Lamay v. Roswell Independent School District

882 P.2d 559, 118 N.M. 518
CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedAugust 12, 1994
Docket14715
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 882 P.2d 559 (Lamay v. Roswell Independent School District) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Mexico Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lamay v. Roswell Independent School District, 882 P.2d 559, 118 N.M. 518 (N.M. Ct. App. 1994).

Opinions

OPINION

MINZNER, Chief Judge.

Kathleen Lamay (Worker) appeals from a compensation order denying benefits to her for a lower back injury she sustained on February 25, 1992 while employed as a cook for Roswell Independent School District (Employer). The workers’ compensation judge (judge) denied benefits because he determined that Employer proved that Worker knowingly and wilfully made a false statement on which Employer relied, and thus successfully raised the false representation defense. See generally Gray v. J.P. (Bum) Gibbins, Inc., 75 N.M. 584, 408 P.2d 506 (1965); Sanchez v. Memorial Gen. Hosp., 110 N.M. 683, 798 P.2d 1069 (Ct.App.), cert. denied, 110 N.M. 653, 798 P.2d 1039 (1990). Worker’s contentions on appeal raise an issue of first impression: whether the question the judge found she answered falsely was either too general or too ambiguous to support the false representation defense. She does not challenge the sufficiency of the evidence regarding any element of the defense.

After giving a background, we discuss the history and the nature of the false representation defense. We then address Worker’s specific contentions regarding the inadequacy of the question in the employment application. We then adopt a test for determining adequacy, following which we answer Worker’s question regarding whether as a matter of law the questionnaire in this case was overly broad or vague and that Employer’s reliance could not be justified. We conclude that the question was not overly broad or vague as a matter of law and that Employer was entitled to rely upon Worker’s answer without further investigation. However, because we have identified a new test for determining the adequacy of the question to elicit an answer on which an employer may rely, we remand to the Workers’ Compensation Administration to permit the judge to eonsider the evidence Employer offered in light of the new test. See Whittenberg v. Graves Oil & Butane Co., 113 N.M. 450, 457, 827 P.2d 838, 845 (Ct.App.1991) (case remanded for further findings in light of clarification of appropriate test for determining employee/independent contractor status of an accountant), cert. denied, 113 N.M. 352, 826 P.2d 573 (1992); State v. Tindle, 104 N.M. 195, 200, 718 P.2d 705, 710 (Ct.App.1986) (“we remand this case to the trial court. On remand, the court should determine whether its decision granting defendant’s motion comports with the analysis we have outlined here.”). Accordingly, we vacate the order from which Worker has appealed and remand for further proceedings.

BACKGROUND

It is undisputed that while working as a cook for Employer, Worker suffered an accidental injury in the course and scope of employment on February 25, 1992. The nature of injury was an “aggravation of mechanical back pain and L4 radiculopathy.” Employer had proper notice of the accidental injury, and it appears clear from the record that but for the false representation defense, this was a compensable claim. The judge denied the claim, however, finding that (1) Worker had submitted a fraudulent employment application, (2) she had done so knowingly, (3) Employer had relied on the false statements, and (4) they concerned a condition that increased Worker’s risk of injury. The relevant findings concern the following question in the application for employment:

I. PERSONAL: Do you have any condition which might limit you in job assignments or ability to work in the position for which you are applying: yes_no X

Although she answered “no” to this question, Worker listed Capitan School Cafeteria in describing her experience and gave two Capitan personnel as references. In addition, she signed a general release for Employer to investigate her employment and medical history. When asked why she answered “no,” Worker answered:

I didn’t feel I had any condition that would hinder me doing the job____ I had been told by the doctors I had been to, to work, and work was the best thing I could do.

When asked how she interpreted “any condition,” she answered: “If I didn’t know how to do the job, and I knew how to do the job.”

Mr. Burch, who interviewed Worker for Employer, testified that he did not ask any questions about her physical condition, medical history, previous injuries, or any other health history or related questions. Mr. Burch checked Worker’s references by telephoning Capitan Independent School District and sending a reference form letter to Dr. Childress in Capitan, one of the persons she listed as a reference on the application form. However, Mr. Burch did not ask Capitan personnel or Dr. Childress about Worker’s medical history or any prior injuries. Mr. Burch testified that he did not ask Worker or her previous employer any further or more specific questions about her medical history because based on her written application he did not believe she had any problem.

Worker had suffered from lower back problems since 1987. She first visited a chiropractor, Dr. Farris, in June of that year; however, initially her major complaints involved her neck and shoulder. Worker saw Dr. Farris on a regular basis for her back and neck problems until January 26, 1989, when she sustained an injury to her lower back while employed at the Capitan Municipal Schools (Capitan) working as a cook. Following that accidental injury, Worker continued under the care of Dr. Farris until June 1990 when she moved with her family to Roswell. Because of the continuing pain in her'lower back, Dr. Farris told Worker that she would need continuing treatment. He also told her that she should expect exacerbations of the lower back pain in relation to her workload. He noted that she worked with difficulty depending on her duties. While Dr. Farris placed no restrictions on Worker, he instructed her how to lift properly and told her to be careful. He felt that “if she had an easier job where she didn’t have to be straining her back all the time, she would have less problems but she was always going to have some back problems.” He also stated that there was no time between January 1989 until June 1990, when he last saw Worker, when she was symptom-free. Worker’s last visit to Dr. Farris preceded her application to Employer by about two months.

After moving to Roswell, Worker was referred to Dr. Diven, a medical doctor in Las Cruces who at the time was engaged in occupational medicine. He first saw Worker on July 25, 1990, which was approximately two weeks before she applied with Employer on August 8, 1990. Worker had been referred to Dr. Diven at the request of Capitan’s insurer, who had recommended physical therapy. Dr. Diven testified that he understood from her history that Worker had made significant changes at both work and home regarding her activities in order to avoid pain. Worker described pain that was activity-related. Dr. Diven felt that Worker would benefit from physical therapy, which would help improve her muscle tone and limber her up. At the time Dr. Diven saw Worker, she had left her job at Capitán and was not working.

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Lamay v. Roswell Independent School District
882 P.2d 559 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1994)

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Bluebook (online)
882 P.2d 559, 118 N.M. 518, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lamay-v-roswell-independent-school-district-nmctapp-1994.