Title: Harris v. State ex rel. Wyoming Workers' Compensation Div

State: wyoming

Issuer: Wyoming Supreme Court

Document:

Harris v. State ex rel. Wyoming Workers' Compensation Div1987 WY 53736 P.2d 309Case Number: 87-6Decided: 05/01/1987Supreme Court of Wyoming
Edward 
HARRIS, Appellant (Employee-Claimant)

v.

The 
STATE of Wyoming, ex rel. WYOMING WORKERS' COMPENSATION DIVISION, Appellee 
(Objector-Defendant), v. GETTY OIL COMPANY, 
(Employer-Defendant)

 
 
David 
A. Drell, Casper, for Appellant.

 
 
Joseph 
B. Meyer, Attorney General; Josephine T. Porter, Assistant Attorney General; and 
Susan Maher Overeem, Assistant Attorney General, for Appellee. 

 
 

Before 
Brown, 
C.J., and Thomas, Cardine, Urbigkit and Macy, JJ. Thomas, J., delivered the 
opinion of the Court.  Brown, C.J., 
filed a specially concurring opinion. 

 
 
THOMAS, 
Justice.

 
 

[¶1.]     In this appeal, we are 
asked to decide whether an employee covered by our worker's compensation scheme 
is entitled to an award of temporary total disability benefits following surgery 
even though his permanent partial disability rating did not increase as a result 
of the surgery. The district court held that, absent an increase in the 
permanent partial disability, appellant was not entitled to additional temporary 
total benefits under § 27-12-606, W.S.1977. We reverse.

 
 

[¶2.]     Edward Harris broke his 
wrist in the scope of his employment for Getty Oil Company in 1980. The expense 
of all his treatment has been paid in the usual course under our Wyoming 
Worker's Compensation [**2]  Act. 
Mr. Harris also received temporary total disability payments immediately after 
the accident and during periods when surgery was necessary: a bone graft in 1981 
and a scaphoid implant in 1982. On October 11, 1982, Harris received a permanent 
partial disability rating of 15% to the  
[*310]  left hand, but his 
doctor noted that a wrist fusion might be necessary in the future. In April of 
1983, Mr. Harris had additional surgery to remove a bone fragment which was 
irritating a nerve near the implant. In addition to receiving medical expenses, 
Mr. Harris also received temporary total disability benefits. In 1985, Mr. 
Harris developed a cyst in response to chronic synovial irritation caused by the 
implant and his doctor removed the implant. Again medical expenses were paid, 
but the clerk of court denied the application for temporary total benefits for 
November 11, 1985 -- February 10, 1986. Subsequently, Mr. Harris was released to 
return to work, his physician indicating that the permanent partial disability 
rating had not increased. After a hearing, at which the parties stipulated that 
the attending physician certified Harris to be 100% temporarily totally disabled 
from November [**3]  11, 1985 to 
February 10, 1986, the district court denied benefits.

 
 

[¶3.]     Before this court, 
appellant raises two issues:

 
 
"I. 
THE DISTRICT COURT ACTED WITHOUT JURISDICTION IN THIS MATTER DUE TO THE FACT 
THAT THE OBJECTION TO BENEFITS WAS MADE BY THE CLERK OF THE DISTRICT COURT 
RATHER THAN THE EMPLOYER OR THE WORKER'S COMPENSATION 
DIVISION.

"II. 
THE DISTRICT COURT ERRED IN HOLDING THAT APPELLANT WAS NOT ENTITLED TO RECEIVE 
BENEFITS SUBSEQUENT TO RECEIVING AN AWARD FOR PERMANENT PARTIAL DISABILITY 
UNLESS HE CAN SHOW AN INCREASE IN HIS PERMANENT PARTIAL 
DISABILITY."

 
 

[¶4.]     We have no quibble with 
the proposition that the district court has no jurisdiction over a worker's 
compensation case when no proper pleading is filed. R.L. Manning Co. v. 
Millsap, Wyo., 687 P.2d 252, 255 (1984). In that case, it was the clerk of 
court who filed a petition for hearing without statutory authority. Id., 687 P.2d  at 254. The clerk of court does, however, have statutory authority to deny 
a claim for benefits. Section 27-12-601 (a), W.S.1977. In the case at bar, that 
is precisely what the clerk of court did, indicating that the denial was based 
on a statement from the district court's order which [**4]  was affirmed in Matter of Abas, 
Wyo., 701 P.2d 1153, 1155 (1985): "'That an award of permanent partial 
disability prevents the employee claimant from receiving further temporary total 
disability benefits' unless there is an increase in permanent disability." 
Thereafter, it was appellant's attorney who requested a hearing. In any event, 
this court already has said that the district court may order a hearing in an 
uncontested case. Matter of Injury to Loveday, Wyo., 711 P.2d 396, 399 
(1985). The district court did not act without 
jurisdiction.

 
 

[¶5.]     This court recently 
held that a worker who has received a lump sum permanent partial disability 
award is entitled to temporary total disability benefits under § 27-12-606, 
W.S.1977, regardless of whether the permanent partial disability has increased. 
Parnell v. State ex rel. Worker's Compensation Division, Wyo., 735 P.2d 1367 (1987). In the case at bar, the parties stipulated only that "Dr. Antony 
Nastasi has certified that in his opinion the Claimant, Edward Harris, was one 
hundred percent temporarily totally disabled for the period beginning November 
11, 1985 through February 10, 1986; and that "the testimony of the Claimant, 
Edward [**5]  Harris, [would be] 
that * * * * he was unable to perform any type of work as a result of the 
surgery * * * * from the period of November 1, 1985 through February 10, 1986." 
They did not stipulate that Mr. Harris was totally disabled during this period 
nor did the district court make any finding of fact on the question of temporary 
total disability. The case must be remanded to the trial court so that the 
factual question can be resolved.

 
 

[¶6.]     Reversed and remanded 
for further proceedings.

 
 
Brown, 
C.J., files a specially concurring opinion.

 
 
BROWN, 
Chief Justice, specially concurring.

 
 

[¶7.]     I agree with the result 
in this case, unless appellant is receiving or has received permanent partial 
benefits for the same period of time he now claims temporary total 
benefits.