Blazevich v. State Board

191 Cal. App. 3d 1121, 237 Cal. Rptr. 35, 1987 Cal. App. LEXIS 1708
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 11, 1987
DocketNo. A020045
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 191 Cal. App. 3d 1121 (Blazevich v. State Board) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Blazevich v. State Board, 191 Cal. App. 3d 1121, 237 Cal. Rptr. 35, 1987 Cal. App. LEXIS 1708 (Cal. Ct. App. 1987).

Opinion

Opinion

BENSON, J.

Brian M. Blazevich, a minor,1 appeals from a judgment denying his petition for writ of mandate which sought indemnification under the Victims of Violent Crime Act2 (the Act) for loss of his mother’s support and loss of the value of her society, comfort, care and protection. We affirm the judgment.

Paulette Jeanne Clouse, Brian’s mother, was murdered on June 29, 1975. She was stabbed to death by her estranged husband who was not Brian’s father. Brian was six years old at the time. Brian’s mother married Mr. Clouse in July 1973 at which time she terminated her employment. Before that time she had worked at various jobs and was able to support Brian. She separated from Mr. Clouse in March 1975 but was unable to return to work because she had given birth to a profoundly disabled second child in October 1974. This second child required her constant care.

The application for benefits filed with the State Board of Control (Board) which administers the Act stated Paulette had been employed at the Fiesta Rexall Pharmacy from January 1970 to March 1971 and thereafter was employed by the Pueblo Motel in Sonoma, the Old Hoss, the Red Pony and Dutil’s Bakery. The application failed to state the amount of wages she had earned from any of these employers. The application sought indemnification for loss of support, for the value of her household services to Brian and the pecuniary value of her society, comfort, care and protection and for funeral expenses.

[1124]*1124Except for funeral expenses, the claims were denied. The basis for denial of the claims was the Board’s determination that Brian had suffered no out-of-pocket loss since his mother was not employed at the time she was killed. Brian filed a petition for writ of mandate asking the court to issue a peremptory writ of mandate directing the Board to set aside its decision and award Brian a cash payment. The trial court denied the petition on the grounds Brian had made no showing he had suffered “ ‘pecuniary loss’ resulting in ‘serious financial hardship’ (Gov. Code, sec. 13959) due to expenses or loss of income or support caused by a crime of violence (Gov. Code, secs. 13960(e), 13964(a)(2)).”

Brian concedes the program is limited to recovery of pecuniary losses. He contends the term “pecuniary loss” includes the value of household services he received and the value of providing substitutes for his mother’s society, comfort, care and protection. Brian also asserts that the term “pecuniary loss” as used in the Act includes loss of a parent’s future earnings even if the parent were not employed at the time of her death.

The Board argues the Act provides for reimbursement only for actual loss, that is, out-of-pocket loss and is not intended to compensate for nonpecuniary losses such as loss of household services or loss of society, comfort, care and protection. The Board asserts Brian failed to present evidence of measurable loss of support within the meaning of the Act.

Although neither party addresses the issue, it is clear that the petition for writ of mandate was filed under Code of Civil Procedure section 1094.5.3 The Act provides for a mandatory hearing on applications (§ 13962) at which evidence is presented (§ 13963).

At the hearing, the Board adopted the recommendation of its staff which stated Brian had presented no verified monetary losses for support since his mother was not employed. The Board issued no formal written findings but the chairman of the Board stated at the hearing the following reasons: “We reimburse for actual losses____[W]e have never interpreted the law to be able to give us the authority to reimburse someone who had no losses—out of pocket losses and if she was not working she had no out of pocket losses____We don’t look behind why she wasn’t working and use that as a reason.” Under the authority of McMillan v. American Gen. Fin. Corp. [1125]*1125(1976) 60 Cal.App.3d 175, 184 [131 Cal.Rptr. 462], these findings are sufficient.

Our standard of review of a judgment denying a petition for writ of administrative mandate is the same as that of the trial court when it reviews the determination of the administrative board. We must determine if the findings of the board are supported by substantial evidence in light of the whole record. (Code Civ. Proc., § 1094.5, subd. (c); Bixby v. Pierno (1971) 4 Cal.3d 130, 149 [93 Cal.Rptr. 234, 481 P.2d 242].) Brian did not have a vested right to an award under the Act which would require the trial court to undertake an independent review of the evidence. (Bixby v. Pierno, supra, at p. 144.)

Neither party cites to any appellate case interpreting the term “pecuniary loss” as used in the Act. Nor have we found any such case.

Brian argues we should give the same meaning to the term “pecuniary loss” in the Act as that given in the case law construing the wrongful death statute, Code of Civil Procedure section 377. He cites the legal maxim that words used in a new statute which have been construed in a particular sense in a former statute on a analogous subject, are presumed to be used in the same sense unless the new statute clearly expresses an intention to the contrary. (Estate of Hoegler (1978) 82 Cal.App.3d 483, 489 [147 Cal.Rptr. 289]; Estate of Hoertkorn (1979) 88 Cal.App.3d 461 [151 Cal.Rptr. 806].) Brian further cites Krouse v. Graham (1977) 19 Cal.3d 59, 67 [ 137 Cal.Rptr. 863, 562 P.2d 1022] for the proposition that the wrongful death statute covers only pecuniary losses which include loss of household services and loss of society, comfort, care and protection.

Brian’s first argument fails for two reasons. First, the term “pecuniary loss” is not used in Code of Civil Procedure section 377. The statute as originally enacted provided for pecuniary and exemplary damages. The words “ ‘pecuniary or exemplary’ ” were deleted by amendment and today the section provides for recovery of “damages.” (Krouse v. Graham, supra, 19 Cal.3d at p. 67.) Pecuniary loss is one form of damages which has been allowed by courts construing the section. Second, a review of the Act reveals the two statutes are not analogous. The wrongful death statute creates a broad range of recovery based on culpability. The Act, however, is less broad, specifically setting forth the type of loss the Legislature intended to indemnify. (§§ 13959 and 13960, subd. (e).) The award is limited to indemnification up to a specified maximum. (§ 13965.) Unlike the wrongful death statute, the Act is not an exclusive form of recovery. Section 13966 provides the State shall be subrogated to the rights of the victim to whom cash [1126]*1126payments are made and entitles the State to a lien on any judgment or settlement.

Recovery under the wrongful death statute is not limited to costs actually incurred. Brian misreads the holding in Krouse which merely confirms that wrongful death actions allow expanded recovery to include nonpecuniary losses. That court stated: “These cases suggest a realization that if damages truly were limited to ‘pecuniary’ loss, recovery frequently would be barred by the heirs’ inability to prove such loss.” (Krouse v. Graham, supra, 19 Cal.3d at p. 68.)

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
191 Cal. App. 3d 1121, 237 Cal. Rptr. 35, 1987 Cal. App. LEXIS 1708, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/blazevich-v-state-board-calctapp-1987.