Opinion ID: 883548
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: issues

Text: The statutory framework within which to decide whether the exclusive remedy provision applies is not discussed in the majority opinion. Its discussion is limited to the fact that on a previous occasion the plaintiff made a claim for occupational disease benefits based on her contention that her disability was caused or contributed to by chemical exposure during the course of her employment. The second question, then, is what is the effect of her prior claim. That issue involves two sub-questions. First, was her prior claim inconsistent with her current claim. I agree with Justice Leaphart that it was not. Because of the nature of an occupational disease, as opposed to an industrial injury, an occupational disease can, as the Occupational Disease Act recognizes, occur over time and at more than one location. Therefore, it is not at all inconsistent with Torres' current claim that her disease may have been contributed to during the course of her employment. Neither is it unreasonable at the outset of litigation before facts are fully developed to allege that a condition is attributable to more than one cause, and then let causation be more clearly established as a result of discovery and preparation. Ideally, the plaintiff should have been able to plead alternate claims in the same suit. However, that was not possible because of the exclusive jurisdiction of the Workers' Compensation Court for occupational disease claims, and the fact that third-party claims have to be brought in the district court. Furthermore, it must be kept in mind that had the State agreed that plaintiff's occupational disease arose out of and was related to her employment, she was entitled to several times the amount of benefits she actually received. Following the logic of the majority opinion, why is the State not barred from defending this claim on the basis of her previous claim when it saved more than she received in the previous claim by denying that her disease was work related? The second sub-question is, if Torres' prior claim is deemed inconsistent with her current claim, then what is the effect of her prior claim? Judicial estoppel and statutory estoppel do not apply because her prior claim was not made as part of any judicial proceeding. Equitable estoppel does not apply because it has not been pled, it has not been argued on appeal, and even if it had been pled and argued on appeal, there is a total absence of proof of its several elements. Furthermore, there is a substantial question about whether the State of Montana has standing to raise the defense of equitable estoppel. At most, plaintiff's prior claim that her disability was caused during the course of her employment is an arguably inconsistent statement which can be presented to the fact finder for consideration in combination with her current contention that the majority of her exposure occurred outside the course of her employment. Her prior claim can be used to prove the truth of what was said on the prior occasion, or may be offered for impeachment. However, it does not establish as a matter of law that what she claims at this time, even if inconsistent, is untrue. Likewise, the State Fund's prior position that her disability was not caused by her employment is arguably inconsistent with its current position that her claim is barred by the exclusive remedy provision of the Occupational Disease Act. Both of these prior positions are simply evidence to submit to the fact finder for consideration when it resolves the issues of whether plaintiff's disease was caused by chemicals to which she was exposed at Gaines Hall; and if so, whether her greater exposure occurred as an employee or as a student. The majority is too preoccupied by the fact that Torres received some benefit from her settlement with the State Fund based on her contention that her disability was caused during the course of her employment. The majority, on the other hand, has no problem with the fact that the State Fund probably saved more than it paid Torres by denying that her condition was caused during the course of her employment. The majority's concern is unjustified. Even if Torres succeeds in this claim, she would receive no double recovery. The State is entitled to an offset from any recovery received in this case for the amount paid by the State Fund pursuant to Torres' previous claim. For these reasons, I dissent from the majority opinion. I would reverse the summary judgment of the District Court and remand this case to the District Court for resolution of the factual issues raised by Torres' complaint.