Court Opinion

ID: 9647054
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 13:22:13.073373+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:11:45.040923
License: Public Domain

Alan D. Epley, Special Justice, dissenting. I join in Justice Hays’ dissent. It occurs to me that since the public policy of the state is set forth in its constitution and statutes, the appellee, Mrs. Baysinger, is also bound by the public policy set forth in Arkansas Code Annotated § 11-9-107 (1987). That public policy is (as Justice Hays states) that it is the policy of this state that all actions for damages on account of injury between employer and employee are the exclusive province of worker’s compensation, except where the employer fails to secure the payment of compensation. The majority opinion does not address this conflict in the public policy of the state. However, I further dissent from the majority opinion finding substantial evidence to support the verdict of the jury. It has been said that hard cases make bad law. I think this is a hard case. The majority opinion attempts to find evidence that the public policy of the State has been violated when an employer states on an exit interview form that he was told by the physician that continued exposure to this type of work could lead to more serious injury for the claimant. The physician (according to the majority) testified that he had no recollection of saying such a thing. Earlier in the opinion the majority interprets the testimony of Dr. Holder to be that he flatly did not advise Mr. Mika that continued exposure to this type of work could lead to more serious injury. Either way, how this fact has any logical bearing on this case has not been demonstrated by the majority. The only connection the appellee has been able to establish factually, in my opinion, is the contact between Mr. Mika and Mr. Scissors, the CSI representative. But a review of the testimony of both Mr. Mika and Mr. Scissors does not reveal any facts supporting the contention that the appellee’s firing was in retaliation for filing a worker’s compensation claim. The suggestion of Mr. Scissors was that if the employer could not find lighter work for the employee to do, then her employment should be terminated. The employer adopted this advice. But this does not provide evidence to substantially support the jury verdict. The evidence in this case and certainly the subsequent testimony of Doctor Holder indicates that it would be reasonable for anyone to conclude that if Mrs. Baysinger continued in her work of heavy lifting, that she would risk suffering a permanent and possibly debilitating injury. The evidence in this case which I feel is substantial is that the employer discharged Mrs. Baysinger before she suffered permanent injury. Even though she received worker’s compensation payments, there is no substantial evidence that she was fired because of that fact. There is no public policy in this state that requires an employer to keep an employee whom the employer recognizes has become physically unsuited for a job. The distinction attempted here is that in a case such as this, the evidence of the plaintiff must prove that the discharge was in retaliation for a worker’s compensation claim, and not to keep the employee from suffering further injury attempting to do the work. The majority suggests that the employer acted too quickly and without sufficient medical information about the appellee’s condition and apparently cites these opinions as facts supporting the jury’s verdict. There is nothing in the record, either expert testimonies or otherwise, that indicates that the speed with which the decision to terminate was made is substantial evidence supporting the jury’s decision. In fact, the record reflects that the decision was not made until after a search for another job was made by the employer and after telephonic consultation by the employer with the treating physician. The record is clear that the physician advised that the appellee was no longer physically able to accomplish her former work. There is no substantial evidence in this record that Mrs. Baysinger’s firing was related to her claiming worker’s compensation benefits. The evidence required of the employee in such a case as this must show, in the language of Arkansas Code Annotated § 11-9-107 (1987), that the employer has “willfully discriminate(d)” in regard to the tenure of work of the employee. It is my opinion that the record only demonstrates slight evidence of willful discrimination on the part of the employer against the employee and no evidence at all that the discharge was because of the past filing of worker’s compensation claims. Therefore, in my opinion, the case should be reversed. I agree with that portion of the majority opinion addressing the issues regarding jury selection raised by the appellant.