Williams v. Chrysler Corp.

406 N.W.2d 222, 159 Mich. App. 8
CourtMichigan Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 6, 1987
DocketDocket 88959
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 406 N.W.2d 222 (Williams v. Chrysler Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Williams v. Chrysler Corp., 406 N.W.2d 222, 159 Mich. App. 8 (Mich. Ct. App. 1987).

Opinions

[11]*11Per Curiam.

Chrysler Corporation appeals by leave granted the decision of the Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board affirming the findings of a referee that plaintiff was entitled to workers’ compensation because he suffered from a work-related lung disability. We reverse and remand.

Chrysler first claims the wcab misapplied the applicable legal standards when it concluded that petitioner suffered a work-related lung condition. Chrysler claims that the wcab used proof of plaintiffs disability to support its conclusion that plaintiffs injury was work-related. See Kostamo v Marquette Iron Mining Co, 405 Mich 105, 116-118; 274 NW2d 411 (1979).

MCL 418.861; MSA 17.237(861) provides:

The findings of fact made by the board acting within its powers, in the absence of fraud, shall be conclusive. The court of appeals and the supreme court shall have power to review questions of law involved in any final order of the board ....

See also Const 1963, art 6, § 28; Aquilina v General Motors Corp, 403 Mich 206, 213; 267 NW2d 923 (1978); Woods v Sears, Roebuck & Co, 135 Mich App 500, 503; 353 NW2d 894 (1984), lv den 421 Mich 852 (1985). It has been held that the Court of Appeals may review the wcab’s findings of fact to determine whether there is any competent evidence in the record to support them. Id.; Burns v General Motors Corp, 151 Mich App 520, 527-528; 391 NW2d 396 (1986).

In order for this Court to discharge its appellate function, the wcab must sufficiently detail its findings of fact so that the Court can separate the facts it found from the law it applied. Kostamo, supra, pp 119, 136; Aquilina, supra, pp 213-214; Costa v Chrysler Corp, 152 Mich App 530, 532-534; [12]*12394 NW2d 6 (1986); Moreno v Campbell, Wyant & Cannon Foundry, 142 Mich App 648, 652-653; 369 NW2d 867 (1985), lv den 423 Mich 852 (1985). In Kostamo, supra, p 136, our Supreme Court noted:

[C]onclusory findings [by the wcab] are inadequate because we need to know the path it has taken through the conflicting evidence, the testimony it has adopted, the standards followed and the reasoning used to reach its conclusion.

Having reviewed the wcab’s opinion in this case, we find that we cannot perform our appellate function. The wcab merely affirmed the referee’s decision and summarized the expert testimony presented. It did not state which testimony it adopted, the standards it followed, or the reasoning it used to reach its conclusion. Id. Hence, we vacate the wcab’s opinion and remand this case to the wcab for further proceedings. Costa, supra.

Chrysler next claims that plaintiff failed to prove that his wife was in fact dependent upon him. Plaintiff testified that he was married and that he was the sole supporter of his family. On cross-examination, however, plaintiff admitted that his wife had worked for General Motors until December, 1979, when she was laid off.

MCL 418.353(l)(a)(i); MSA 17.237(353)(l)(a)(i) provides that the wife of an injured employee, living with him at the time of the injury, is conclusively presumed to be dependent upon him. The referee in this case followed the presumption. While this case was pending before the wcab, our Supreme Court decided that the conclusive presumption of dependency regarding a widow, MCL 418.331(l)(a); MSA 17.237(331)(l)(a), was unconstitutional. Day v W A Foote Memorial Hospital, 412 Mich 698; 316 NW2d 712 (1982). Chrysler then asked the wcab to [13]*13reconsider the conclusive presumption of dependency contained in § 353(l)(a)(i) in light of Day. The wcab denied Chrysler’s request, finding:

Finally, on the issue of dependency of plaintiffs wife, we note that he testified that he was married on April 28, 1971, had three children, the whole family lived in one household and that he was the sole support of his wife and children. That testimony remained unchallenged on cross-examination and this is not the proper occasion to go into the actual amounts spent for the wife’s support.
Thus, it is unnecessary to remand the case to the Bureau for the purpose of litigation or stipulation of the wife’s dependency pursuant to Day v W A Foote Memorial Hospital, 412 Mich 698 (1982).

We believe that these findings were not supported by any competent evidence. First, plaintiff testified that he had one child; second, the question of whether plaintiffs wife was in fact a dependent of plaintiff was raised during cross-examination when plaintiff admitted that his wife was employed until December, 1979.

Furthermore, we agree with the recent decision of our Court in Costa, supra, pp 534-535, that the nearly identical wording of § 331(l)(a) and § 353(l)(a)(i) requires the latter statute to also be held unconstitutional. Moreover, the Costa panel held that its rule, as the rule in Day, should be applied to cases pending before the wcab which raised the dependency issue. Because the instant case is such a case, we remand to the wcab so that plaintiff may attempt to prove the dependency of his wife. Id., p 535.

The third issue on appeal concerns a stipulation between plaintiff and Chrysler. Plaintiff agreed to reimburse Aetna Life Insurance Company for sick[14]*14ness, accident and extended disability benefits. See MCL 418.821(2); MSA 17.237(821)(2); Aetna Life Ins Co v Roose, 413 Mich 85; 318 NW2d 468 (1982). However, the referee only ordered that Aetna be reimbursed for sickness and accident benefits. The referee also ordered Aetna to pay its pro-rata share of plaintiff’s costs and attorney fees.

In its appeal to the wcab, Chrysler claimed that the referee’s order was erroneous because it failed to reimburse Aetna for extended disability benefits paid to plaintiff and because it ordered Aetna to pay a pro-rata share of plaintiff’s attorney’s costs when MCL 418.821(2); MSA 17.237(821X2) only provides that Aetna pay "a portion of the attorney fees of the attorney who secured the worker’s compensation recovery.” (Emphasis supplied.)

The wcab’s opinion never discussed these issues. Plaintiff concedes that the referee’s order should be modified to include reimbursement for extended disability benefits paid by Aetna. However, plaintiff does not address the issue of whether Aetna could be ordered to pay costs. In light of the unambiguous language of MCL 418.821(2); MSA 17.237(821)(2), we believe that the referee could only order Aetna to pay its proportionate share of attorney fees, but not costs. Nerat v Swacker, 150 Mich App 61, 64; 388 NW2d 305 (1986), lv den 426 Mich 857 (1986). On remand, the wcab should modify the referee’s order to include reimbursement for extended disability benefits, but to exclude Aetna’s liability for plaintiff’s costs.

Finally, Chrysler challenges the constitutionality of MCL 418.261(2); MSA 17.237(261X2) which provides:

Except as otherwise provided for in this act, a matter pending review before the appeal board shall be assigned to a panel of 2 members of the [15]*15board for disposition, with each panel comprised of 1 member each from the employee and employer representatives, the employee and general public representatives, the employer and general public representatives, or 2 members representative of the general public.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
406 N.W.2d 222, 159 Mich. App. 8, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/williams-v-chrysler-corp-michctapp-1987.