Southeastern Construction Co. v. Dependent of Dodson

153 So. 2d 276, 247 Miss. 1, 1963 Miss. LEXIS 277
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedMay 20, 1963
Docket42670
StatusPublished
Cited by29 cases

This text of 153 So. 2d 276 (Southeastern Construction Co. v. Dependent of Dodson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Southeastern Construction Co. v. Dependent of Dodson, 153 So. 2d 276, 247 Miss. 1, 1963 Miss. LEXIS 277 (Mich. 1963).

Opinion

*5 Ethridge, J.

This case involves the extent of an administrative agency’s discretion in determining the apportionment of compensation death benefits, between that due to the injury and that due to a preexisting symptomatic coronary artery disease; the constitutional validity of the statute; and the proper formula for apportionment. The claim for workmen’s compensation was filed by appellee, the widow of S. W. Dodson. Dodson worked for Southeastern Construction Company, appellant, at the time of his death.

The statute involved is the second paragraph of section 4 of the Mississippi Workmbh’s "Compensation Law. Miss. Laws 1960, ch. 277; Miss. Code 1942, Rec., sec. 6998-04. It provides :

‘‘Where a pre-existing physical handicap, disease or lesion is shown by medical findings to be a material contributing factor in the results following injury, the compensation which, but for1 this paragraph, would be payable shall be reduced by that proportion which such pre-existing physical handicap, disease or lesion contributed to the production of the'results following the injury.”

The attorney referee awarded to the widow full death benefits. He said there was no acceptable evidence upon which to base an apportionment of compensation as to any preexisting disease. The commission apportioned by allocating to preexisting disease a contribution of 25 percent to production of the result of the injury. The circuit court reversed the commission, and held there was no substantial evidence that Dodson suffered a prior existing disability in the amount of 25 percent. It awarded full death benefits to Mrs. Dodson. After careful consideration of the 'evidence, we conclude the circuit court should be reversed, and the commission’s order affirmed.

*6 On May 16, 1961, the day before his death, Dodson went to work for Southeastern as a steel worker on a heavy construction job, the erection of an annex to a bank. The next morning he began at seven o’clock, doing the same type of work. It consisted of moving and setting in place rolls of steel wire mesh, 5 feet wide, 150 feet in length, and weighing about 200 pounds each. Dodson and his helper climbed or walked up to the sixth floor, and began working with the wire which they rolled about 200 feet across the floor, and started setting it in place. While bending over and doing this fairly hard physical labor, Dodson, in the process of unrolling a new package of this material, fell dead.

Before his death, Ms Avife said he had not suffered any serious disease or injuries, and she considered Ms health to be good. On several occasions he had visited doctors for colds, shortness of breath, and astlnna, but there was no record of treatment for any heart condition. However, on different occasions and for some time he had complained to Ms wife about indigestion, and pains in his left arm, after he returned from work. He attributed the condition in his upper stomach to indigestion, and frequently used baking soda. At times during the night he would awake, stating he felt as though he were smothering. On the evening before his death, Dodson told his wife that he had a bad case of indigestion. His left arm hurt him, and he did not want any supper. Yet he slept well, and the next morning appeared to be. feeling all right.

Three cardiac specialists testified, on hypothetical questions. They all agreed Dodson’s death was work-connected, that his labor on that occasion precipitated, aggravated, and contributed to his heart attack, which resulted in death. The commission so found. Hence there was causal connection between the Avork and death.

The specific issue is whether the medical testimony justified the commission in apportioning 25 percent of *7 the compensation, benefits to Dodson’s preexisting heart disease. Dr. J. P. Melvin, Jr. was of the opinion that he had a symptomatic coronary artery disease, which played ‘ ‘ a significant part in producing the man’s death. ’ ’ However, he could not “quantitate the amount of predisposition that this coronary atherosclerosis had in producing his final illness.” His “educated guess would be that it did not contribute more than 25 percent.” The 25 percent would be a “possibility,” but there was nothing in the field of medical research or knowledge which would give him anything specific on making such apportionment.

Dr. T. D. Labecki thought that Dodson had a preexisting asymptomatic coronary atherosclerosis, or ‘ ‘ very mild symptomatic.” It contributed to his death, when coupled with the heavy manual labor. However, this “coexisting factor” would be “entirely impossible” to reduce to “figures, percentages.” Apportionment of contribution by the preexisting condition could not be ascertained “because it can not be determined by any one. ’ ’

Dr. A. G-. Ward was also of the opinion that Dodson had a preexisting coronar^ artery disease. If he had been his patient, he would have considered him totally disabled. The work aggravated his condition. However, he was not able “to see how anybody could answer” the percentage contribution of the preexisting condition to Dodson’s death. It would be an impossible proposition to apportion the percentage of contribution from the preexisting condition.

I.

The required standards for apportionment were outlined in Cuevas v. Sutter Well Works, 150 So. 2d 524 (Miss. 1963), in this way:

“Under this provision the burden of proof is upon the employer and insurance carrier to establish by a preponderance of the evidence all of the factors stated *8 in the second, paragraph of Sec. 4, in order for compensation to be proportionately reduced. These factors are (1) that there must be a pre-existing physical handicap, disease or lesion, (2) this pre-existing condition must be shown by medical findings (3) to be a material contributing factor in the results following injury, and (4) the compensation otherwise payable is reduced by that proportion which the pre-existing condition contributed to the production of the results following the injury. There must be substantial evidence to support the Commission’s findings on all of these factors. . . . The amendment to Sec. 4 should be construed in a fair manner, equitably and justly.”

The evidence showed, by medical findings, that Dodson had a preexisting, symptomatic coronary artery disease. All three of the doctors who testified agreed upon this. The detailed testimony of the widow as to his symptoms and complaints supports their conclusions. The evidence also reflected, and the commission found, that this preexisting disease was a “material contributing factor in the results following injury.” Hence all of the statutory requisites for apportionment of compensation were shown by the evidence and found by the commission to exist.

Although the medical witnesses agreed that the preexisting disease contributed materially to Dodson’s death, they also candidly said that no scientifically objective apportionment of the causes of death could be allocated to the preexisting disease, in terms of percentage. Dr. Melvin stated his “educated guess” would be that it contributed no more than 25 percent. The commission, as the trier of facts, had before it the testimony of Mrs.

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Bluebook (online)
153 So. 2d 276, 247 Miss. 1, 1963 Miss. LEXIS 277, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/southeastern-construction-co-v-dependent-of-dodson-miss-1963.