Duncan v. Springfield R-12 School District

897 S.W.2d 108, 1995 Mo. App. LEXIS 480, 1995 WL 111292
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 16, 1995
Docket19699
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 897 S.W.2d 108 (Duncan v. Springfield R-12 School District) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Duncan v. Springfield R-12 School District, 897 S.W.2d 108, 1995 Mo. App. LEXIS 480, 1995 WL 111292 (Mo. Ct. App. 1995).

Opinion

CROW, Judge.

Claimant, Roy James Duncan, Jr., filed a claim for compensation under The Workers’ Compensation Law, chapter 287, RSMol986, as amended. An administrative law judge (“ALJ”) of the Division of Workers’ Compensation denied the claim. Claimant thereupon filed an application for review with The Labor and Industrial Relations Commission (“Commission”). In a “Final Award Denying Compensation,” Commission adopted the ALJ’s findings and affirmed the denial. Claimant brings this appeal from Commission’s decision.

Claimant maintains he suffers from “mental disorders” caused by stress arising out of *110 and in the course of his employment as a teacher by Springfield R-12 School District (“R-12”). The ALJ’s findings, adopted by Commission, included a finding that the evidence failed to establish that Claimant’s “psychological problems” arose out of and in the course of his employment.

Claimant’s second point, which we address first, asserts the only reasonable conclusion from the evidence is that he suffered depression and anxiety attacks attempting to satisfy job performance requirements imposed by a supervisor. Before examining the evidence on that issue, it is helpful to review the case law on compensability of mental disorders and the concept of “accident” under workers’ compensation.

In Wilhite v. Hurd, 411 S.W.2d 72 (Mo.1967), a worker sought compensation for an eye injury and psychotic depression. He claimed the depression was caused by the injury. The Supreme Court of Missouri held mental conditions are compensable under workers’ compensation “provided they are shown to have been directly and proximately caused by the accident.” Id. at 78[5]. However, proof of the condition is not proof of causation. Id.

In Boatwright v. ACF Industries, Inc., 463 S.W.2d 549 (Mo.App.1971), Commission found that a worker fell, sustaining physical injuries resulting in temporary traumatic neurosis. On appeal, the employer argued the psychoneurosis was caused by factors unrelated to the accident. The appellate court held the evidence sufficient to show the causal connection between the accident and the functional disabling psychoneurosis, id. at 554, and affirmed an award for temporary total disability.

In Todd v. Goostree, 493 S.W.2d 411 (Mo.App.1973), a truck driver suffered a traumatic neurosis upon discovering he had backed his truck over a co-worker, crushing him to death. The driver sought compensation for the neurosis. Commission denied the claim on the ground that the condition was not a compensable “injury” as statutorily defined. Commission’s rationale was that inasmuch as the neurosis was not caused by an injury to the claimant’s body, the neurosis was not covered by workers’ compensation. Id. at 415. The appellate court, noting this was a case of first impression in Missouri, reviewed decisions from other states and held the neurosis was a compensable injury even though it was not caused by any physical impact to the claimant’s body. Id. at 420-21.

In each of the eases discussed so far, there was a single, identifiable “accident” which allegedly caused the mental disorder.

In Wolfgeher v. Wagner Cartage Service, Inc., 646 S.W.2d 781 (Mo. banc 1983), the Supreme Court of Missouri expanded the definition of “accident” (within the meaning of workers’ compensation) to cover instances where performance of an employee’s usual and customary duties leads to physical breakdown or a change in pathology. Id. at 784. The Court said that if an injury is “clearly job related,” it is compensable. Id. at 785. However, the claim in Wolfgeher was for a back sprain, not a mental disorder.

In Wynn v. Navajo Freight Lines, Inc., 654 S.W.2d 87 (Mo. banc 1983), a truck driver died from a work related heart attack, and his widow sought workers’ compensation death benefits. The Supreme Court of Missouri held the widow was entitled to benefits even though the heart attack was not preceded by any unusual event or abnormal strain. The right to compensation exists “if the actual triggering causes are found, on the basis of substantial evidence, to meet the ‘job related’ or Vork related’ test of Wolfgeher.” Wynn, 654 S.W.2d at 89-90.

In Tibbs v. Rowe Furniture Corp., 691 S.W.2d 410 (Mo.App.S.D.1985), a worker sustained a finger injury. He sought compensation for that injury and also for a mental disorder he attributed to the injury. Commission awarded compensation for the finger, but not the mental disorder. This Court, citing Wilhite, 411 S.W.2d at 78, held mental disorders are compensable under workers’ compensation provided they are shown to be directly and proximately caused by a work related accident. Tibbs, 691 S.W.2d at 412-13[7]. However, this Court affirmed Commission’s denial of benefits for the mental disorder, finding the evidence sufficient to support Commission’s determination that the disorder was not caused by the finger injury.

*111 In Westerhold v. Unitog-Holden Manufacturing Co., 707 S.W.2d 456 (Mo.App.W.D.1986), Commission denied a worker’s claim for compensation for emotional and psychological disability. The worker averred her supervisor slapped her across the mouth, causing humiliation, psychological injury and injury to her central nervous system. The Western District of this Court held: “Wolf-geher does nothing to erase the necessity that the injury arise out of and in the course of the employment. The injury still clearly must be job related.” Westerhold, 707 S.W.2d at 458. The Western District held the evidence, although conflicting, was sufficient to support Commission’s finding of no causal connection between the claimant’s job and her mental disorder.

In Low v. ACF Industries, 772 S.W.2d 904 (Mo.App.E.D.1989), Commission found a worker suffered extraordinary mental and emotional job related stress, which caused him to suffer cardiac dysrhythmias. Commission awarded compensation for permanent partial disability. The Eastern District of this Court held there was sufficient evidence to support Commission’s finding that the cardiac dysrhythmias were directly and proximately caused by the work related stress endured by the worker. Id. at 907. The opinion continued: “This stress meets the ‘job related’ or “work related’ test of Wolfgeher.” Low, 772 S.W.2d at 907-08.

Claimant pled he became disabled December 20, 1990.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Schaffer v. LITTON INTERCONNECT TECHNOLOGY
274 S.W.3d 597 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2009)
Hampton v. Big Boy Steel Erection
121 S.W.3d 220 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 2003)
Pavia v. Smitty's Supermarket
118 S.W.3d 228 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2003)
Tangblade v. Lear Corp.
58 S.W.3d 662 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2001)
Brown v. Sunshine Chevrolet Geo, Inc.
27 S.W.3d 880 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2000)
Smith v. Richardson Bros. Roofing
32 S.W.3d 568 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2000)
Erickson v. Aaron's Automotive Products, Inc.
967 S.W.2d 661 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1998)
Landers v. Chrysler Corp.
963 S.W.2d 275 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1997)
Hall v. Country Kitchen Restaurant
936 S.W.2d 917 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1997)
Apresa v. Montfort Insurance Co.
932 S.W.2d 246 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1996)
Felts v. Ford Motor Co.
916 S.W.2d 798 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1995)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
897 S.W.2d 108, 1995 Mo. App. LEXIS 480, 1995 WL 111292, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/duncan-v-springfield-r-12-school-district-moctapp-1995.