276 Ill. 112, 114 N.E. (1st) 534, 535, 536; McRoberts v. Natl. Zinc Co., 93 Kan. 364, 365, 144 Pac. 247, 248; Echord v. Rush, 124 Kan. 521, 523, 261 Pac. 820, 124; Shade v. Cement Co., 92 Kan. 146, 147, 139 Pac. 1193, 144 Pac. 249; Jennings v. Kan. P. & L. Co., 152 Kan. 469, 471, 105 Pac. (2d) 882; Phoenix Indemnity Co. v. Barton Torpedo Co., 137 Kan. 92, 19 Pac. (2d) 739, 742; State ex rel. Harbis v. Trimble (Mo., in Banc), 238 S.W. 809; Moseley v. Empire Gas & Fuel Co., 313 Mo. 225, 281 S.W. 762, 763, 767; Cox v. Mo. Pac. R.R. Co., 332 Mo. 991, 61 S.W. (2d) 962, 963; Harbis v. Cudahy Packing Co., 211 Mo. App. 188, 241 S.W. 960, 961; Piatt & Marks v. Swift & Co., 188 Mo. App. 584, 588, 589, 176 S.W. 434; 1 Schneider's (2 Perm. Ed. 1941), sec. 77, p. 125; O'Rourke v. Percy Vittum Co. (Minn.), 207 N.W. 636, 637; McCune v. Wm. B. Pell & Co., 192 Ky. 22, 232 S.W. 43, 45, 46, 47; Mitchell v. St. Louis Smelting & Refining Co., 202 Mo. App. 251, 215 S.W. 506, 507, 510, 511; Johnson v. Nelson, 128 Minn. 158, 150 N.W. 620; Logan v. Mo. Valley Bridge & Iron Co., 157 Ark. 529, 249 S.W. 21, 22, 23; Osagera v. Schaff (Mo.), 240 S.W. 124, 127; Mangiaracino v. LaClede Steel Co. (Mo.), 145 S.W. (2d) 388, 392. (3) Plaintiff was erroneously permitted to recover on a new, different and independent action pleaded in his reply, not contained in his second amended petition, for an alleged tortious act occurring in the State of Kansas. (a) If plaintiff had not rejected the Missouri Workmen's Compensation Act, and the contract of employment was consummated in this State, then plaintiff could not maintain an action at law for damages. His only remedy would have been a claim for compensation under the Compensation Act. Gardner v. Stout, 342 Mo. 1206, 119 S.W. (2d) 790. (b) The Missouri Workmen's Compensation Act becomes a part of a contract of employment falling within its purview when and only when it is accepted by both parties, without any reservation. They must accept it as it stands and cannot reject it in part and accept it in part. Warren v. American Car & Foundry Co., 327 Mo. 755, 38 S.W. (2d) 718; State v. Mo. Workmen's Comp. Comm., 8 S.W. (2d) 897, 899; Crooks v. Tarzewell Coal Co., 263 Ill. 343, 105 N.E. 132, 134; Mayberry v. Fruin-Colnon Const. Co., 327 Mo. 386, 37 S.W. (2d) 574; Oren v. Swift & Co., 330 Mo. 869, 51 S.W. (2d) 59, 60; Soars v. Soars-Lovelace, Inc. (Mo.), 142 S.W. (2d) 866. (c) One State cannot create a foreign wrong contrary to the law of the place of the act. Missouri cannot by its law declare that an act occurring in a foreign State is a tort and provide a remedy therefor. Chandler v. St. L. & S.F.R. Co., 127 Mo. App. 34, 43, 106 S.W. (1st) 553; Farrar v. Railroad, 149 Mo. App. 188, 196, 130 S.W. (1st) 133; Rahm v. Railroad, 129 Mo. App. 679, 687, 108 S.W. (1st) 570; M. Salimoff & Co. v. Standard Oil Co., 186 N.E. 679, 262 N.Y. 220; Slater v. Mex. Natl. R.R. Co., 194 U.S. 120, 126, 24 S. Ct. 581, 48 L. Ed. 900. (d) The parties could not by agreement provide that liability for injuries in a foreign State should be fixed by the laws of another State. Liability for a tort depends upon the law of the place of injury, and agreements between parties cannot curtail this power of the State where the wrong is done. Alabama Great Southern R. Co. v. Carroll (Ala.), 97 Ala. 126, 11 So. 803, 18 L.R.A. (1st) 433; Chandler v. St. L.S.F.R. Co., 127 Mo. App. 34, 42, 106 S.W. (1st) 553; Weir v. Roundtree (Mo. App.), 173 Fed. 776, 781; Young v. Masci, 289 U.S. 253, 258, 77 L. Ed. 1158, 53 S. Ct. 599; Smith v. Heine Safety Boiler Co., 224 N.Y. 9, 119 N.E. 878; Smith v. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Ry. Co., 194 Fed. 79, 80, 81; Chicago Rys. Co. v. Industrial Board of Illinois, 276 Ill. 112, 114 N.E. 534, 535, 536; McCune v. Wm. B. Pell & Co., 192 Ky. 22, 232 S.W. 43, 45, 46. (e) Defendant's Instruction "B" in the nature of a demurrer to the evidence, offered at the close of all the testimony, should have been given. Talbert v. C.R.I. & P. Ry. Co., 314 Mo. 352, 284 S.W. 499, 503. (4) The plaintiff, Willie Mitchell, elected to accept compensation and other benefits under the Kansas Workmen's Compensation Act for twelve weeks, and made claim for compensation thereunder. Having accepted the benefits thereof, he is barred from bringing this action. Mitchell v. St. Louis Smelting & Refining Co., 202 Mo. App. 251, 215 S.W. 506, 512. (5) Plaintiff's instruction three was erroneously given It authorized recovery on cause of action contained only in the reply and not on cause of action alleged in petition. State ex rel. Anderson v. Hostetter, 346 Mo. 249, 140 S.W. (2d) 21, 23, 24; Talbert v. C.R.I. & P.R. Co., 314 Mo. 352, 284 S.W. 499, 502, 503, 504; Delametter v. Home Ins. Co., 233 Mo. App. 645, 126 S.W. (2d) 262, 269; Brasell v. W.T. Letts Box & Cooperage Co. (Mo. App.), 220 S.W. 984; Horvath v. Chestnut St. R. Co. (Mo. App.), 144 S.W. (2d) 165; Anderson v. Kraft (Mo. App.), 129 S.W. (2d) 85, 91; Merrill v. Suing, 92 N.W. 618, 66 Nebr. 404. (6) The court erred in overruling defendant's motions for new trial and in arrest of judgment.

F.M. Kennard, Joseph L. Judson and W.W. McCanles for respondent.

Walter J. Gresham on the brief.

(1) Answer to preliminary contentions of appellant. (2) The Kansas Compensation Act did not apply. The extra-territorial provisions of the Missouri statutes did not cease to operate by the rejection of the employee alone. Secs. 3692 (d), 3700 (b), R.S. Mo., 1939; Bradford Electric Light Co. v. Clapper, 286 U.S. 145, 76 L. Ed. 1026, 52 S. Ct. 571; State ex rel. Weaver v. Comp. Comm., 95 S.W. (2d) 641; Pfitzinger v. Pipe Line Corp., 226 Mo. App. 861, 46 S.W. (2d) 955; State ex rel. Ebert v. Trimble, 333 Mo. 711, 63 S.W. (2d) 83; Hartman v. Light & Power Co., 53 S.W. (2d) 241; Zarnecke v. Chemical Co., 54 S.W. (2d) 772; 26 C.J. 1211, sec. 107. (3) The employment was not one within the Kansas Act. Defendant had no right to employ plaintiff, a resident of Missouri, under its contract with the State of Kansas, and therefore had no right to claim protection of the compensation act of that State. Lee v. K.C.P.S. Co., 137 Kan. 759, 22 Pac. (2d) 942. (4) Plaintiff did not accept compensation under the act. The evidence showed, and the jury found that plaintiff did not know that defendant's voluntary payments were intended to be payment of workmen's compensation. Carter v. Uhrick, 122 Kans. 408. (5) Plaintiff recovered on the action pleaded in the petition. The main instruction required a finding of the essential facts constituting negligence, resulting in injury to plaintiff.

CAVE, J.

This is an appeal from a judgment of the Circuit Court of Jackson County, Missouri, for damages for personal injuries received by plaintiff while working for defendant on a project in the State of Kansas. The case was tried to a jury resulting in a verdict for plaintiff for $3000. Motions for new trial and in arrest were filed and overruled and defendant appeals. Plaintiff's petition declared on a cause of action at common law; and alleged that he had duly rejected the Missouri Workmen's Compensation Law before this employment and that defendant knew thereof, and that Kansas, by statute, had adopted the common law. The grounds of common law negligence alleged in the petition need not be set...