Schlenk v. Aerial Contractors, Inc.

268 N.W.2d 466, 1978 N.D. LEXIS 258
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedJune 28, 1978
DocketCiv. 9452
StatusPublished
Cited by31 cases

This text of 268 N.W.2d 466 (Schlenk v. Aerial Contractors, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Schlenk v. Aerial Contractors, Inc., 268 N.W.2d 466, 1978 N.D. LEXIS 258 (N.D. 1978).

Opinion

ERICKSTAD, Chief Justice.

This is an appeal by Roger Schlenk, plaintiff and appellant, from a summary judgment entered on the 27th day of October, 1977, by the Cass County District Court which dismissed with prejudice his complaint against Aerial Contractors, Inc., James L. Nesheim, Jean A. Nesheim and Cameron Geritz, defendants and appellees.

The basic issues in this case are whether or not willful or intentional injuries inflicted on an employee by his employer or fellow employees are encompassed by the North Dakota Workmen’s Compensation Act and whether or not the employee’s acceptance of workmen’s compensation benefits in North Dakota bars him from bringing a separate legal action against his employer and fellow employees.

On November 24, 1974, Schlenk was employed as a lineman by Aerial Contractors and' was working north of Watford City, North Dakota. On that date he was dismantling telephone lines as part of his duties as an employee of Aerial Contractors. He was working alone and operating a wire winder which was used to guide the dismantled telephone wires onto a spool. His clothing apparently became caught in the wires resulting in serious injuries. The wire being wound came from telephone lines being dismantled. Sometimes there were many wires being wound at the same time. The wires contained splices where two pieces of wire were joined by wrapping them around each other. The ends of the wires were cut, leaving sharp edges capable of cutting flesh or catching clothing.

Aerial Contractors was a contributing employer to the North Dakota Workmen’s Compensation Bureau and had secured workmen’s compensation coverage for Schlenk. On November 29, 1974, Schlenk filed a standard compensation and medical expense claim with the North Dakota Workmen’s Compensation Bureau. The Bureau accepted the claim. Schlenk has been receiving various workmen’s compensation benefits since the date of the injury and was still receiving them at the time of oral argument.

On May 2, 1977, Schlenk commenced an action against Aerial Contractors, James and Jean Nesheim, and Geritz (hereinafter defendants), seeking damages for the injuries he suffered on November 24, 1974. (The individual defendants are officers of Aerial Contractors, who are co-employees of Schlenk.) Schlenk’s complaint alleges intentional, deliberate and willful injury, strict liability in tort, breach of warranty and negligent design and manufacture of the wire winder. On August 11, 1977, the defendants made a motion for summary judgment. On October 24, 1977, a hearing was held before the Cass County District Court and summary judgment was entered on October 27, 1977, dismissing Schlenk’s complaint with prejudice. It is from that summary judgment that Schlenk appeals to this court.

Schlenk contends that the wire winder was hazardous. He asserts that to operate it one had to guide the wire onto the spool with his hands. He also contends that the defendants were aware of this dangerous condition but did nothing to alleviate the danger. Instead, they required him to operate the wire winder by himself. These acts of the defendants, he asserts, caused his injuries and were deliberate, intentional and willful acts, thereby outside the scope of the North Dakota Workmen’s Compensation Act. The defendants contend that they did not intentionally or willfully injure Schlenk, but that his injuries were the result of an accident covered by the North Dakota Workmen’s Compensation Act. Furthermore, they contend that even if their acts could be construed as intentional or willful, there is no exception in the North Dakota Workmen’s Compensation *469 Act.for intentional or willful injuries inflicted on an employee by his employer or fellow employees.

The first issue before us, then, is whether or not willful or intentional injuries inflicted on an employee by his employer or fellow employees are encompassed by the North Dakota Workmen’s Compensation Act, Title 65, North Dakota Century Code.

As the injury and acceptance of the claim by the Bureau occurred in 1974 in this case, the provisions of the Workmen’s Compensation Act in effect in 1974 are applicable. This conclusion is mandated by Section 1-02-10, N.D.C.C., which provides:

“No part of this code is retroactive unless it is expressly declared to be so.” § 1-02-10, N.D.C.C.

In Hospital Services v. Brooks, 229 N.W.2d 69 (N.D.1975), we said:

“To uphold Brooks’ contention we would have to give retrospective effect to the amendment in 1971 of Section 25-09-04, N.D.C.C. Giving retrospective effect to this section would contravene a statute and decisions of this State.
“Section 1-02-10, N.D.C.C., provides that ‘no part of this code is retroactive unless it is expressly declared to be so.’
“In Monson v. Nelson, 145 N.W.2d 892, 897 (N.D.1966), we said:
‘The general rule of statutory construction that an act of the legislature is presumed to be prospective unless the legislature clearly manifests a contrary intention is well established in this state by case law and statute. See Gimble v. Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., 77 N.D. 581, 44 N.W.2d 198, and cases cited.’ ” 229 N.W.2d at 71.

In Heddon v. North Dakota Workmen’s Comp. Bureau, 189 N.W.2d 634 (N.D.1971), a person was injured in 1961 while in the course of employment. She received workmen’s compensation benefits including nursing home costs plus the compensation award for permanent disability. The Bureau in 1965 decided to reduce the benefits payable to her. She appealed to the district court which reversed the decision of the Bureau. The Bureau appealed to this court from that decision and claimed that a 1969 amendment by the Legislature allowed the reduction in benefits. We held that such retroactive application of the statutes was not permissible.

It is clear, therefore, in this ease that the provisions of the Workmen’s Compensation Act in effect in 1974 are the provisions to be applied in this case. This determination of what provisions are to apply in this appeal is important in that Schlenk asserts that the exception for willful and intentional injuries is set out in Section 65-01-02(8), N.D.C.C. That section was amended by the 1977 Legislature, but for the reasons stated above, that amendment is not applicable to this case.

The relevant part of Section 65-01-02(8), N.D.C.C., which is applicable in this appeal reads:

“Whenever used in this title:

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Bluebook (online)
268 N.W.2d 466, 1978 N.D. LEXIS 258, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/schlenk-v-aerial-contractors-inc-nd-1978.