Charles L. Kimzey v. Dept Of Labor And Industries

CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedNovember 30, 2015
Docket72323-5
StatusUnpublished

This text of Charles L. Kimzey v. Dept Of Labor And Industries (Charles L. Kimzey v. Dept Of Labor And Industries) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Charles L. Kimzey v. Dept Of Labor And Industries, (Wash. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON DIVISION ONE

CHARLES L. KIMZEY, No. 72323-5-1

Respondent,

UNPUBLISHED OPINION

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRIES,

Appellant. FILED: November 30, 2015

Schindler, J. — The Industrial Insurance Act (MA), Title 51 RCW, expressly

excludes claims for an occupational disease "based on mental conditions or mental

disabilities caused by stress."1 Here, the undisputed record established the claim for

post-traumatic stress disorder was caused by the cumulative effects of working as a

paramedic. We reverse the superior court and affirm the decision of the Department of

Labor and Industries to deny the claim for benefits.

Claim for Benefits

After serving as a paramedic in the military, Charles L. Kimzey worked as a

paramedic for Evergreen Medic One. Beginning in 2002, Kimzey worked as a

paramedic for Vashon Island Fire and Rescue.

RCW 51.08.142. No. 72323-5-1/2

In June 2012, mental health advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP)

Rachel Burgett diagnosed Kimzey with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Burgett

prescribed a number of medications including an antidepressant. In July, Vashon

Health Center family physician Dr. Gary Koch diagnosed Kimzey with PTSD and severe

depression.

On July 11, 2012, Kimzey filed a claim for benefits with the Department of Labor

and Industries for an "Industrial Injury or Occupational Disease." Kimzey stated his

PTSD and depression were caused by "[Repeated exposure to some pretty horrific

incidents . . . over a 25 year career in the Fire Service and with Medic One." Kimzey

described the "most troublesome" incidents as involving "people I knew and cared

about." Kimzey states he suffered from "massive, debilitating panic attacks requiring

ongoing mental health therapy and medications."

The Department denied Kimzey's claim for benefits as an industrial injury or an

occupational disease. The "Notice of Decision" states, in pertinent part:

This claim for benefits filed on 7/11/2012 while working for VASHON ISLAND FIRE & RESCUE is hereby rejected as an industrial injury or occupational disease for the following reasons:

Claims based on mental conditions or mental disabilities caused by stress are specifically excluded from coverage by law.

Kimzey appealed the decision to the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals. A

number of witnesses testified at the hearing before the Industrial Appeals Judge (IAJ)

including Vashon Island Fire and Rescue paramedic and firefighter William Buchanan

and Vashon Island Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Mark Brownell. Kimzey also

presented the deposition testimony of ARNP Rachel Burgett and Dr. Gary Koch. The

Department did not call any witnesses. No. 72323-5-1/3

Buchanan testified that Kimzey was "a good paramedic" who "thoroughly

enjoyed" his job. However, by February 2012, "it was clear. . . something had affected

[Kimzey's] ability" to function at work. Buchanan testified that Kimzey did not "identify

the triggers for that anxiety .... [T]he identification really was having to deal. . . with

life-threatening emergencies, kids in general."

Battalion Chief Brownell testified that after Kimzey began experiencing symptoms

of PTSD and depression, the "contrast there . . . was pretty drastic."

Kimzey testified about a number of incidents including a failed intubation, airlifting

his sixth grade Sunday school teacher after a heart attack, and "see[ing] someone in the

grocery store after you've just tried and failed to resuscitate a family member."

Kimzey also described emergency calls involving child fatalities, the death of a

mother and her children in a fiery car accident, and the death of a family in a landslide.

Kimzey testified about "[hjorrible, horrible thoughts" when he responded to a call

involving a child with allergies such as imagining "he was going to be dead" or that the

child's airway would close and the rescue effort would be "beyond my skill."

Kimzey described the symptoms he suffered from as follows:

It starts out with a low-level anxiety, gastrointestinal discomfort, followed by diarrhea. And then I get projectile vomiting. And then it really cascades, because I can't stop. And then I have these everything is going to — everyone I care about is going to die a horrible death, and I'm going to be standing there, and there's not a darn thing I can do about it.

... I could find no joy. Everything was a catastrophe. Everything I loved and cared about was going to be ripped from me violently and bloodily, and I couldn't stop it. No. 72323-5-1/4

In her deposition, Burgett testified that on June 18, 2012, Kimzey "presented with

symptoms consistent with" PTSD and a major depressive disorder. Burgett testified

PTSD is "an anxiety disorder" that manifests in "a cluster of symptoms" such as

"avoidance, severe anxiety, reexperiencing of the trauma, nightmares, easy startle

reflect, [and] inability to face situations similar to the trauma." Burgett said Kimzey was

having nightmares "where he was unable to leave the station, where he felt trapped

there and felt anxious when he woke up," and "[d]reams of death and injury happening

to children, not being able to help children on calls, things like that."

Burgett described the "research that shows that [emergency medical technicians]

and paramedics and firefighters dealing with children is one of the more significant

traumatic events in their career." Burgett testified that Kimzey's PTSD was "[c]learly

from the cumulative effects of trauma in his work environment." Burgett described the

PTSD Kimzey suffered from as "a buildup of triggers, and I think ... the most troubling

events involved children." But Burgett testified that although Kimzey referred to

incidents with children several times, his PTSD was "a cumulation of incidents that

occurred over his work career." According to Burgett, "[m]ore-probably-than-not"

Kimzey's PTSD and depressive disorder were "work related."

Dr. Koch is a family physician at Vashon Health Center. Kimzey saw Dr. Koch

on July 5, 2012. Kimzey told Dr. Koch that he had not been to work since February. Dr.

Koch testified that Kimzey suffered from severe depression. "On the PHQ-9[2]

depression score [Kimzey] scored 22 points, which is in a severe depression range."

Dr. Koch believed Kimzey also "met the criteria" for PTSD with a bipolar component.

2 Patient health questionnaire. No. 72323-5-1/5

Dr. Koch testified that Kimzey was "severely depressed, and I didn't think he should

return to work .... I didn't think he was fit for duty."

In response to whether Kimzey's PTSD was the result of a single event or

cumulative events, Dr. Koch testified that in his opinion, PTSD "could be either; you can

have one particular bad exposure or you can have cumulative ones." Dr. Koch testified

that Kimzey suffered from "a cumulative memory of many severe traumatic images."

Dr. Koch did not recall Kimzey "going into any individual detail about specific cases."

Dr. Koch said Kimzey exhibited "classic symptoms" of cumulative events that resulted in

PTSD "caused by the stresses of his employment." When asked about Kimzey's ability

to return to work as a paramedic in the future, Dr.

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