Court Opinion

ID: 9583739
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 22:41:41.869417+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:59:24.963503
License: Public Domain

Chief Judge Hedrick
dissenting.
In my opinion, the evidence in the record does not support the critical finding of fact that:
8. On 11-8-82, he came under the care of Dr. Branham, a psychiatrist, and has since then remained under his treatment, including anti-depressant medications, for depression. As a result of the injury by accident giving rise hereto and the attendant residuals in his lower extremities and his inability to work, he experienced stress which at least by 11-8-82 resulted in depression and rendered him totally disabled. Although he has improved on treatment, he continues to experience sleep disturbance, difficulty in concentration, accentuation of pain, psychomotor slowing, sexual dysfunction, and constriction of interest by reason of said stress induced depression and he remained totally disabled thereby through 9-16-83 when last examined by Dr. Bran-*80ham. The credible evidence of record fails to establish that said depression was of disabling severity prior to 11-8-82.
The majority states that this finding of fact is supported by the following testimony of Dr. Branham:
I saw Mr. Hill because of weakness in his legs, pain in his back, which had been present since an injury at work. Subsequent to the injury, the weakness and the pain persisted which resulted in bringing about some symptoms of a disease which we call depression. These symptoms as I saw in Mr. Hill were represented by dysphoria or depression, difficulty in sleep pattern, trouble in concentration, accentuation of the pain already being experienced, psychomotor slowing, constriction of interest in general in his usual way of going about conducting his life which had been seriously altered in so much as he was unable to function in an employment situation.
This testimony indicates that plaintiff was depressed because he was “unable to function in an employment situation.” It is not evidence of disability due to depression. I, therefore, vote to reverse.
Furthermore, in my opinion, the majority has mishandled the Rule 60(b)(2) and (6) motion for “relief from judgment.” This motion was properly filed in this Court. Swygert v. Swygert, 46 N.C. App. 173, 264 S.E. 2d 902 (1980). With respect to hearing the Rule 60(b) motion in Swygert, Judge Frank Parker stated that “the determination of plaintiffs motion will require the resolution of controverted questions of fact which the trial court is in a far better position to pass upon than is this Court. . . .” Id. at 181, 264 S.E. 2d at 907 (1980). I know no reason why we should treat a Rule 60(b) motion filed in this Court in an appeal from the Industrial Commission differently than we treat any other Rule 60(b) motion.
The request in defendant’s Rule 60(b) motion that we “decide the merits of the appeal filed by the defendants prior to remanding this case to the Industrial Commission for consideration of this motion” effectively withdrew the motion. Thus we need not take action on the motion.
*81Furthermore, a motion made under G.S. 97-47 is certainly not the same as a motion under Rule 60. A motion by defendant before the Industrial Commission pursuant to G.S. 97-47 would not afford the same relief as a motion filed pursuant to Rule 60(b)(2) and (6). When this case is finally determined on appeal, the defendant can file its Rule 60(b) motions with the Industrial Commission.