Franklin v. Workers' Compensation Appeals Board

79 Cal. App. 3d 224, 145 Cal. Rptr. 22, 43 Cal. Comp. Cases 310, 1978 Cal. App. LEXIS 1377
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 30, 1978
DocketDocket Nos. 51762, 51781
StatusPublished
Cited by35 cases

This text of 79 Cal. App. 3d 224 (Franklin v. Workers' Compensation Appeals 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
Franklin v. Workers' Compensation Appeals Board, 79 Cal. App. 3d 224, 145 Cal. Rptr. 22, 43 Cal. Comp. Cases 310, 1978 Cal. App. LEXIS 1377 (Cal. Ct. App. 1978).

Opinion

COBEY, Acting P. J.

Cecelia L. Franklin, born November 29, 1938, sustained a cumulative trauma injury to her heart, arising out of and occurring in the course of her employment from January 2, 1957, through November 17, 1973, while employed as a registered nurse and attendant by the County of Los Angeles/University of Southern California Medical Center (County). Franklin sustained a myocardial infarct on November 17, 1973.

On reconsideration the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board (Board) found that Franklin’s heart disability established a 79 rating. The Board also found that one-half of Franklin’s disability preexisted her industrial injuiy. Accordingly, the Board awarded 39'A percent disability against County, her employer, and also awarded Franklin benefits against the Subsequent Injuries Fund (Lab. Code, § 4751 et seq.)

Franklin contends that there should be no apportionment and that all the disability related to her heart condition is the liability of her employer. She argues that the present apportionment is not based upon *231 proper “legal” theories but rather upon “medical” theories which do not rest upon the legal principles of apportionment. Franklin asserts that if there is apportionment, then the disability apportioned away from the employer’s liability should be the liability of the Subsequent Injuries Fund. 1

Subsequent Injuries Fund agrees in part with Franklin and argues there is no basis for apportionment in this case and hence it has no liability since there was no preexisting disability prior to the industrial disability—a necessary precondition to the imposition of liability upon it. Subsequent Injuries Fund further asserts that there is also no basis for apportionment to the natural progression of the preexisting disease (Lab. Code, § 4663) since, in order to so apportion, the preexisting condition must be actually disabling at the time of the industrial injury. In making the latter assertion, Subsequent Injuries Fund contends our Supreme Court in Zemke v. Workmen’s Comp. App. Bd. (1968) 68 Cal.2d 794 [69 Cal.Rptr. 88, 441 P.2d 928], has so interpreted Labor Code section 4663. 2

County and its workers’ compensation insurance carrier for the period prior to July 1, 1969, State Compensation Insurance Fund (State Fund), contend that the Board properly apportioned under section 4663 50 percent of Franklin’s disability as nonindustrial. County and State Fund argue that in the special case of the cumulative trauma injury apportionment should be made to the various industrial and nonindustrial factors which concurrently contributed to Franklin’s disability. State Fund and County also assert apportionment is justified since there is competent medical evidence that 50 percent of Franklin’s disability exists irrespective of any industrial contribution. Additionally, State Fund and County contend that apportionment is justified on the grounds that if Franklin had been examined prior to her myocardial infarct restrictions would have been placed upon her regarding her heart disease. State Fund and County acknowledge the latter argument would appear to conflict with the appellate decisions in Hulbert v. Workmen’s Comp. Appeals Bd. (1975) 47 Cal.App.3d 634, 640 [121 Cal.Rptr. 239]; Gross v. Workmen’s Comp. Appeals Bd. (1975) 44 Cal.App.3d 397, 404-405 [118 Cal.Rptr. 609]; and Amico v. Workmen’s Comp. Appeals Bd. (1974) 43 Cal.App.3d *232 592, 606 [117 Cal.Rptr. 831], but they assert these appellate opinions conflict with other workers’ compensation principles.

For the reasons stated herein, we hold that substantial evidence does not support the present finding of apportionment. Hence, the present award against Subsequent Injuries Fund cannot stand. We annul the award herein and remand to the Board for further consideration in light of the views expressed in this opinion.

I

Summary Of Medical Evidence

Before this court the parties agreed that Franklin sustained injury to her heart as the result of the stress and strain of her employment at County. Apportionment is the issue. Our review of the medical evidence is consequently limited to those portions pertinent to apportionment and Subsequent Injuries Fund liability.

Rueben Merliss, M.D., reported on behalf of Franklin. In his report of September 18, 1974, Dr. Merliss attributed Franklin’s infarct to her work; he also opined Franklin at that time was totally temporarily disabled. As to the cause of her disability, Dr. Merliss stated:

“I believe that this patient’s myocardial infarction is primarily due to arteriosclerosis, due in turn to her hypertension and a genetic disturbance in fat metabolism. However I believe that the infarct itself was both precipitated and aggravated by the patient’s work. She gives a convincing description of hard work, which, although she was devoted to it, was quite taxing. The attack itself appeared to occur directly while the patient was working, although she might have had some symptoms of a lesser degree for some days before, also while she was working.

“Consequently I would believe that the patient’s work has probably brought the attack on sooner than it would have come as a result of natural causes alone.

“I believe therefore that all of the disability due to this attack is industrial. . ..”

State Fund had Franklin examined by Alvin Markowitz, M.D. As indicated in his report of October 26, 1974, Dr. Markowitz’ diagnoses were:

*233 “1. Disease of the heart:

“a) arteriosclerotic
“b) healed myocardial infarction
“c) angina pectoris
“d) Class III B [ 3 ]

“2. Previous history of hypercholesterolemia.”[ 4 ]

Dr. Markowitz felt that Franklin’s heart condition was industrially related. However, Dr. Markowitz felt that apportionment was indicated: “Apportionment is appropriate. The patient had a preexisting disability. The high cholesterol was caused and accelerated as a predisposing factor to the development of coronary arteriosclerosis. It is medically probable she would have had heart disease because of this genetic defect of the high cholesterol no matter what her occupation was, and this would be a preexisting disability. Had she been examined with a treadmill test and/or coronary angiogram prior to the infarct, indeed probably several years ago she would have been found to have advanced coronary artery disease, which although asymptomatic, would have been productive of producing a disability against certain work activities and against emotional stress.

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Bluebook (online)
79 Cal. App. 3d 224, 145 Cal. Rptr. 22, 43 Cal. Comp. Cases 310, 1978 Cal. App. LEXIS 1377, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/franklin-v-workers-compensation-appeals-board-calctapp-1978.