Opinion ID: 419685
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Phillips' Permanent Disability.

Text: 35 Canova claims that Phillips should be awarded no backpay because he was permanently disabled from the time of his discharge and was unable to accept reinstatement had it been offered. Canova rightly contends that, absent unusual circumstances not here present, an employer is not liable for backpay during periods that an improperly discharged employee is unavailable for work due to a disability. See American Manufacturing Co., 167 N.L.R.B. 520, 522 (1967). The ALJ and Board found, however, that the backpay period for Phillips was not tolled until November 15, 1977 when Phillips was declared permanently disabled and unable to continue in a job requiring heavy lifting. 36 Phillips' disability arose from three job-related back injuries sustained in 1975 while Phillips was employed by Canova. The last, on September 11, 1976 caused Phillips to be laid off work for the rest of that month under the care of a local physician, but the following month he returned to his normal duties at Canova where he continued to work until his disputed discharge. Subsequent to his discharge, Phillips obtained interim employment as a driver at Antonini Brothers. His duties included lifting and moving comparable to work he performed at Canova. In 1977 Phillips initiated a series of workers' compensation claims for permanent disability payments based on the back injuries. On November 15, 1977 Dr. Gregory Bard examined Phillips in connection with the claims and concluded that Phillips' condition was stationary and that he could not engage in work involving repetitive heavy lifting, twisting or bending. Dr. Bard did not specify, however, exactly when Phillips became disabled. 37 On March 8, 1978, Dr. Richard Reiswig, a chiropractor, examined Phillips in connection with the disability claims at Canova's request. Dr. Reiswig concluded that Phillips was permanently disabled and that, given the opportunity, he would not have allowed Phillips to return to work in September 1975. Dr. Reiswig also concluded that Phillips' condition had worsened since the original injury. Based on Dr. Reiswig's opinion, Canova asserts that Phillips was unable to accept reinstatement and thus entitled to no backpay from the time of his discharge. 38 The ALJ found that Dr. Reiswig's reports were not dispositive of the issue of disability. The ALJ considered more significant the fact that Phillips returned to work at Canova after his injury and performed comparable work at interim employment. Based on this evidence, the ALJ and the Board found that Phillips' injury was not so disabling as to disqualify him from reinstatement rights at Canova at least until November 15, 1977 when he ceased work as a driver. 39 We conclude that this finding was supported by substantial evidence given that Phillips was capable of performing and did perform his duties at various times between the injury and the November 15, 1977 examination. 40