Sanders v. Northwest Airlines, Inc.

Supreme Court of Minnesota

Sanders v. Northwest Airlines, Inc.

547 N.W.2d 358, 1996 Minn. LEXIS 330, 1996 WL 233894

CourtSupreme Court of Minnesota

DecidedMay 9, 1996

DocketC7-95-2526

StatusPublished

Cited by2 cases

This text of 547 N.W.2d 358 (Sanders v. Northwest Airlines, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Sanders v. Northwest Airlines, Inc., 547 N.W.2d 358, 1996 Minn. LEXIS 330, 1996 WL 233894 (Mich. 1996).

Pincite

Opinions

OPINION

STRINGER, Justice.

Certiorari on the relation of Northwest Airlines and its workers’ compensation liability insurer, Kemper Risk Management Services/Kemper National Insurance Companies, to review that portion of a decision of the Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals reversing a denial of temporary partial disability compensation. We reverse and reinstate the decision of the compensation judge.

Deartice (Mason) Sanders sustained a compensable low back injury, in the nature of an acute lumbosacral strain, on October 26, 1990, while working as a flight attendant for Northwest Airlines. Except for a brief attempt to return to work in a light-duty position in the summer of 1991, the employee has not returned to work for the employer. The employer/insurer paid temporary total disability benefits through March 27, 1992; and from April 3 through September 25,1992, the employer/ insurer made periodic payments of economic recovery compensation pursuant to Minn.Stat. § 176.101, subd. 3t(b) (1994). The employee thereafter found employment at a number of jobs that paid significantly less than her preinjury wage. The compensation judge denied the employee’s claim for temporary partial disability benefits, concluding that the evidence was insufficient to establish that she had sustained a reduction in earning capacity as a result of her work-related injury. In arriving at her decision, the compensation judge considered all of the medical records, including evaluations made by medical experts who felt that the employee’s work injury of October 1990 had since been resolved and that any disability for which compensation was sought was unrelated to the work injury. Having thoroughly reviewed the entire record in this matter, we can only conclude that the compensation judge’s factual determination had the requisite evidentia-ry support. See Hengemuhle v. Long Prairie Jaycees, 358 N.W.2d 54, 59-60 (Minn. 1984). While certainly there are instances in which the reversal of a compensation judge’s [359]*359factual determination is warranted, we do not see this as one of them. We, therefore, reverse that portion of the decision of the Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals ordering payment of temporary partial disability benefits and reinstate the decision of the compensation judge.

Reversed and reinstated.

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

OPINION

STRINGER, Justice.

Certiorari on the relation of Northwest Airlines and its workers’ compensation liability insurer, Kemper Risk Management Services/Kemper National Insurance Companies, to review that portion of a decision of the Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals reversing a denial of temporary partial disability compensation. We reverse and reinstate the decision of the compensation judge.

Deartice (Mason) Sanders sustained a compensable low back injury, in the nature of an acute lumbosacral strain, on October 26, 1990, while working as a flight attendant for Northwest Airlines. Except for a brief attempt to return to work in a light-duty position in the summer of 1991, the employee has not returned to work for the employer. The employer/insurer paid temporary total disability benefits through March 27, 1992; and from April 3 through September 25,1992, the employer/ insurer made periodic payments of economic recovery compensation pursuant to Minn.Stat. § 176.101, subd. 3t(b) (1994). The employee thereafter found employment at a number of jobs that paid significantly less than her preinjury wage. The compensation judge denied the employee’s claim for temporary partial disability benefits, concluding that the evidence was insufficient to establish that she had sustained a reduction in earning capacity as a result of her work-related injury. In arriving at her decision, the compensation judge considered all of the medical records, including evaluations made by medical experts who felt that the employee’s work injury of October 1990 had since been resolved and that any disability for which compensation was sought was unrelated to the work injury. Having thoroughly reviewed the entire record in this matter, we can only conclude that the compensation judge’s factual determination had the requisite evidentia-ry support. See Hengemuhle v. Long Prairie Jaycees, 358 N.W.2d 54, 59-60 (Minn. 1984). While certainly there are instances in which the reversal of a compensation judge’s [359]*359factual determination is warranted, we do not see this as one of them. We, therefore, reverse that portion of the decision of the Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals ordering payment of temporary partial disability benefits and reinstate the decision of the compensation judge.

Reversed and reinstated.

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)

547 N.W.2d 358, 1996 Minn. LEXIS 330, 1996 WL 233894, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sanders-v-northwest-airlines-inc-minn-1996.

Opinions

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack