Nezdropa v. Wayne County

394 N.W.2d 440, 152 Mich. App. 451
CourtMichigan Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 16, 1986
DocketDocket 85065, 85066, 87823
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 394 N.W.2d 440 (Nezdropa v. Wayne County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Nezdropa v. Wayne County, 394 N.W.2d 440, 152 Mich. App. 451 (Mich. Ct. App. 1986).

Opinion

N. J. Lambros, J.

Three cases have been consolidated on appeal in this matter. Case No. 85065 was remanded to this Court for consideration as on leave granted by the Supreme Court and deals with plaintiff-appellant Francis Nezdropa’s appeal from a Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board decision that he was not entitled to total and permanent disability benefits for the loss of industrial use of both legs and that his attorney was entitled to an attorney fee on amounts reimbursable by Wayne County to Blue Cross/Blue Shield, to be paid by either Blue Cross/Blue Shield or Wayne County. Case No. 85066 was also remanded to this Court by the Supreme Court. It concerns defendant-appellant Wayne County’s appeal from the same wcab opinion which determined that, for purposes of the Workers’ Disability Compensation Act, Wayne County was plaintiff’s employer and *458 that plaintiff was disabled. Case No. 87823 is unrelated to the first two and concerns Wayne County’s appeal by leave granted of an August 30, 1985, opinion and order of the wcab which determined that Wayne County was plaintiff Earl Bush’s employer. Plaintiff Mary Bush filed a cross-appeal contesting the findings that she was not entitled to a penalty for late payment of benefits and that she was only entitled to ten percent interest on overdue awards.

85065 and 85066

The facts of these cases are not in dispute. Plaintiff Nezdropa first experienced gastrointestinal problems during the early 1950’s while serving in the U.S. Army. After he left the service in 1954, plaintiff began work on a bachelor’s degree at the University of Detroit and worked for the Detroit Police Department on a probationary basis. Plaintiff continued to experience gastrointestinal problems, and, as a result, he had surgery to remove his gall bladder in 1955. Plaintiff terminated his employment with the police department. After he received his degree, he began to work for the County of Wayne as a probation worker intern while pursuing graduate studies in social work.

When he was hired in September of 1958, plaintiff was qualified for temporary light duty based upon a letter from the Veteran’s Administration relating to plaintiff’s gastrointestinal problems. At that time, plaintiff was taking medication and characterized his health as fairly good. Plaintiff completed his master’s degree in 1959. He passed Civil Service and physical examinations administered by the county and began to work for the County of Wayne full time as a probation officer. In 1965, plaintiff was promoted to the newly ere *459 ated position of administrative assistant to Judge James Lincoln of the probate court.

In 1970, Judge Lincoln appointed plaintiff Nezdropa to the position of Director of Case Work Services for the Wayne County Juvenile Court. In this capacity, plaintiff supervised the staff of 150 and worked about sixty hours per week. In 1971, Judge Lincoln discharged the Director of the Wayne County Clinic for Child Studies and added the responsibilities of that position to plaintiff’s duties as Director of Case Work.

On or about November 11, 1977, plaintiff filed a petition for hearing with the Bureau of Workers’ Disability Compensation, claiming that his position as Director of Case Work Services for the Wayne County Probate Court — Juvenile Division had aggravated, accelerated, and combined with his internal weaknesses and diseases to produce a disablement from occupational disease in January of 1976. On June 4, 1980, hearing referee James V. Lemhagen issued a memorandum opinion finding that plaintiff was totally and permanently disabled by reason of loss of the industrial use of both legs as of January 15, 1976, that the State of Michigan was plaintiff’s employer and that it was responsible for payment of weekly benefits and medical/ hospital benefits ordered, paid or reimbursed, and that Wayne County was not liable to plaintiff, and ordered that an appropriate attorney fee be paid to plaintiff’s attorney pursuant to Rule 14 of the Bureau of Workers’ Disability Compensation, 1972 AACS, R 408.44.

The wcab affirmed the award with modifications, holding that, while plaintiff did not have the reasonable use of his legs in industry, he was not entitled to compensation for total and permanent disability based on the loss of the industrial use of his legs, that plaintiff was an employee of the *460 County of Wayne and that plaintiffs employment aggravated his preexisting Crohn’s disease from a dormant stage to a stage of devastating disability, and that the work-related disability precipitated a disabling depression, and required defendant to pay plaintiffs attorney an amount equal to thirty percent of the amount paid to Blue Cross/Blue Shield by defendant for reimbursement of advance payments made by Blue Cross/ Blue Shield to plaintiff.

Findings of fact made by the wcab are conclusive absent a showing of fraud and may not be set aside if they are supported by record evidence. Spencer v Clark Twp, 142 Mich App 63, 66; 368 NW2d 897 (1985); MCL 418.861; MSA 17.237(861). Although findings of fact by the wcab are subject to limited judicial review, where the board misconstrues the law the appellate court is free to overturn its interpretation. Tew v Hillsdale Tool & Mfg Co, 142 Mich App 29, 32; 369 NW2d 254 (1985).

Defendant argues that the wcab erred in determining plaintiff Nezdropa to be disabled due to the aggravation of his Crohn’s disease by his employment. We disagree. Workers’ compensation benefits are payable where work has accelerated or aggravated a worker’s illness, disease, or deterioration and thus contributed to it, or the work, coupled with the illness, disease, or deterioration, causes the illness in fact. Kostamo v Marquette Iron Mining Co, 405 Mich 105, 116; 274 NW2d 411 (1979). Findings of fact by the wcab that there was a causal nexus between plaintiff’s job and his illness or injury will not be disturbed on appeal where the findings are supported by competent evidence and the board applied the correct legal standard. Kain v Michigan, 109 Mich App 290, 297-298; 311 NW2d 351 (1981), lv den 413 Mich *461 910 (1982). The credibility of medical and lay witnesses is for the determination of the wcab, Sanford v Ryerson & Haynes, Inc, 396 Mich 630, 635; 242 NW2d 393 (1976), reh den 397 Mich 956 (1976). Causation is a factual question beyond the scope of review of appellate courts. Scroggins v Corning Glass Co, 382 Mich 628, 630; 172 NW2d 367 (1969). The question of whether plaintiff is disabled is also a question of fact. Dressler v Grand Rapids Die Casting Corp, 402 Mich 243, 251; 262 NW2d 629 (1978).

The wcab’s determination was amply supported by the evidence produced. Plaintiff Nezdropa testified that he believed that his employment contributed adversely to his physical and mental disability. Dr. Lawrence H. Warbasse testified that emotional stress may exacerbate Crohn’s disease. He noted that while there is a controversy as to whether Crohn’s disease is made worse by stress, there is no doubt that the symptoms of the disease are made worse by it. In his opinion, plaintiff was disabled by the symptoms of the disease. Dr. Joel S.

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Bluebook (online)
394 N.W.2d 440, 152 Mich. App. 451, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nezdropa-v-wayne-county-michctapp-1986.