Court Opinion

ID: 9739931
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 20:23:48.061+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:24:14.807761
License: Public Domain

GILBERT, Justice
(dissenting).
I respectfully dissent. The majority ignores the facts of this case to uphold an artificial application of our precedent with unreasonable consequences. At a time when there is a concern for frivolous litigation and unfounded workers’ compensation claims, the employee should not be penalized for the failure to notify the employer immediately when she did not take her injury too seriously at first, thought that *759her chiropractor could take care of the problem and continued on at work. As soon as the employee discovered that the injury was more serious than she originally believed and experienced problems from the injury that resulted in work-related consequences, such as having to miss work, she immediately took action to fully notify the employer of the injury.
The compensation judge’s conclusion that there was a failure to show mistake, inadvertence or ignorance of fact or law was made without any findings based on substantial evidentiary support. As the majority notes, the employee has the burden to show mistake of fact or law if notice of the injury was given to the employer more than 30 days after the occurrence of the injury, in order for compensation to be payable. The only relevant testimony in this record before the compensation judge on this issue was the employee’s testimony. The employee’s unimpeached testimony included statements that she did not think her injury was serious, that it would be easily corrected and that she did not believe she had a compensable injury until it affected her work. On this record, the compensation judge clearly erred when he stated that “[t]here was no evidence presented” to show mistake of fact or law. In order to conclude that “no evidence” was presented, the judge must have rejected the employee’s testimony. He did so without giving any reason or making any finding supported by substantial evidence. There is no conflicting evidence that the judge could have adjudged more credible, to which we must defer. There is no evidence to support the employer’s assertion that the judge must have determined that she was not credible on this point. See also Minn.Stat. § 176.371 (1998) (providing a memorandum attached to a compensation judge’s decision is not necessary unless “necessary to delineate the reasons for the decision or to discuss the credibility of witnesses”). The compensation judge found her credible on the other facets of her claim, finding that she did injure her middle and upper back in the course of her employment and that chiropractic treatment was reasonable for the first 12 weeks of treatment, but then found the claim barred by the alleged notice defect. Without such a finding on credibility or any other evidence in the record, it is not a reasonable inference of the employee’s testimony that it was deliberate rather than inadvertent conduct that resulted in the employee missing the 30-day limit on notice. The compensation judge’s finding of no mistake of fact or law is manifestly contrary to the evidence. We need not defer to the compensation judge’s decision when the judge has completely failed to explain his reasoning and support it with substantial evidence.
This error was compounded by the Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals’ decision. The court conceded there was evidence that supported the contention that the employee failed to give early notice because she had the mistaken fact belief that she was not seriously injured and that the injury could be easily and promptly taken care of. A mistake of law was made by the Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals in upholding the compensation judge’s erroneous finding of no mistake by summarily stating “In the absence of more definitive evidence on the point, the issue is one in which competing inferences may be drawn from the evidence.” However, there was' no need for “more definitive evidence” because there was no other relevant evidence on the question of mistake or inadvertence. There was also no support in the record or in the compensation judge’s findings for disregarding the employee’s testimony. Without such contrary evidence, there were no competing inferences that could be drawn. The employee went forward and met her burden of proof with no impeaching testimony offered by the employer. Because there was no substantial basis supporting the compensation judge’s finding, the Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals’ conclusion that the finding was sufficiently supported was incorrect as a matter of law and should be reversed.
The fact that the employee’s burden of proof had been met is coupled with the *760fact that the employer suffered no prejudice on this record. This further supports the conclusion that the employee’s claim should proceed. See generally Minn.Stat. § 176 .141 (1998) (providing for the reduction of compensation where employer is prejudiced by failure to receive timely notice). The purpose of the notice requirement is to enable the employer to furnish prompt medical attention and timely investigate the circumstances of the injury. See Kling v. St. Barnabas Hosp., 291 Minn. 257, 261, 190 N.W.2d 674, 677 (1971). Here the employee promptly sought medical attention within the 30-day period and failing to receive notice on day 30 instead of day 34 did not prejudice the employer. I would reverse the Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals and remand for trial.
PAGE, J.
I join in the dissent of Justice Gilbert.
PAUL H. ANDERSON, J.
I join in the dissent of Justice Gilbert.