St. Paul Fire & Marine Insurance v. Keltgen

2003 WI App 53, 659 N.W.2d 906, 260 Wis. 2d 523, 2003 Wisc. App. LEXIS 106
CourtCourt of Appeals of Wisconsin
DecidedFebruary 4, 2003
Docket02-1249
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 2003 WI App 53 (St. Paul Fire & Marine Insurance v. Keltgen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Wisconsin primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
St. Paul Fire & Marine Insurance v. Keltgen, 2003 WI App 53, 659 N.W.2d 906, 260 Wis. 2d 523, 2003 Wisc. App. LEXIS 106 (Wis. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinion

CANE, C.J.

¶ 1. Curtis Keltgen appeals a summary judgment in favor of L.E. Phillips Career Development Center (CDC), and its insurers, St. Paul Fire & Marine Insurance Company, Venture Insurance Company and Wausau Insurance Company. Keltgen's action originated as a counterclaim against CDC and its insurers for negligence and various claims under the patient's rights section of Wis. Stat. ch. 51. 1 Keltgen was a sheltered employee at CDC and was sexually assaulted by a fellow sheltered employee. St. Paul initi *530 ated this action, seeking a judgment declaring that CDC's liability for the assaults was limited to worker's compensation.

¶ 2. The trial court dismissed all but one of Keltgen's Wis. Stat. ch. 51 claims and later granted summary judgment, determining any recovery for that claim would duplicate the worker's compensation benefits Keltgen had already received. The court also granted CDC summary judgment on Keltgen's negligence claim, concluding CDC did not have a dual persona in its relationship with Keltgen and his recovery was limited by the exclusive remedy provision of the Worker's Compensation Act (WCA).

¶ 3. On appeal, Keltgen argues the court erred when it dismissed the majority of his Wis. Stat. ch. 51 claims and when it concluded the recovery under his remaining claim would duplicate his worker's compensation recovery. Keltgen also claims CDC had a dual persona in its relationship with him and the court should have allowed his negligence claim. We conclude the trial court properly dismissed the majority of the ch. 51 claims and correctly concluded any recovery under the remaining claim would duplicate Keltgen's worker's compensation settlement. In addition, we determine CDC did not have a dual persona in its relationship with .Keltgen and the court properly dismissed his negligence claim. Therefore, we affirm the trial court's judgment. 2

*531 BACKGROUND

¶ 4. Keltgen is a developmentally disabled adult with autism and mild mental retardation. In August 1994, he began working at CDC, a non-profit corporation that operates a sheltered workshop pursuant to a contract with Eau Claire County under Wis. Stat. § 51.437. During his employment at CDC, Giles Smith, another sheltered employee, repeatedly sexually assaulted Keltgen in a work restroom. Smith had a history of sexually assaultive behavior of which CDC was aware.

¶ 5. Due to his disabilities, Keltgen has a limited ability to communicate and was not able to effectively inform others about the assaults. He repeatedly told his case manager he was being bothered in the bathroom and informed his mother, Paulet, he was being touched by others at work, but little more. During this time, Keltgen became withdrawn from daily life and physically aggressive toward Paulet. In addition, his weight dropped from 153 to 120 pounds. When Paulet reported these changes to Keltgen's caseworker and asked if anything could be happening to him at work, the caseworker told her no. The caseworker was unaware of Smith's history.

¶ 6. In August 1995, Paulet found a pair of Keltgen's underwear that had been torn. She asked Keltgen about them and he gave her a more detailed account of the assaults. Paulet contacted CDC, which informed the police of Keltgen's complaints. The police eventually identified Smith as the assaulter and arrested him.

¶ 7. In August 1997, St. Paul, CDC's liability carrier, sought a judgment declaring worker's compensation to be Keltgen's only remedy against CDC for the *532 assaults. Keltgen counterclaimed against St. Paul and brought a third-party complaint alleging negligence against CDC and intentional assault against Smith. Keltgen also joined Venture and Wausau Insurance, CDC's worker's compensation carriers. He then brought an additional claim under Wis. Stat. § 51.61. The court allowed Paulet to intervene and she brought a negligence claim against CDC and its insurers. 3

¶ 8. The court stayed proceedings in August 1998, pending a determination by the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) whether the assaults were compensable under worker's compensation. In addition, the court ordered Keltgen's Wis. Stat. § 51.61 claims to be pled with more specificity and granted leave to file a new complaint. The court also questioned, but did not decide, whether Keltgen could maintain a worker's compensation action along with his § 51.61 claims.

¶ 9. In his amended complaint, Keltgen alleged CDC violated his rights to prompt and adequate treatment, rehabilitation and educational services appropriate for his condition under Wis. Stat. § 51.61(l)(f); to a humane psychological and physical environment within a hospital under § 51.61(l)(m); to reasonable protection of privacy under § 51.61(l)(s); and to be treated with respect and recognition of his dignity and individuality by employees of the treatment facility under § 51.61(l)(x). CDC and its insurers moved to dismiss, arguing the complaint failed to state a claim upon which relief could be granted because the specific §51.61 claims did not apply to Keltgen for a number of reasons.

¶ 10. Before the court heard the motion, Keltgen filed another amended complaint. Keltgen added a *533 claim of negligence against CDC, alleging it had a dual persona in its relationship with him. After hearing the motion, the trial court dismissed all but Keltgen's claim under § 51.61(1)(f), concluding sheltered employment was an "educational service" and Keltgen had alleged CDC violated this right by failing to stop the assaults. The court did not address the negligence claim.

¶ 11. In March 2000, a DWD administrative law judge entered an order asserting jurisdiction and finding the assaults were compensable under worker's compensation. In November, the parties settled the worker's compensation claim for $10,000.

¶ 12. CDC and its insurers then filed for summary judgment, arguing CDC did not have a dual persona in its relationship with Keltgen and that he could not maintain his action under Wis. Stat. § 51.61(l)(f) because any recovery would duplicate his worker's compensation settlement. At the summary judgment motion hearing, Keltgen conceded he would only seek damages for pain and suffering under his remaining Wis. Stat. ch. 51 claim. The court agreed with CDC that these damages would duplicate those already paid under the worker's compensation settlement. It also concluded CDC did not have a dual persona and granted CDC and its insurers summary judgment. Keltgen appeals.

DISCUSSION

A. Application of Wis. Stat.

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Related

Strong v. Wisconsin
544 F. Supp. 2d 748 (W.D. Wisconsin, 2008)
St. Paul Fire & Marine Insurance v. Keltgen
2004 WI 37 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 2004)
ST. PAUL FIRE & MARINE INSURANCE COMPANY v. Keltgen
2004 WI 37 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 2004)

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Bluebook (online)
2003 WI App 53, 659 N.W.2d 906, 260 Wis. 2d 523, 2003 Wisc. App. LEXIS 106, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/st-paul-fire-marine-insurance-v-keltgen-wisctapp-2003.