ELISEO MARTINEZ,
Employee-Plaintiff,
v
.
From the North Carolina
Industrial Commission
JAMES E. GODWIN, d/b/a I.C. NO. 693345
J.E.G. CONSTRUCTION COMPANY,
Employer,
HARLEYSVILLE INSURANCE COMPANY,
Carrier-Defendants.
Brenton D. Adams, for the Plaintiff-Appellee.
Scott J. Lasso, for the Defendants-Appellants.
WYNN, Judge.
From the North Carolina Industrial Commission's Opinion and
Award favoring Plaintiff Eliseo Martinez (employee), Defendants
J.E.G. Construction Company, Inc. (employer) and Harleysville
Insurance Co. (workers compensation insurance carrier) appeal.
Defendants contend the Commission: (I) failed to make findings of
fact or conclusions of law relating to the issue of whether
plaintiff's injuries arose out and in the course and scope of his
employment and (II) made unsupported findings of fact and
conclusions of law relating to the issue of whether plaintiff wastotally disabled. On review, we affirm the Opinion and Award of
the Commission.
The record on appeal shows the parties presented competent
evidence showing that Martinez worked for J.E.G. Construction
Company as a cement finisher for five or six weekdays during the
hours of 6:00 a.m. until 9:00 or 10:00 p.m. In addition to his
weekly wages of approximately $450.00, J.E.G. Construction Company
provided rent-free housing and transportation to and from work with
its foreman, John Dodd.
This matter arose on the morning of 1 November 1996 when Dodd
drove a company truck and trailer to pick up Martinez and other
company employees who shared a house. The trailer contained work
materials for a new job site in Zebulon, North Carolina. At the
house, Dodd picked up Martinez and the other employees. However,
on the way to the Zebulon job site, one of the trailer wheels began
to wobble causing Dodd to pull the truck over. Thereafter, when
Martinez got out to change the tire, a motorcycle struck and
critically injured him.
Following the company's denial of workers' compensation
benefits to Martinez, he filed a claim for benefits resulting in a
favorable award from Deputy Commissioner Margaret Morgan Holmes
which was upheld on appeal to the Commission. From the
Commission's Opinion and Award, Defendants appeal to this Court.
On appeal, Defendants first argue that the Commission failed
to make findings of fact or conclusions of law relating to theissue of whether Plaintiff's injuries arose out of and in the
course and scope of his employment. We disagree.
North Carolina law provides an exception to the general rule
that an employee may not recover for injuries suffered while going
to and from work in instances where the employer, as an incident
to the contract of employment, provides the means of transportation
to and from the place where the work of employment is performed.
Harris v. Jack O. Farrell, Inc., 31 N.C. App. 204, 208, 229 S.E.2d
45, 47 (1976).
In this case, the Commission modified and adopted the findings
of fact and conclusions of law of Deputy Commissioner Holmes which
found that as part of Martinez's compensation, J.E.G. Construction
Company provided rent-free housing and transportation to and from
work; Martinez worked from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 or 10:00 p.m.; the
company foreman, Dodd, provided the transportation for Martinez in
the company truck; on the date of the incident, Dodd picked up
Martinez to take him and other employees to work in Zebulon; on the
way to Zebulon, a truck tire began to wobble and Martinez got out
to fix it; while fixing the tire, Martinez was injured.
Additionally, the Commission cited the stipulation by the parties
that All parties admit that on November 1, 1996, the plaintiff was
injured by accident.
We hold that these factual findings are sufficient to support
the conclusion that Plaintiff sustained an injury by accident
arising out of and in the course of his employment with defendant-
employer. Likewise, the record shows competent evidence to support the
Commission's findings of fact relating to the issue of whether
plaintiff was totally disabled. Indeed, Dr. Edward Massey, a
neurologist, testified that plaintiff could not return to his
present job; had difficulty paying attention; loses track; and does
not understand all the nuances of taking care of himself. His
testimony was corroborated by the testimony of Dr. Ibrahim Oudeh,
another physician. In short, the record shows competent evidence
of the Commission's findings of fact which in turn support the
conclusion that plaintiff was totally disabled.
Affirmed.
Judges TYSON and LEVINSON concur.
Report per Rule 30(e).
*** Converted from WordPerfect ***