Court Opinion

ID: 9732779
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 16:34:56.272852+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:26:33.553293
License: Public Domain

DUNN, Chief'Justice
(concurring specially).
I concur in the results of this case; however, I do not agree that it should be reversed on the grounds of insufficiency of the findings of fact and conclusions of law. First, I feel the findings are substantially in compliance with the requirements of SDCL 1-26-25.
Second, appellate tradition indicates that decisions be predicated on issues not raised by the parties only in the extraordinary situation where these issues are completely controlling of the case and justice can only be done by raising the issues in this court. Here, the case should be reversed on the grounds that the conclusions of law are “palpably erroneous” in view of the uncontroverted evidence.
The standard for review in workmen’s compensation cases was outlined by this court in Joffer v. Crusy’s Power Brake & Supply, Inc., 1968, 83 S.D. 191, 156 N.W.2d 189. There we said:
“The trial forum for ascertaining facts is the Commissioner and facts so found must be accepted by the re*394viewing court, unless so palpably erroneous on the record as to be unreasonable; such findings standing substantially upon the same plane as a jury verdict.”
After reading the record in its entirety, I am of the opinion that the findings and conclusions of the Commissioner were “palpably erroneous” and that a reversal is in order.
The law is clear in South Dakota that in order to be compensable the injury or death must be by accident. SDCL 62-1-1(2). In heart attack cases this requirement is met if the attack is causally related to “unusual exertion” in the course of the employment. Campbell v. City of Chamberlain, 1960, 78 S.D. 245, 100 N.W.2d 707; Oviatt v. Oviatt Dairy, Inc., 1963, 80 S.D. 83, 119 N.W.2d 649. The issues therefore are whether the activities of Mr. Lemke on December 26, 1969, constituted unusual exertion, and, if so, whether this exertion is causally related to his death.
The following facts are uncontroverted in the record: Decedent, a 43-year-old male in good health, arose about 6:30 or 7 a. m. on December 26th. He ate a normal breakfast and arrived at Rabenberg’s at approximately 8 a. m. He worked at odd jobs, primarily painting machinery, during the morning hours. He returned home at noon and ate a normal lunch. At approximately 1 p. m. he set out from Selby for Little Eagle, South Dakota, in a two-ton truck to deliver some machinery to the Peterson Bros, ranch. Since he did not know the location of the ranch he stopped at Rabenberg’s in McLaughlin to ask directions. He mentioned to Mr. Schott, the shop manager at McLaughlin, that he did not feel well. Schott sent Gilbert Geigel with Lemke to help him locate the ranch and unload the machinery. They set out for the Peterson ranch which was about, 25 miles away. There was a ground blizzard in progress and the temperature was between 15 and 17 degrees Fahrenheit.
The men had trouble getting into the Peterson ranch because • the road was slippery. They had no trouble unloading the machinery with the power winch, but were then told by Pat Peterson that some of the machinery had to be delivered to another ranch. They reloaded the truck but could not get up the *395hill on the Peterson ranch to get to the main road. They became stuck in the drifts. Geigel helped pull the truck with a tractor and Peterson pulled with a four-wheel-drive vehicle. Lemke drove the truck. He was required to get out of the truck several times to hook and unhook chains. Geigel testified that he and Lemke had to shovel snow several times. Peterson did not see them shovel. There was a 15-foot embankment at the side of the road and at one point there was a danger that the truck which Lemke was driving would slip down the embankment. The men initially arrived at the ranch at 3 p. m. and they finally got up the hill at 6:30 p. m. Lemke started to drive back to McLaughlin but had Geigel take the wheel shortly after leaving the Peterson ranch. Lemke went to Schott’s home when they got to McLaughlin. He stated that he was not feeling well and asked for some aspirin. He was pale, his eyes were glassy and he could not stand without supporting himself on Schott’s dryer. Schott started to drive him to Selby and he collapsed on the floorboard of Schott’s pickup about ten miles out of McLaughlin. He was dead on arrival at the McLaughlin hospital.
I believe that these facts establish that Lemke’s death was caused by unusual exertion. The Commissioner felt that the activities of December 26th were not unusual. I think that it is unusual exertion to have to work for three hours to extricate a two-ton truck from snowbanks.
Further, it is quite obvious from the Commissioner’s memorandum decision that he was concerned only about usual physical exertion on Lemke’s part. He did not consider the unusual mental strain in steering the truck and trying to avoid slipping down a 15-foot embankment. He did not consider the frustration of being stuck for three hours in 15 degree temperature. This court has never held that unusual exertion includes mental exertion and mental strain. Mental exertion is recognized as a cause of heart attack in workmen’s compensation cases in Minnesota. Sokness v. City of Virginia, 1950, 231 Minn. 215, 42 N.W.2d 551. I can think of no reason why it should not be recognized in South Dakota. When one considers the mental and physical exertion of December 26th, it is hard to say that this was a usual occurrence in Mr. Lemke’s working day.
*396A collateral reason for the Commissioner’s denial was that since Lemke complained of illness before the trip to the Peterson ranch the exertion did not cause his death. In Oviatt v. Oviatt Dairy, Inc., supra, it was specifically stated that even if a disease is preexisting, it is compensable if the work aggravates the condition. I interpret this to mean that even if Lemke was suffering heart trouble when he arrived in McLaughlin, the exertion of the afternoon aggravated this problem and led to his death at around 8 p. m. that night. It should be pointed out that in terms of time, Lemke’s death was much closer to his alleged unusual exertion than Max Oviatt’s death after his exertion in Oviatt v. Oviatt Dairy, Inc., supra.