Title: Hansen v. Von Duprin, Inc.

State: indiana

Issuer: Indiana Supreme Court

Document:

507 N.E.2d 573 (1987)
Sharon Jean HANSEN, Appellant (Plaintiff below),
v.
VON DUPRIN, INC., Appellee (Defendant below).
No. 93S02-8705-EX-482.

Supreme Court of Indiana.
May 13, 1987.
*574 Eugene C. Hollander, Indianapolis, for appellant.
Richard W. Guthrie, Stewart, Irwin, Gilliom, Meyer & Guthrie, Indianapolis, for appellee.
DICKSON, Justice.
In this workmen's compensation case, plaintiff-appellant Sharon Jean Hansen received a favorable decision at her hearing before a single member of the Industrial Board. The full Board overturned the award on review, and found in favor of defendant-appellee Von Duprin, Inc. The Court of Appeals affirmed. Hansen v. Von Duprin, Inc. (1986), Ind. App., 496 N.E.2d 1348.
We reiterate the underlying facts as summarized by the Court of Appeals. Hansen was employed by Von Duprin for several years. During that time she suffered numerous emotional and physical problems, including a gunshot wound inflicted by her former husband in 1972. Although she took several leaves of absence from work, she maintained her job and received several promotions. She had no problems at her employment until 1979, when she began to experience difficulties with her immediate supervisor, Jim Hale. Aware of Hansen's fear of guns following the 1972 shooting, Hale would often approach Hansen from behind and jab her in the ribs as if holding a gun. He would also startle her by intentionally dropping books behind her as she was working and by occasionally firing a cap gun. Hansen became increasingly nervous and agitated by his actions. She complained to a friend in management about his behavior, but apparently made no formal complaint; no action was ever taken against Hale. On October 23, 1979, Hale made a comment which Hansen cannot recall, which caused her to become hysterical. She left work and immediately saw her doctor who diagnosed her condition as severe anxiety and depressive syndrome. She remains unable to work and on February 20, 1981 sought benefits for temporary total disability by filing a Form 9 with the Industrial Board.
The full Industrial Board adopted and reiterated each of the factual findings made at the single member hearing, as follows:
However, the full Board also made one additional finding not included among those of the single member hearing officer:
This decision of the full Board was rendered before our recent decision in Evans v. Yankeetown Dock Corp. (1986), Ind., 491 N.E.2d 969, in which this Court reviewed and revised the "accident" requirement under workmen's compensation law.
The sole issue presented by Hansen on appeal is whether the full Board erred in finding no probative evidence of "accident" as defined under the Indiana Workmen's Compensation Act. On this issue, the Court of Appeals correctly observed:
496 N.E.2d  at 1349. However, the opinion of the Court of Appeals then proceeded to review whether Hansen's injury arose out of and in the course of employment. After noting difficulties in determining a causal connection in workmen's compensation claims alleging a mental injury, Judge Young, writing for the Fourth District, concluded:
496 N.E.2d  at 1351. The opinion concluded by applying this new rule and concluding that the "horseplay evidence in Hansen's case, while unfortunate due to her sensitivity, was not the type of harassment which should have engendered severe anxiety in an employee." Id.
Upon this issue, the opinion of the Court of Appeals erroneously attempts to decide a new question of law and contravenes our ruling precedent in Evans, supra. We therefore grant transfer.
In proposing a rule limiting the compensability of mental injuries to those resulting from stresses "other than the day-to-day mental stresses which all employees experience," the Court of Appeals would be, in actuality, regressing to the "untoward event" standard unanimously rejected by this Court in Evans:
491 N.E.2d  at 974-975.
Whether the injury is mental or physical, the determinative standard should be the same. The issue is not whether the injury resulted from the ordinary events of employment. Rather, it is simply whether the injury arose out of and in the course of employment.
This is not to say that compensability is determined by the time of onset of an injury. The mere fact that an injury occurs at work does not, ipso facto, render it compensable. The nature of the injury, including an aggravation or triggering of a pre-existing injury, must be such that injury or aggravation is shown to "arise out of and in the course of employment," that is, to be causally connected with the employment.
In reviewing the Industrial Board's decision, we do not reweigh the evidence or assess witness credibility, but we will examine the findings of fact to see if they are sufficient to support the decision. If there was competent evidence of probative value to support the Board's findings, we will affirm. Rockwell International v. Byrd (1986), Ind. App., 498 N.E.2d 1033; Holloway v. Madison-Grant United School Corp. (1983), Ind. App., 448 N.E.2d 27.
In its findings, the Industrial Board expressly found that Hansen suffered injury as a result of her foreman's intentional shooting off of a "cap gun", and that this, along with several other acts of the foreman, caused plaintiff's condition to be such that she could no longer cope with the ordinary stresses of her employment.
Plaintiff presented testimony of psychiatrist James L. Shoot:
During cross examination, the doctor further answered:
Dr. Shoot's report of April 2, 1981, admitted as plaintiff's exhibit No. 2, stated: "I would say then without a doubt, that her employment with the Von Duprin Company has been a most significant contribution to her present state of anxiety."
Thus, the factual finding that plaintiff suffered injury as a result of the harassment of her at her employment, is supported by competent evidence of probative value.
The decision of the Industrial Board also included a finding that the plaintiff's life experiences had been such that they contributed to her condition. Even though an employee may have a physical condition which renders him more susceptible to being injured, he is entitled to recovery for the full extent of the injury received, Bethlehem Steel Corp. v. Cummings (1974), 160 Ind. App. 160, 310 N.E.2d 565. An injury otherwise compensable under the Workmen's Compensation Act entitles an employee to benefits commensurate with the total disability sustained, including the aggravation or triggering of latent pre-existing conditions. Parks v. Sheller-Globe Corp. (1978), 177 Ind. App. 498, 380 N.E.2d 110. In Parks the Court of Appeals also correctly observed:
Id. at 500, 380 N.E.2d  at 111-112.
It is our opinion that the express finding of the Industrial Board regarding the absence of accident is inconsistent with and contrary to the other findings of fact which are supported by probative evidence. The decision of the Board is reversed and remanded with instructions to grant an award consistent with its remaining findings, and with this opinion.
SHEPARD, C.J., and DeBRULER, GIVAN and PIVARNIK, JJ., concur.