Cunningham v. Acro Extrusion Corp.

790 A.2d 507, 2001 Del. Super. LEXIS 76, 2001 WL 237922
Superior Court of Delaware·Decided February 28, 2001·No. C.A. No. 98C-05-167·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

ALFORD, J.

On this 28th day of February, 2001, upon consideration of Aero Extrusion Corporation’s (“Defendant”) Motion for Summary Judgment and Phillip Cunningham’s (“Plaintiff’) Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment, it appears to the Court that:

FACTS

On January 28, 1998 the Industrial Accident Board (“Board”) mailed its decision to the parties, both granting and denying certain workers compensation benefits. The Board awarded Plaintiff permanency-benefits and medical expenses, but denied his claim for both permanent partial and total disability benefits. On February 12, 1998, Plaintiff filed a Motion for Reargument to the Board, dealing only with the issue of temporary partial disability benefits because the Board’s decision did not address the claim. The Board “granted” the Motion for Reargument and ordered an evi-dentiary hearing. The evidentiary hearing was held on June 29, 1998 and the Board issued its decision on July 10,1998 denying Plaintiffs claim for temporary partial disability benefits.

On April 9, 1998, during the time period that Plaintiffs Motion for Reargument was pending before the Board, Plaintiff sent a “Huffman”1 letter to Defendant demanding payment for permanency benefits and medical expenses; the portions of the award not at issue in the Motion for Rear-gument. Defendant did not pay at that point. Plaintiff filed this action on May 18, 1998 seeking payment of the award and liquidated damages pursuant to 19 Del. C. § 1103 and § 2357. Furthermore, Plaintiff sent two additional letters on July 16, 1998 and September 21, 1998, requesting payment. Defendant eventually paid permanency benefits, attorneys fees, and other costs on October 14,1998.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

Summary judgment is appropriate when the moving party has shown that there are no genuine issues of material fact and that he/she is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.2 In considering a Motion for Summary Judgment, the Court must weigh the facts in the light most favorable to the non-moving party.3 Summary judgment will not be granted under circumstances where the record reasonably indicates that a material fact is in dispute or if it seems desirable to inquire more thoroughly into [509] the facts in order to clarify the application of law to the circumstances.4

DISCUSSION

Defendant argues that it is not liable pursuant to 19 Del C. § 2357 because Plaintiffs Huffman demand was not valid since it was made prior to the appeal period running. Defendant argues that the appeal period had not started to run because Plaintiff filed a Motion for Rear-gument to the Board which pursuant to the Board’s rules, tolled the time for filing an appeal as to the whole decision rather than only the portion set forth in, the Motion for Reargument. Defendant argues that this case is distinguished from Johnson v. General Motors Corporation5 and Keeler v. Metal Masters Foodservice Equipment Company6, which Plaintiff heavily relies upon, in that those cases involved an appeal filed to contest a part of an award and a Huffman demand made as to the unappealed portions. Defendant argues that in this case Plaintiff filed a Motion for Reargument, which the Board granted and re-opened the hearing. Defendant argues therefore, that the Board’s decision was not final as to any part of the decision, as was found to be the case in Johnson and Keeler. Defendant further argues that this distinction is supported by Industrial Accident Board Rule 217 because it does not provide for a limited motion for reargument. Defendant further contends that because the Board’s decision was not final, the demand for payment was not “proper” pursuant to Huffman and Curry v. State.8 According to Defendant, a demand for payment is not a “viable demand” until the expiration of the appeal period. Thus, Defendant argues, payment was not due nor in default when Plaintiff made his demand in April.

Plaintiff argues that the Motion for Reargument tolled the appeal process only as to the issue of temporary partial disability and nothing else. Plaintiff argues that the Johnson and Keeler cases support his proposition. Plaintiff submits that although the Keeler case dealt specifically with an appeal of a single portion of an award, the Keeler Court also addressed the issue as it applies to reargument. Plaintiff asserts that when the Court in Keeler stated that “upon remand and a rehearing, the Board should not be permitted to reconsider the unappealed portions of the award,”9 the Court was referring to an appeal and/or motion to reargue. Plaintiff also argues that Industrial Accident Board Rule 21 supports this proposition. Plaintiff contends that Rule 21 has the same “jurisdictional basis” as reflected in 19 Del. C. § 2349. Plaintiff cites to the portion of Rule 21 which states “[t]he time under Section 2349 will begin anew when the published decision of the rehearing or reargument is received by the parties.” Plaintiff argues that this language is only referring to the particular issue submitted for reargument; not the entire case. Plaintiff posits that interpreting the Rule otherwise would result in withholding the [510] payment of benefits while a single issue is being argued and decided.

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Cunningham v. Acro Extrusion Corp., 790 A.2d 507, 2001 Del. Super. LEXIS 76, 2001 WL 237922 (Del. Ct. App. 2001).

790 A.2d 507 (Cunningham v. Acro Extrusion Corp.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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Acro Extrusion Corp. v. Cunningham
810 A.2d 345 (Supreme Court of Delaware, 2002)