Berryman v. Fettig Canning Corp.

399 N.E.2d 840, 73 Ind. Dec. 831, 1980 Ind. App. LEXIS 1303
Indiana Court of Appeals·Decided February 4, 1980·No. 2-779A223·Published·Cited by 4 cases

Opinion

HOFFMAN, Judge.

This is an appeal from a decision of the Industrial Board denying workmen’s compensation benefits to claimant-appellant Marguerite L. Berryman. Her sole assignment of error is that the award in favor of defendant-appellee Fettig Canning Corporation is contrary to law.

The award of the single hearing member which was adopted by the Board reads in pertinent part as follows:

“STIPULATIONS
At the hearing, it was agreed by and between the parties and stipulated as follows:
1. That on or about September 30, 1977, Plaintiff was an employee of the Defendant at an average weekly wage of $100.00.
2. That on said date, Plaintiff got into an altercation with another employee, as a result of which she broke her right shoulder; that she has received treatment from Dr. Paul L. [sic] Ramsey.
3. That no temporary total disability has been paid.
4. That no medical expenses have been paid.
5. That the medical bills may be stipulated, in the event there is a finding of liability.
6. That the parties offer into evidence the medical Deposition of Dr. Paul A. Ramsey, and the same is accepted and admitted into evidence.
7. That a dispute arose between the parties as to Defendant’s liability, if any, and though a good faith effort was made to settle it, the dispute remains unresolved.
* * * * * *
“FINDINGS
The Single Hearing Member, after having heard the stipulations by the parties of the facts in said cause, all of the evidence adduced, and having reviewed the entire record and being duly advised in the premises therein, now adopts the stipulations and further finds:
1. The Plaintiff was a female, age 59, five feet tall and weighs about 130 lbs.
2. The Plaintiff and three or four other cannery workers ride to and from work with Lucille Cohen, the driver. Mrs. Cohen was age 39, five feet four inches in height and also weighs about 130 lbs. All of them worked at Defendant’s tomato cannery.
3. The Plaintiff and the other passengers argued about the Plaintiff being the last to clock out her time card at the end of each work day. All of the workers would leave their work stations at the conveyor belt and go to the washroom, wash and hang up protective aprons, and some would line up to use the limited toilet facilities, then clock out. Plaintiff was accused of making as much as One Dollar ($1.00) per week more than the others by always being the last to clock out.
4. Lucille Cohen, the driver, was made very nervous by the confusion of the continuing arguments on the way home one evening. She told her sister, the last to be dropped off that if the confusion was not stopped during the daily trips, that she was going to stop ‘riding’ all of them.
*842 5. The morning of the incident, all were preparing to work, either sitting or standing about, awaiting the-warning whistle that the conveyor belt was to begin to move and all were to begin work. The sister, during this period, waiting period, informed the Plaintiff that the driver, Lucille Cohen, had said that if Plaintiff did not start clocking out first, that Plaintiff would not have a ride any more. The driver, Lucille Cohen, later denied telling her sister to relay any message.
6. Plaintiff was angered and hurt. Seeing Lucille Cohen, the driver, emerge from the washroom, Plaintiff went up to her and demanded to know why she had not talked directly to the Plaintiff, instead of behind her back and through the sister. She then called her supposed good friend, the driver, an S.O.B. and punched her on the chest.
7. The driver, Lucille Cohen, in a reflex defensive swing struck Plaintiff’s right shoulder with her closed fist and Plaintiff fell down from the force of the blow or a push. From the force of the blow' or from catching herself in the fall, Plaintiff suffered what was later found to be, a fracture of her shoulder. At the time, she got up, went to the restroom, then returned for a short time to work. Later she reported she was suffering pain to the Defendant’s nurse and called her family to take her home. The same day she went to the hospital where she was examined and treated by Dr. Paul A. Ramsey.
8. The Plaintiff suffered an injury diagnosed to be a three part fracture of the proximal right humerus, the greater tu-berosity of the right shoulder (the ball of bone insert in the shoulder socket was fractured).
9. The Defendant did not offer nor control any transportation to or from work for its workers.
10. The incident did take place in the course of or during the employment, having occurred after clock-in, apparently, after dawning [sic] protective apron, but before actual work began.
11. ' The incident did not arise out of the employment, but spring [sic] from Plaintiff’s attempt to settle a private grievance about continuing her mode of transportation to and from work. The interests of the other riders in promptly leaving the work premises was not shared by Plaintiff, whatever her motivation or lack of it. While joking or so-called horseplay resulting in injury is a hazard covered by Workmen’s Compensation, as interpreted by the Board and the Courts, a voluntary verbal assault or a touching in anger which results in injury to the aggressor, is not and should not be included in those events which are said to arise out of employment. To the contrary, injury to the victim of aggression, would have Workmen’s Compensation protection where the worker is injured while in a place where the employment requires the worker to be. But an aggressor is not required to pugnaciously settle the private grievance during or in a place of employment.
12. The injuries suffered by the Plaintiff did, in fact, cause her to be temporarily totally disabled from
December 30, 1977 to and including May 30, 1978. However, the work was a temporary job of from sixty (60) to ninety (90) days duration.
13. The medical evidence supports, and the Single Hearing Member so finds, that Plaintiff suffers a permanent partial impairment of 20% loss of use of the right arm.
14. The Single Hearing Member concludes that the weight of the evidence favors the Defendant and is against the Plaintiff.
“AWARD
IT IS, THEREFORE, CONSIDERED, ORDERED AND ADJUDGED by the Industrial Board of Indiana, that the Plaintiff shall take nothing by virtue of her Form 9 Application heretofore filed November 22, 1977.”

An allegation that the award of the Board is contrary to law presents for re *843

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Berryman v. Fettig Canning Corp., 399 N.E.2d 840, 73 Ind. Dec. 831, 1980 Ind. App. LEXIS 1303 (Ind. Ct. App. 1980).

399 N.E.2d 840 (Berryman v. Fettig Canning Corp.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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