Opinion ID: 1349527
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Self-induced mental stress

Text: The employer directs us to extant Oklahoma caselaw as well as that of other jurisdictions which pronounces that injuries caused by a worker's self-induced worrying are not compensable. For example, in City of Austin v. Johnson [14] the worker suffered a fatal heart attack after learning that his job would be terminated. The court held that worry and anxiety caused by job loss is not a risk incidental to employment and an injury resulting from it is not compensable. In Ada Coca-Cola Bottling Company v. Snead [15] an 80-year-old worker, who had already suffered a heart attack and two amputations of the left leg, fell and sustained bruises and abrasions to the head, cheek, forehead, arm and shoulder. He continued to work and approximately 20 days later suffered a stroke which left him totally disabled. Four months after the stroke he died of a heart attack. His family sought compensation benefits upon the theory that the fatal heart attack resulted from worrying about not being able to work because of the fall. This court held in Snead that such worrying was not a risk reasonably incident to employment and vacated the compensation award. [16] In Kinser v. Western Sands, Inc . [17] the claimant, a motel operator, was a worrier. For several weeks prior to his heart attack the claimant had been worried because the cafe connected with the motel was being operated inefficiently, and a trusted motel employee was quitting. There, the court held that a man will not be permitted to `worry' himself into a heart attack and receive compensation disability for the attack. [18]