Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority v. Workers' Compensation Appeal Board

822 A.2d 114, 2003 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 247
CourtCommonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedApril 14, 2003
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 822 A.2d 114 (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority v. Workers' Compensation Appeal Board) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority v. Workers' Compensation Appeal Board, 822 A.2d 114, 2003 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 247 (Pa. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinion

OPINION BY

President Judge COLINS.

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) petitions for review of an order of the Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board (Board) that affirmed an order of a Worker’s Compensation Judge (WCJ) that (1) granted Employer SEPTA’s suspension petition in part, (2) denied SEPTA’s termination petition, and (3) granted the reinstatement petition filed by Claimant Jerry Speca (Claimant).

The facts as found by the WCJ are summarized as follows. SEPTA employed Claimant as a transportation manager, or dispatcher. Finding of Fact No. 19. Sometime in 1996 SEPTA offered a voluntary retirement incentive package to employees. In July, 1996, Claimant submitted a benefit election form and separation agreement to SEPTA seeking to participate in the program effective August 1, 1996. Shortly after Claimant submitted those items, SEPTA notified Claimant [116]*116that, at that time, Claimant was not eligible for the incentive program. However, SEPTA also informed Claimant that he would be eligible for the program if he continued to work until July 1, 1997, and that the separation agreement he earlier executed would remain in effect unless he provided written notice to revoke the agreement before March 24, 1997. Finding of Fact No. 18.

While performing his duties for SEPTA on November 1, 1996, Claimant leaned back in his chair and fell backwards, hitting his neck, right shoulder, and right ankle on the floor. Finding of Fact No. 20. Claimant went to the hospital where he complained of pain in the areas of his body that hit the floor. He initially received medication for the injuries, and began seeing doctors and therapists. Claimant was provided therapy and exercises through March 10, 1997. Finding of Fact No. 21.

After Claimant returned to work on November 13, 1996, SEPTA submitted a Notice of Compensation Payable, which described Claimant’s injury as “chair fell over with Claimant in it.” SEPTA also presented an agreement to stop workers’ compensation benefits, which agreement Claimant refused to sign. Findings of Fact Nos. 1 and 23.

Claimant continued to work in his old position. On March 10, 1997, he was discharged from Grandview Hospital, and continued with his job in a light-duty capacity. In April 1997, Claimant was hospitalized because of his diabetic condition, and never returned to his employment with SEPTA. Findings of Fact Nos. 24 and 25.

Claimant did not feel able to return to his old position, because of the stress, and because of the twisting required and its effect on moving his neck, shoulder, and arm. Finding of Fact No. 27. However, Claimant did find another job in July 1997, working twenty to twenty-five hours per week for U.S. Air Express, as a bus driver. Finding of Fact No. 28. Claimant later obtained a different job, with similar weekly hours, working for Home Depot. Finding of Fact No. 29.

Claimant presented the deposition testimony of Dr. Randall N. Smith, M.D., who opined that Claimant sustained a cervical and low back syndrome and a shoulder injury caused by his work accident. Finding of Fact No. 17. SEPTA presented the deposition testimony of M. Barry Lipson, M.D., who opined that Claimant was not disabled as a result of his work accident. The WCJ found Claimant’s expert more credible than SEPTA’s, accepting Dr. Smith’s entire testimony, and rejecting Dr. Lipson’s insofar as it conflicted with Dr. Smith’s.

Ultimately, the WCJ determined that, as of July 1, 1997, the date Claimant’s retirement became effective, and ongoing, Claimant suffered a loss of earnings through no fault of his own, and that he did not remove himself from the work force on July 1, 1997, but he could not return to his pre-injury full-time job with SEPTA because of his work injury. Finding of Fact No. 38.

Of additional pertinence to this appeal are the WCJ’s findings concerning Claimant’s retirement package. The WCJ, after considering the testimony of one of SEPTA’s benefits experts, and the language of SEPTA’s pension plan, concluded that SEPTA was not entitled to an offset against worker’s compensation benefits payable to reflect money Claimant receives through his pension plan. Finding of Fact No. 49.

SEPTA raises the following issues in its appeal: (1) Whether the WCJ erred in granting Claimant’s reinstatement petition [117]*117because, SEPTA argues, the record indicates that Claimant discontinued working because of his voluntary retirement and not because of his work injury; (2) Whether the WCJ and the Board erred in their interpretation of SEPTA’s pension plan amendment and the record by concluding that the pension plan negated Act 57’s offset provision; (3) Whether the WCJ erred in rejecting an agreement between SEPTA and Claimant by which the parties agreed that SEPTA was entitled to an offset under Act 57 against worker’s compensation benefits for pension benefits SEPTA paid Claimant; and (4) Whether the Board erred by not considering evidence SEPTA sought to introduce to the Board regarding the meaning of the pension plan offset provision, or not remanding the matter to the WCJ to allow SEPTA to submit the evidence, because, SEPTA argues, it could not have anticipated that the WCJ would have rejected the agreement between the parties regarding the offset provision of the pension plan.

1. Did the WCJ or Board err in granting Claimant’s reinstatement petition when Claimant’s actions indicate he intended to retire on July 1, 1997?

SEPTA argues that the WCJ and the Board erred in granting Claimant’s reinstatement petition, and denying SEPTA’s termination petition, because the record shows that, before Claimant was injured, he had intended to retire from SEPTA’s employment. His ultimate retirement on July 1, 1997, SEPTA contends, did nothing but effectuate his pre-injury plans to retire. In fact, SEPTA points out, Claimant had originally sought to retire on July 1, 1996, before his injury occurred, and would have done so if he had been eligible at that time. Additionally, as noted above, Claimant had until March 1996 to revoke his separation agreement with employer, but never did so.

All of SEPTA’s points regarding Claimant’s original intention to retire are correct. Nevertheless, we are bound by our scope of review, which limits us to considering whether the WCJ’s factual findings are supported by substantial evidence, whether an error of law was committed, and whether any constitutional rights were violated. 2 Pa.C.S. § 704. In this case, as noted by the Board, the WCJ found Claimant’s medical witness’s testimony more credible than SEPTA’s. That witness testified that Claimant was disabled from returning to his job with SEPTA because of the injury he sustained on November 1, 1996. The WCJ rejected the testimony of SEPTA’s expert to the extent that it contradicted Claimant’s expert.

SEPTA relies upon the Supreme Court’s decision in Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority v. Workmen’s Compensation Appeal Board (Henderson), 543 Pa. 74, 669 A.2d 911 (1995) (Henderson), for the proposition that employees who voluntarily retire are not entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. In Henderson, the Court held that

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822 A.2d 114, 2003 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 247, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/southeastern-pennsylvania-transportation-authority-v-workers-compensation-pacommwct-2003.