Case Title: Mooney v. Benson Management Co.

Citation: 466 A.2d 1209

Docket Number: 

State: delaware

Court: Delaware Supreme Court

Date: 1983-09-13T00:00:00Z

Document:
466 A.2d 1209 (1983)
James P. MOONEY, Employee/Appellant,
v.
BENSON MANAGEMENT COMPANY, Employer/Appellee.

Supreme Court of Delaware.
Submitted: May 9, 1983.
Decided: September 13, 1983.
Sidney Balick (argued), Muriel L.D. Testa, Aerenson & Balick, Wilmington, for employee/appellant.
Robert W. Ralston (argued), Prickett, Jones, Elliott, Kristol & Schnee, Wilmington, for employer/appellee.
Before HERRMANN, C.J., McNEILLY, HORSEY, MOORE and CHRISTIE, JJ., constituting the Court en Banc.
HERRMANN, Chief Justice.
This is an appeal from the Superior Court's affirmance of the decision of the Industrial Accident Board, 451 A.2d 839, denying the petition of the appellant, James P. Mooney, for workmen's compensation for a heart attack.
The facts are undisputed. Mooney had been in the construction trades for over 30 years and, during the last 10 years, he had been a superintendent for several construction companies. On November 1, 1979, he began working for the appellee, Benson Management Company (hereinafter "Benson"), as a construction superintendent. On November 27, 1979, Mooney experienced tightness and pain in his chest while in the course of his employment. He saw his family doctor, who referred him to a cardiologist. The specialist had various tests made, but found no objective evidence of a heart condition. However, he prescribed medication because of Mooney's subjective complaints, and continued to see him until January *1210 8, 1980. Mooney continued to work for Benson until May 9, 1980, when he suffered a severe myocardial infarction while performing his usual duties.
Mooney sought compensation for economic loss and medical bills resulting from the May 9 heart attack. The Industrial Accident Board found that Mooney had heart disease which preexisted the May 9 attack, determining that the "disease may have started after an experience of chest pain in November, 1979." The Board based this conclusion upon Mooney's reports of pain soon after his employment by Benson and prior to the May episode, as well as upon a consultation report stating "that Mr. Mooney had an anginal syndrome dating approximately six (6) months prior to [hospital] admission in May, 1980." In its findings, the Board held that the May 9 attack occurred during the performance of usual duties, stating:
The Board ruled that "any person with a pre-existing heart condition must show that his heart attack was caused by `unusual exertion'"; and it denied Mooney's claim for failure to meet this legal standard.
Mooney appealed to the Superior Court, arguing that since the Board found that the heart condition did not pre-exist his employment by Benson, the Board should have applied the cumulative detrimental effect theory of Chicago Bridge & Iron Co. v. Walker, Del.Supr., 372 A.2d 185 (1977), and should have used the standard of usual-exertion applicable thereto. The Superior Court held that Mooney had not argued this theory before the Board and should not be permitted to raise it on appeal. The Superior Court further determined that the record did not contain any evidence of gradual deterioration, and it affirmed the Board, concluding that the Board correctly applied the unusual-exertion test.
On appeal to this Court, Mooney argued that he raised the issue of cumulative detriment before the Board and that the Superior Court was in error in denying the application of the usual-exertion standard. Benson replies that the Board correctly applied the unusual-exertion standard to a coronary infarction under the rule of Reynolds v. Continental Can Company, Del.Supr., 240 A.2d 135 (1968).
A brief review of pertinent decisions of this Court in this field is deemed helpful:
In Reynolds, this Court held that the unusual-exertion standard is applicable in all coronary infarction cases. It was there stated:
The above conclusion and rationale were drawn from Faline v. Guido and Francis DeAscanis & Sons, Inc., Del.Supr., 192 A.2d 921 (1963), a coronary infarction case in *1211 which this Court denied compensation, stating:
Shortly after Reynolds, however, in Milowicki v. Post and Paddock, Inc., Del.Supr., 260 A.2d 430 (1969), this Court renounced the Reynolds unqualified "no-breakage" distinction as follows:
And in Milowicki, this Court restated the rule governing the usual-exertion and unusual-exertion standards as follows:
From the foregoing, these propositions follow as guidelines for decision of the instant case: (1) The rationale underlying the general conclusion of Reynolds having been abandoned in Milowicki, the unqualified rule there stated, requiring unusual-exertion in all infarction type cases, is over-broad and no longer the law. It must be so labelled expressly in order to put the matter to rest; and we hereby do so; (2) The Board's reliance upon Reynolds in this case is, therefore, misplaced and error; (3) The instant case is not governed by Faline because of the important factual differences; and (4) the problem before us here is not the type of heart attack involved, but rather the scope and meaning of the term "preexisting physical weakness", as used in the rule of Milowicki.
Mooney argues that "pre-existing" relates to the time when the condition arose. He contends that if the condition arose prior to his employment by Benson, the unusual-exertion standard applies; but if it arose after that employment began, the usual-exertion standard will suffice if the injury is shown to be causally related to the employment. Benson contends, on the other hand, that the unusual-exertion test applies wherever the employee has manifested symptoms of the condition at any time prior to the date of the incident giving rise to the claim.
We find neither position of the parties acceptable. The applicable rule of law is to be found in Chicago Bridge and Iron Co. v. Walker, Del.Supr., 372 A.2d 185 (1977). There we identified the four principle concepts or legal theories, set forth in our Workmen's Compensation Act and cases, which support an award:
In Chicago Bridge, the Board applied Concept (1) to the facts of that case and denied the award for failure to sustain the burden of proof set forth in that standard. The Board there found, however, that "the claimant's work, admittedly heavy, gradually, over a period of time, took its toll on the claimant's health." We held that such factual finding required testing under Concept (4) and not Concept (1); and that Concept (4) includes a two-step test:
*1213 Concept (4) of Chicago Bridge was expressly based upon General Motors Corp. v. McNemar, Del.Supr., 202 A.2d 803 (1964). In McNemar, the employee was found to be in good health prior to the rupture of an aneurysm on the job, except for headaches experienced for three days prior to the employee's collapse. This Court found that the employee's condition developed during the course of employment and that an accident causally related to that employment occurred. We there stated:
Upon the authority of McNemar and Chicago Bridge, we hold that under the facts and circumstances of this case, the Board erred as a matter of law in applying the pre-existing physical-weakness unusual-exertion test covered by Concept (2) of Chicago Bridge. In the instant case, the Board found (1) that there was a causal connection between Mooney's heart attack and his employment; and (2) that any pre-existing heart condition related back, at best, only to the November 17, 1979 episode of pain and not to any time prior to the commencement of Mooney's employment with Benson on November 1, 1979. We hold that the application of the unusual-exertion test of Concept (2) of Chicago Bridge was inappropriate in light of such findings.
On the other hand, the facts and circumstances of this case, as found by the Board, fit Concept (4) neatly: Benson's work "had a cumulative detrimental effect on his physical condition" in that "his usual duties and work habits contributed to his condition", and "such contributing factors were present on the day when he alleges that his right to compensation commenced".
We conclude, therefore, that this case must be reversed and remanded for reconsideration under the correct rule of law, i.e., Concept (4) of Chicago Bridge and the usual-exertion test.
When this record is viewed in the light in which we see it, we are of the opinion that the issue of "cumulative detrimental effect" was actually before the Board in this case, although not sufficiently labelled as such perhaps. While it appears that Mooney may have been more precise in focusing upon Chicago Bridge Concept (4) in the presentation of his case before the Board, we conclude that under all the facts and circumstances of the case he should have been permitted by the Superior Court to raise that issue upon appeal, his failure to classify his position in the precise language of Chicago Bridge notwithstanding.
Accordingly, the judgment of the Superior Court is REVERSED and the case remanded for further proceedings consistent herewith.