Lawson, Deputy Commissioner, United States Employees' Compensation Commission, v. Suwannee Fruit & Steamship Co. et al. (336 U.S. 198)
U.S. Supreme Court · decided February 14, 1949 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Citation
- 336 U.S. 198 · 69 S. Ct. 503
- Docket
- No. 56
- Argued
- December 7, 1948
- Decided
- February 14, 1949
- Term
- October Term 1948
- Vote
- 8–1
- Majority author
- Justice Murphy
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome
- Petitioning party lost
- Ideological direction
- Conservative
How the Justices voted
- Majority
- Chief Justice Vinson, Justice Burton, Justice R. H. Jackson, Justice Frankfurter, Justice Reed, Justice Black, Justice Rutledge, Justice Murphy (wrote)
- Dissenting
- Justice Douglas
Opinion excerpt
Mr. Justice Murphy delivered the opinion of the Court. This is a workmen’s compensation case, under the Longshoremen’s and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, 44 Stat. 1424, 33 U. S. C. § 901 et seq. A narrow and difficult question of statutory construction confronts us. John Davis lost the sight of his right eye in an accident unconnected with industry or his employment. He was later hired by respondent. An injury occurred during this employment, and he is now blind in both eyes. The parties agree that he is totally disabled within the meaning of the Act; they also agree that the employer is liable for compensation for the loss of the left eye. The dispute is narrowed to this question: should the employer or the statutory second injury fund, administered by petitioner, be liable for the balance of payments to equal compensation for total disability? Petitioner concluded that the employer was liable. The employer secured a reversal of this determination in the District Court for the Southern District of Florida, 68 F. Supp. 616, and the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed the judgment of the District Court. 166 F. 2d 13. Because this decision conflicted with that of the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in National Homeopathic Hospital Association v. Britton, 79 U. S. App. D. C. 309, 147 F. 2d 561, cert. denied 325 U. S. 857, we granted certiorari.…
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