Opinion ID: 2221558
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: permanent partial disability claim

Text: ¶ 31. The first issue concerns the operation of Wis. Stat. § 102.44(6)(b). Mireles contends that she qualifies for a reopening of her unscheduled injury award under all three clauses of § 102.44(6)(b). Under this claim, Mireles seeks compensation for loss of earning capacity caused by her back injury. Ametek contends that Mireles does not qualify under the statute. In particular, Ametek maintains that Mireles does not qualify under the second clause of § 102.44(6)(b) because the physical limitations that precluded her from working for Ametek were scheduled limitations, not unscheduled limitations. Stated simply, Mireles was forced to leave her position because of her wrists, not her back. [3, 4] ¶ 32. This case warrants due weight deference to the interpretation of the administrative agency. LIRC has had experience interpreting the statute, but its interpretations have been inconsistent. [9] Due weight deference is the appropriate deference. Brauneis v. LIRC, 2000 WI 69, ¶ 19, 236 Wis. 2d 27, 612 N.W.2d 635. We stated in Brauneis that when an agency's statutory interpretation is accorded due weight, the agency's interpretation is not conclusive. Id. If a court finds an alternative interpretation more reasonable, it need not adopt the agency's interpretation. Here the court concludes that its alternative interpretation is not only more reasonable than LIRC's but also better fulfills the intent of the statute. ¶ 33. Wisconsin Stat. § 102.44(6)(b) sets forth three situations in which DWD may reopen an unscheduled injury award. Wisconsin Stat. § 102.44(6)(b) provides: (6)(b) If, during the period set forth in s. 102.17(4) the employment relationship is terminated by the employer at the time of the injury, or by the employe because his or her physical or mental limitations prevent his or her continuing in such employment, or if during such period a wage loss of 15% or more occurs the department may reopen any award and make a redetermination taking into account loss of earning capacity. [5] ¶ 34. Subsection (6)(b) requires some explanation in order to address the issues in this case. First, the statute refers to a period set forth in Wis. Stat. § 102.17(4). [10] This period is a 12-year period beginning at the date of injury. This section is a statute of limitations. Second, the statute uses the phrase the employer at the time of injury in the first clause. Wis. Stat. § 102.44(6)(b). The phrase at the time of the injury modifies the employer, not the termination. Thus, the statute can be understood to read: If, during the period set forth in § 102.17(4) the employment relationship is terminated by the employer for whom the employee worked at the time the employee was injured. . .the department may reopen any award and make a determination taking into account loss of earning capacity. Wis. Stat. § 102.44(6)(b). If the phrase at the time of the injury modified the words is terminated, the statute of limitations would be rendered inoperative. When interpreting statutes we give effect to every word in the statute so that no part of the statute is rendered superfluous. Lake City Corp. v. City of Mequon, 207 Wis. 2d 155, 162, 558 N.W.2d 100 (1997). ¶ 35. Under Wis. Stat. § 102.44(6)(b), an applicant may seek to revisit a previous award if the employer at the time of the injury terminates the employment relationship. No reason for the termination is required. By contrast, the second clause in the statute, in which the employee terminates the relationship, allows an employee to reopen only if physical or mental limitations caused the employee to end the employment relationship. Had the legislature intended to place any qualifications on employer terminations, it would have created such qualifications. Thus, if an employer terminates its relationship with an employee by closing its plant or laying off workers, a previously injured employee may apply for a reopening under § 102.44(6)(b). If Ametek terminated the employment relationship with Mireles, the first clause of the statute would allow Mireles to apply for a reopening of the unscheduled injury award. [6] ¶ 36. Mireles and Ametek disagree about which party terminated the employment relationship in this case. In factual disputes LIRC's findings are conclusive as long as they are supported by credible and substantial evidence. Wis. Stat. § 102.23(6); Ide v. LIRC, 224 Wis. 2d 159, 165, 589 N.W.2d 363 (1999). Moreover, we have a duty to search the record to find credible evidence that supports the agency's findings. Brakebush Bros. v. LIRC, 210 Wis. 2d 623, 630, 563 N.W.2d 512 (1997). ¶ 37. The record in this case is ambiguous about which party terminated the relationship. The ALJ made findings of fact in his memorandum opinion, and LIRC adopted those findings as its own and issued its own memorandum opinion. Both opinions describe the end of the employment relationship in a confusing manner. The ALJ first wrote that Mireles was terminated by Ametek, but he later stated that Mireles was required to leave her job at respondent. In the introduction to the opinion, the ALJ wrote that Mireles's application allege[d] that the applicant had to leave her employment. ¶ 38. In its memorandum opinion, LIRC mentioned several times that Mireles was terminated. But LIRC also wrote that the evidence indicates that the applicant subsequently terminated her employment. ¶ 39. We conclude, therefore, that the present record is insufficient to classify Mireles's application under the first clause of Wis. Stat. § 102.44(6)(b). The factual findings of LIRC were not developed adequately because of the position taken by the agency. On remand to LIRC, it will be necessary to make a factual finding whether Mireles qualifies under this portion of the statute. ¶ 40. The parties also focused on the second clause of Wis. Stat. § 102.44(6)(b). The issue here is whether the physical limitations mentioned in the statute must derive from an unscheduled injury. This part of the statute allows DWD to reopen an unscheduled injury award if the employee terminates the employment relationship because his or her physical or mental limitations prevent his or her continuing in such employment. Wis. Stat. § 102.44(6)(b). ¶ 41. We conclude that the second clause of Wis. Stat. § 102.44(6)(b) does not require that the limitations that cause the employee to end the relationship arise from an unscheduled injury. Had the legislature wished to make such a requirement, it could have written: If, during the period set forth in s. 102.17(4) the employment relationship is terminated. . .by the employe because his or her physical or mental limitations resulting from the injury prevent his or her continuing in such employment. The legislature did not draft the statute in that manner. To give effect to the reading favored by Ametek would breach our duty to interpret statutes by their ordinary language whenever possible. Moreover, we see nothing in Wis. Stat. § 102.44 to indicate that scheduled injuries cannot trigger the second clause of § 102.44(6)(b). In particular, we note that the legislature wrote § 102.44(6)(a) using the exact phrase resulting from the injury added to the hypothetical statute above. [11] ¶ 42. Ametek argues that in cases of permanent partial disability from scheduled injuries, the schedule is exclusive. Such exclusivity, however, applies to the award of benefits, see Vande Zande v. DILHR, 70 Wis. 2d 1086, 1093, 236 N.W.2d (1975); Mednicoff, 54 Wis. 2d at 14, not to the reasons for termination under Wis. Stat. § 102.44(6)(b). Mireles is not asking for disability benefits for an injury covered by any of the statutory schedules. Her claim is for benefits based on an unscheduled injury. The reason for the end of the relationship, therefore, is irrelevant, as long as the termination under the second clause in the statute was caused by physical or mental limitations and not some other factor. [7] ¶ 43. Ametek argues that every scheduled injury that follows an unscheduled injury will give rise to a claim for loss of earning capacity. This is true, however, only when one of the three situations envisioned by Wis. Stat. § 102.44(6)(b) actually occurs. We conclude that the statute allows a claim for loss of earning capacity in such a factual situation. Such an interpretation is not only clear from the language of the statute but also consistent with the purpose of the Act. An injured worker in Mireles's predicament faces the task of finding work in the general labor market upon termination of the employment relationship. Mireles, therefore, should not be penalized for having suffered a scheduled injury that in turn caused the end of her employment. ¶ 44. LIRC's and Ametek's interpretation of the second clause of Wis. Stat. § 102.44(6)(b) does not conform with the language of the statute. Here again, however, the factual record is insufficient to classify Mireles's application within the second clause of § 102.44(6)(b). On remand to LIRC, it will be necessary to make a factual finding whether Mireles qualifies under this portion of the statute. ¶ 45. The parties also dispute whether the third clause in Wis. Stat. § 102.44(6)(b) applies to Mireles's application. That clause allows DWD to reopen an award if an employee suffers a wage loss of 15 percent or more. The clause does not mention any other requirements other than the wage loss. When considering § 102.44(6) as a whole, we conclude that Mireles does not qualify under this portion of the statute. ¶ 46. Wisconsin Stat. § 102.44(6)(a) governs situations in which an employee who suffers an unscheduled injury returns to work for the employer for whom he or she worked at the time of the injury. In that part of the statute, an employee cannot recover for loss of earning capacity unless the unscheduled injury causes a wage loss of 15 percent or more. Id. Like § 102.44(6)(a), the first two clauses of § 102.44(6)(b) apply only to the employer for whom the injured party worked when the injury occurred. Reading § 102.44(6) as a whole, we conclude that the last clause of § 102.44(6)(b) operates only when the employee continues to work for the employer at the time of the injury and suffers a wage loss of 15 percent or more. The last clause of § 102.44(6)(b), therefore, refers to the situation mentioned in § 102.44(6)(a), namely a wage reduction of 15 percent or more at the employer for whom the employee worked at the time of injury. ¶ 47. If the wage loss provision of Wis. Stat. § 102.44(6)(b) were to operate after the end of the employment relationship, the first two provisions of § 102.44(6)(b) would be superfluous. An injured worker always could qualify for a reopening because any time the employment relationship ended, the employee would have suffered a wage loss of 15 percent or more. Mireles does not qualify under this portion of the statute because the employment relationship ended before she experienced a 15 percent wage loss. ¶ 48. LIRC's memorandum opinion contends that public policy concerns caution against our holding today. LIRC agreed with the ALJ's statement that it would be a great disincentive for employers to rehire anyone with a non-scheduled injury as a later, minor, scheduled injury could cause unanticipated greater liability. It could be cheaper to pay the penalty to rehire than face the greater liability. Five factors caution against LIRC's interpretation. ¶ 49. First, the language of the statute allows an applicant to claim he or she deserves a reopening of an award even if an unscheduled injury is followed by a scheduled injury, and the scheduled injury causes the end of the employment relationship. If employers choose to face penalties rather than rehire workers in Mireles's situation, it will become the responsibility of the legislature and the designated agency to design incentives to serve the overall purpose of the Act. ¶ 50. Second, in many cases employers will have a strong incentive to rehire workers with unscheduled injuries. When an employer accommodates an injured worker with work within restrictions, the employer gains the work of the employee, as opposed merely to paying disability benefits to a non-worker. After all, had Ametek refused to rehire Mireles, she could have brought a claim for permanent partial disability benefits for her back injury. Thus, Ametek faced no greater liability for Mireles's unscheduled injury after her scheduled injury than it would have confronted had it refused to rehire her initially. In addition, the employer would avoid penalties by rehiring such a worker. ¶ 51. Third, even under our holding today, DWD and LIRC still maintain discretion to deny applications made under Wis. Stat. § 102.44(6)(b). The legislature wrote this section in a way that gives the agency administering the law the option of fashioning policies. ¶ 52. Fourth, the ALJ, LIRC, and Ametek have expressed concerns about a breakdown in the exclusiveness of scheduled benefits. However, any additional compensation awarded to Mireles would account only for that portion of her disability caused by the unscheduled injury. Any award would be subject to the apportionment guidelines in cases of permanent partial disability. See Vande Zande, 70 Wis. 2d at 1093; Langhus v. LIRC, 206 Wis. 2d 494, 505, 557 N.W.2d 450 (Ct. App. 1996). ¶ 53. Finally, we find it likely that the legislature intended that an injured worker such as Mireles would receive compensation for her unscheduled injury. In numerous instances, the Act provides compensation for cases of multiple injuries. See Wis. Stat. §§ 102.44(2), 102.53, 102.54. When the legislature enacted § 102.44(6)(b), it must have contemplated the occurrence of a situation like the one here. Otherwise, it could have written subsection (6)(b) the same as subsection (6)(a), which explicitly applies to the physical limitations resulting from the injury.  The legislative intent evinces a concern about an injured worker's ability to find suitable employment after injury and a subsequent change in the employment relationship. See Wis. Admin. Code § DWD 80.34 (July, 1996) (considering [l]ikelihood of future suitable occupational change in evaluating loss of earning capacity).