Court Opinion

ID: 9649361
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 14:50:18.141648+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:12:10.022223
License: Public Domain

FRIEDMAN, Judge,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent. Rather than affirm the trial court’s award of heart and lung benefits to police officer Patrick Logan (Claimant), I would vacate and remand.1 In affirming, the majority concludes that Claimant sustained a psychic injury in 1998 as a result of abnormal working conditions, i.e., the “cumulative effects” of a shooting incident in November 1993, compounded by “four violent episodes” between November 1997 and May 1998. (Majority op. at 877-878.) Based on existing ease law, I cannot agree that these incidents constitute abnormal working conditions.2
My view of this case is that Claimant sustained a psychic injury in 1993 as a result of incidents that Pennsylvania courts consider normal working conditions. Claimant received counseling and never became disabled from work. This preexisting work-related psychic injury, a result of normal working conditions, recurred in May 1998 when Claimant was beaten severely in the course of performing his normal work duties. When Claimant sought counseling through the city’s “critical incident stress debriefment” program, it was not available. (R.R. at 128a.) This lack of counseling, which I consider an abnormal working condition, aggravated Claimant’s pre-existing psychic condition and caused Claimant to become disabled.3 Thus, I believe that Claimant may be entitled to benefits in this case. However, the arbitrator failed to consider whether the evidence indicates that lack of counseling after May 1998 caused Claimant’s disability in September 1998; therefore, I would vacate and remand.
“To recover workers’ compensation benefits for a psychic injury, a claimant must prove by objective evidence that he has suffered a psychic injury and that such injury is other than a subjective reaction to normal working conditions.” Davis v. Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board (Swarthmore Borough), 561 Pa. 462, 473, 751 A.2d 168, 174 (2000) (citing Martin v. Ketchum, Inc., 523 Pa. 509, 568 A.2d 159 (1990)). “Even if a claimant shows actual, *879not merely perceived or imagined, employment events that have precipitated psychic injury, the claimant must still prove the events to be abnormal in order to recover.” Id. “[F]or actual work conditions to be considered abnormal, they must be considered in the context of the specific employment.” Id. at 479, 751 A.2d at 177 (quoting Wilson v. Workmen’s Compensation Appeal Board (Aluminum Company of America), 542 Pa. 614, 669 A.2d 338 (1996)). Those experiences that “may be anticipated in the course of the officer’s duties” do not constitute abnormal working conditions. City of Philadelphia v. Civil Service Commission, 565 Pa. 265,-, 772 A.2d 962, 969 (2001)
I. Claimant’s Working Conditions
A. 1989-1993
Here, the record indicates that Claimant worked as a patrolman in “a bad zone [Zone 5], probably the hottest zone in the city.”4 (R.R. at 70a, 82a, 151a.) Claimant testified that, in 1989, his partner, Carol Duffy, wearing a bulletproof vest, was almost beaten to death by a burglary suspect before Claimant was able to stop the beating by shooting the suspect. (R.R. at 74a.) In 1991, Claimant and his partner, Jimmy McGee, were involved in “numerous incidents where [they] were shot at” by gang members; in one year, from 1991 to 1992, Claimant and his partner recovered 109 guns from gang members. (R.R. at 75a.) Thus, Claimant could anticipate that his duties might involve injury from beatings and shootings.
In 1993, Claimant shot gang member Stoney Bey after the gang member nearly shot and killed Claimant at pointblank range.5 (R.R. at 76a-77a.) This turned out to be a high profile case, with media coverage, negative publicity, public demonstrations and a coroner’s inquest. An informant notified the police that a $50,000 bounty had been placed on Claimant, and, for Claimant’s protection, the police transferred him to another unit.6 In addition, Claimant’s son received a death threat at school. However, none of these “effects” of the incident constitutes an abnormal working condition under Pennsylvania case law.
1. Publicity, Demonstrations, Inquest
In City of Philadelphia v. Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board (Brasten), 556 Pa. 400, 728 A.2d 938 (1999), an evenly divided supreme court affirmed this court’s holding that indictments, investigations, media attention and public demonstrations arising out of a police officer’s shooting of a suspect do not constitute abnormal working conditions.7 Thus, here, these effects of the Stoney Bey incident do not rise to the level of abnormal working conditions.
2. Death Threats
In Davis, a police officer with a thirty-one year career claimed that he sustained a psychic injury in 1991 as a result of repeated stressful and life-threatening ex*880periences. The officer described several of his experiences, including one in 1974 where he arrested a member of the Pagan motorcycle gang for attempted murder. The officer testified that, after the arrest, the police chief informed him that unknown individuals had threatened to shoot him and his family to prevent him from testifying at trial. Our supreme court held that the officer was not entitled to benefits, stating that there was “absolutely no evidence” that the officer’s experiences were unusual for a law enforcement officer. Id. at 479, 751 A.2d at 177.
Here, a $50,000 bounty was placed on Claimant within a month of the Stoney Bey incident.8 Lieutenant Phillip Dacey testified that there have been instances where someone has issued a direct, first-person death threat against a police officer; however, he never heard of anyone putting a bounty or a contract on an officer.9 (R.R. at 142a, 149a-56a.) However, the test for determining if an officer’s experience constitutes an abnormal working condition is whether the experience may be anticipated in the course of the officer’s duties. See City of Philadelphia. The task is not to determine how many times the experience has occurred in the past.10 Moreover, in Davis, unknown persons issued a death threat against a police officer, and our supreme court did not consider that to be evidence of an abnormal working condition.
In addition, Claimant’s son was threatened at school. However, Claimant testified that the school provided security for his son and transferred the individuals who threatened him. (R.R. at 129a-30a.) Claimant also testified that he was satisfied with the school’s response to the situation. (R.R. at 130a.) Moreover, in Davis, our supreme court did not consider a threat to an officer’s family to be evidence of an abnormal working condition.
B. 1994 — 1995
After the Stoney Bey incident, Claimant sought counseling from Russell H. Scott, Ph.D. (R.R. at 84a.) Dr. Scott worked with Claimant and his family on the problem and, after a period of time, thought the matter “was resolved and over with.” (R.R. at 192a-93a.)
The city transferred Claimant out of Zone 5 because of the $50,000 contract on his life. For two months, Claimant worked in the warrant office in the basement of the Public Safety Building. (R.R. at 83a.) As a patrolman, Claimant had been bald, completely shaved, with a small mustache. (R.R. at 126a.) However, while working in the warrant office, Claimant grew hair and a beard to give him a different appearance. When his hair and beard were long enough, Claimant was moved to the auto squad as an undercover detective, a non-uniform position out of the *881public eye. (R.R. at 83a-84a, 124a-25a.) Claimant testified, “They were looking for a bald policeman with a mustache, not a policeman with [long hair and a ponytail] and a [full] beard.” (R.R. at 124a, 126a.) Claimant said that he “was pretty much hidden” by his hair. (R.R. at 124a.) Even so, Claimant stayed out of Zone 5; he testified that his partner “took care of that part.” (R.R. at 125a.) Thus, Claimant did not present evidence of abnormal working conditions for the period from 1994 to 1995.
C. 1996 — May 1998
In 1996, there was a change in police administration, and Claimant was transferred to Zone 6. (R.R. at 84a.) In his new position, Claimant wore a uniform, drove a patrol car without a partner and took reports. (R.R. at 126a-27a.) Claimant shaved his beard and cut his ponytail, but he still had hair. (R.R. at 125a-26a.) Thus, Claimant’s appearance in his new position still was different from his appearance in 1993.
In 1996 or 1997, the city instituted the “critical incident stress debriefment” program, known as C.I.S.D.11 (R.R. at 128a.) Under this program, when an officer is having a problem due to a stressful work experience, the officer is to see Dr. Massa-ro, the city psychologist.12 “[T]hey call him the critical incident stress [person].” (R.R. at 90a.) In other words, the C.I.S.D. program provides counseling as a service to stabilize police officers who, in the course of their normal job duties, experience what otherwise would be considered abnormal, traumatic events.
Between November 1997 and May 1998, Claimant endured four beatings while assisting in the apprehension and arrest of various suspects. (R.R. at 97a-100a.) Claimant testified that, while attempting to apprehend an armed rape suspect, he was punched a couple of times on the side of the head and was kicked in the right thigh. (R.R. at 97a-98a.) Medics gave him oxygen and a towel, but he did not require treatment at a hospital. (R.R. at 133a.) In a second incident, Claimant wrestled with an HIV-positive prostitute who was fighting, scratching, spitting and trying to bite the arresting officers. (R.R. at 98a.) Claimant testified that it was the third HIV-positive incident Claimant had in two years. (R.R. at 98a.) As a result, medics gave Claimant “all this stuff to wipe myself down.” (R.R. at 133a.) In the third incident, Claimant assisted plainclothes officers in a drug arrest that resulted in a fight.13 (R.R. at 98a.) Claimant testified, *882“Nothing to take off of work for, but enough to make a report on.” (R.R. at 98a.) Finally, Claimant was attempting to arrest a man who punched Claimant in the head and injured Claimant’s testicles. (R.R. at 99a.) Claimant was taken to the hospital for x-rays and was off work for two weeks. (R.R. at 100a.) He returned to light duty work, but, after three weeks, Claimant wanted to return to his regular job. (R.R. at 100a.)
The majority concludes that these four violent episodes rise to the level of abnormal working conditions. (Majority op. at 877-878.) However, Claimant’s testimony is the only evidence in the record relating to the four events. A claimant’s testimony regarding actual events is sufficient, to prove abnormal working conditions only where the events constitute abnormal working conditions as a matter of law. See Archer v. Workmen’s Compensation Appeal Board (General Motors), 138 Pa.Cmwlth. 309, 587 A.2d 901 (1991) (holding that the claimant’s testimony regarding actual events of harassment is sufficient to prove abnormal working conditions because harassment is an abnormal working condition as a matter of law). Because violent episodes are not abnormal working conditions for police officers as a matter of law, Claimant’s testimony, by itself, is insufficient to prove they constitute abnormal working conditions.
Even if we could rely solely on Claimant’s testimony to decide whether the four events constituted abnormal working conditions, I point out that Claimant’s medical treatment after the first three incidents consisted of (1) oxygen and a towel, (2) a “wipe down” and (3) nothing at all. Moreover, Claimant could anticipate exposure to HIV-positive persons in performing his job duties.14 Furthermore, Claimant ultimately admitted that “getting lumped up pretty bad,” as he did in those four episodes, is “something you could expect could happen to a police officer,” just as it happened to his partner, Carol Duffy. (R.R. at 131a.) Thus, unlike the majority, I cannot conclude that these four events constitute abnormal working conditions for a police officer.
D. June 1998 — September 9, 1998
After the beating in May 1998, Claimant started to have nightmares every night and insomnia, the same symptoms Claimant experienced after the Stoney Bey incident in 1993. (R.R. at 89a-90a.) Claimant went to see Dr. Massaro, the “critical incident stress person,” but the city’s psychologist could not handle any more cases.15 (R.R. at 89a.)
A few months later, on September 8, 1998, Claimant began to feel ill while at work, and the lieutenant allowed him to go home early. (R.R. at 90a-91a.) The next morning, Claimant felt light-headed and apprehensive, but he had to go to court to testify in connection with a case. (R.R. at 91a.) When he arrived, he told one of the court secretaries that he did not feel well and that he would be sitting in the sergeant’s office. (R.R. at 92a.) Claimant started to have flashbacks and was unable to get up and walk. (R.R. at 92a.) He was taken to the hospital for tests and has not worked since then. (R.R. at 93a, 96a.)
II. Abnormal Working Condition
The evidence in the record before us suggests that Claimant sustained a psychic injury in 1993 and had a recurrence of this *883injury in May 1998. However, counseling, which had helped Claimant in the past16 and which was supposed to be available through the C.I.S.D. program, was not available. It appears that, eventually, the lack of counseling caused Claimant to suffer a disabling psychic injury.
I believe that, where an employer provides psychological counseling as medical intervention to specifically address the nature of a job, and does so in the customary course of conduct in the operation of its business, the unavailability of such counseling constitutes an abnormal working condition. Indeed, the employee anticipates that, when he or she needs psychological assistance as a result of the performance of his or her normal job duties, counseling will be available. Here, the city’s failure to provide counseling to Claimant following a severe beating is such a deviation from the practice and procedures adopted by the city as to constitute an abnormal working condition. Claimant sought counseling after the May 1998 beating, anticipating that it would be available, but it was unavailable.
III. Causation
In Brasten, an evenly divided supreme court set forth two theories of causation in determining whether indictments, investigations, media attention and public demonstrations following a police shootout constitute abnormal working conditions. Justice Zappala’s “Opinion in Support of Affir-mance” 17 states:
The rationale for requiring a showing of abnormal working conditions is to establish the causal connection between a psychic injury and the employment. The focus must be on the stimulus underlying the claimant’s reaction.
In the present case, the investigation and trial were the stimulus for [the claimant’s] injury. This was the testimony of [the claimant’s] own medical expert and the finding of fact by the WCJ. Being indicted in a homicide case is certainly traumatic, but I would hold that even if the events occurring after the shooting were abnormal, they were, at best, tangentially related to [the claimant’s] employment.
Brasten, 556 Pa. at 404, 728 A.2d at 940 (emphasis added). Thus, “neither the negative publicity nor the arrest and trial were working conditions.” Id. at 405, 728 A.2d at 941.
Justice Nigro’s “Opinion in Support of Reversal”18 states that, although an investigation is a normal and foreseeable consequence of the officer’s duties under the circumstances here, multiple indictments and prosecutions are not.
Furthermore, I cannot subscribe to the assertion that the foregoing events [the indictments and prosecutions] are merely “tangentially” related to [the claimant’s] employment as, but for his employment as a police officer and his participation in the “normal” events of June 1992, he would not have been a defendant in the subsequent indict*884ments nor the object of media attention.
Id. at 408, 728 A.2d at 942 (emphasis added). In other words, Justice Nigro would find a causal connection between a psychic injury and a claimant’s employment where: (1) an actual extraordinary event, a shooting pinpointed in time, caused a normal event, an investigation; (2) this normal event caused abnormal events, multiple indictments and prosecutions; and (3) these abnormal events were the stimulus for the psychic injury. Id.
Whereas Justice Zappala’s analysis requires a direct and immediate relationship between an abnormal work experience and the resulting psychic injury, Justice Nigro’s analysis requires only that a relationship lie somewhere in the chain of causation. Justice Zappala sets forth a “proximate cause” theory of causation19 that does not recognize causation where an abnormal event is to any extent remote from the employment itself.20 Thus, causation in fact, or “but for” causation, is not part of the analysis. To permit it would result in causation being attributed to events that are not truly working conditions. Justice Nigro sets forth a “causation in fact” theory that recognizes causation as long as the abnormal event occurs somewhere in the chain of causation from the normal work incident to the disabling psychic injury. It does not matter how remote the abnormal event is in place or time from the work incident because “but for” the work incident, there would have been no subsequent abnormal event and no subsequent psychic injury. Where this causal connection exists, the employment is the cause of the injury.
Applying Justice Zappala’s theory of causation here, the events that occurred after the Stoney Bey incident in 1993 were not working conditions at all. At best, they were tangentially related to Claimant’s employment. The negative publicity, the public demonstrations, the coroner’s inquest and the death threats simply were too remote from the actual shooting to be the proximate cause of Claimant’s psychic injury. The May 1998 beating was the proximate cause of the recurrence of Claimant’s pre-existing work-related psychic injury, but the beating was a normal working condition. The lack of counseling after May 1998, an abnormal working con*885dition, may have been the proximate cause of Claimant’s disabling psychic injury because it aggravated Claimant’s pre-exist-ing psychic injury. However, there was no finding in this regard.
Applying Justice Nigro’s theory of causation, the events that followed the Stoney Bey incident in 1993 caused Claimant’s psychic injury because, but for that incident, those events would not have occurred. The May 1998 beating was a cause in fact of the recurrence of Claimant’s psychic injury. The Stoney Bey incident also would be a cause in fact of the recurrence because, but for the Stoney Bey incident, there would not have been a pre-existing psychic injury or a recurrence of it. However, everything in the chain of causation from 1993 to May 1998 is a normal working condition. The lack of counseling after May 1998, an abnormal working condition, may have been a cause in fact of the aggravation of Claimant’s pre-existing psychic injury. However, there was no finding in this regard.
As indicated above, one could reasonably infer from the evidence in this case that the absence of counseling after the May 1998 beating was the cause in fact and the proximate cause of the aggravation of Claimant’s pre-existing psychic injury in September 1998. However, because the arbitrator relied on this court’s decision in City of Philadelphia, which is no longer the law, the arbitrator never considered the unavailability of counseling as a possible cause of Claimant’s injury or an abnormal working condition.21 Accordingly, I would vacate and remand.

. The majority affirms the trial court’s decision on other grounds because the trial court based its decision solely on City of Philadelphia v. Civil Service Commission, 712 A.2d 350 (Pa.Cmwlth.1998), which was reversed by our supreme court on May 21, 2001.

. Claimant has experienced a number of extraordinary, but normal, events during his thirty-year career as a police officer. Although I am sympathetic to the fact that Claimant has performed his duties with courage and distinction, existing case law does not indicate that a certain number of normal events occurring within a certain period of time may constitute abnormal working conditions.

.To ignore that the existence of psychological intervention is critical to the mental health of police officers, whose job duties are normally. more dangerous than most, if not all, other workers, would be to ignore the legislative imperative to provide benefits for mental/mental and mental/physical disabilities.

. Claimant worked the "paddy wagon” in the Homewood-Brushton area. (R.R. at 78a.)

. Ironically, if the bullet that Stoney Bey fired at pointblank range had struck Claimant’s head, Claimant or his family would have been entitled to benefits. However, although Claimant saw the bullet coming, he is not entitled to benefits for a psychic injury resulting from fear of what could have been, i.e., his death.

. Claimant did not want to be transferred from Zone 5; he wanted "to go out and to work my [paddy] wagon that I worked for the last 20 years.” (R.R. at 78a-79a, 83a.)

. Three justices would have reversed this court’s decision in Brasten, holding that multiple indictments and prosecutions constitute abnormal working conditions. See Brasten. However, this case does not involve multiple indictments and prosecutions.

. I point out that the majority seems to accept Claimant’s testimony that the $50,000 bounty was placed on Claimant and his family. (Majority op. at 875, 877-878.) However, the arbitrator found only that the bounty was placed on Claimant. (Arbitrator's op. at 3.) Moreover, Lieutenant Phillip Dacey, who informed Claimant about the threat, testified only that the bounty was placed on Claimant. (R.R. at 17a.)

. In other words, Dacey testified that police officers usually receive a death threat from a person who is known to them, and Claimant’s threat is from unknown persons who would kill him for the bounty.

.Suppose a police officer suffers a psychic injury due to an experience that has never happened to another officer. That officer could argue that it was an abnormal experience and receive benefits. However, the next ten officers who suffer a psychic injury due to the same experience will not receive benefits because they cannot argue it never happened before.

.In 1969, the city started to use a psychological screening process, designed by Dr. Scott, to determine a person's mental suitability for the job. (R.R. at 190a, 200a.) Fifty percent of those who participate in the city’s screening process are found to be mentally unfit to perform the job duties and are not hired. (R.R. at 190a.) In deciding to provide counseling for its police officers, the city recognized the humanness and fallibility of its officers and that even one of its top cops might succumb to the stress of the job absent some assistance.
Indeed, the city had found Claimant to be mentally fit when he joined the force in 1969, and, for many years, Claimant performed the duties of a police officer in an exemplary manner. (R.R. at 190a.) CBS twice featured Claimant’s work experiences on its television series “Top Cops.” (R.R. at 72a-73a; 115a-16a.) The television series "Cops” also based four of its episodes on Claimant’s experiences as a police officer. (R.R. at 75a, 114a-15a.) Despite his mental toughness, however, Claimant needed and benefited from counseling.

. Dr. Massaro is “the person they tell us to go see if you’re having a problem.” (R.R. at 89a.)

. I note that, although the majority concludes that this incident constitutes an abnormal working condition, the majority does not even describe it. (See Majority op. at 876.)

. In fact, there had been two previous HIV-positive incidents.

. Dr. Massaro was counseling fifty officers for stress depression and could not handle any more cases. (Arbitrator’s op. at 3; R.R. at 89a.)

.Dr. Scott "helped [Claimant] through many incidents which were of an acute nature.” (R.R. at 193a, 200a.) After the Stoney Bey incident in 1993, Dr. Scott counseled Claimant and, despite the negative publicity, the public demonstrations, the coroner’s inquest, the bounty and the threat to his son, Claimant never missed work due to a psychological disability.

. Chief Justice Flaherty and Justice Cappy joined in this opinion.

. Justice Castille and Justice Newman joined in this opinion.

. To recover damages for negligence under the common law, the negligent conduct must be the legal or proximate cause of the plaintiff’s injuries. RESTATEMENT (SECOND) OF TORTS § 430 (1965). An actor's negligent conduct is the legal cause of harm to another if the conduct is a substantial factor in bringing about the harm. RESTATEMENT (SECOND) OF TORTS § 431(a) (1965). Whether an actor’s conduct is a substantial factor in causing an injury is a question for the jury when reasonable minds may differ in that regard. Vattimo v. Lower Bucles Hospital, Inc., 502 Pa. 241, 465 A.2d 1231 (1983); RESTATEMENT (SECOND) OF TORTS § 434(2) (1965). If it appears to the court "highly extraordinary” that the actor’s conduct should have brought about the harm, the conduct may be held not to be a legal cause of the harm. RESTATEMENT (SECOND) OF TORTS § 435(2) (1965). However, "if the actor should have realized that his conduct might cause harm to another in substantially the manner in which it is brought about, the harm is universally regarded as the legal consequence of the actor’s negligence.” RESTATEMENT (SECOND) OF TORTS § 435 cmt. b (1965).

. The chain of causation in a negligence case represents the many causes in fact of an injury. Bell v. Irace, 422 Pa.Super. 298, 619 A.2d 365 (1993). "Cause in fact or ‘but for’ causation provides that if the harmful result would not have come about but for the negligent conduct then there is a direct causal connection between the negligence and the injury.” First v. Zem Zem Temple, 454 Pa.Super. 548, 686 A.2d 18, 21 n. 2 (1996) (quoting E.J. Stewart, Inc. v. Aitken Products, Inc., 607 F.Supp. 883, 889 (E.D.Pa.1985)), appeal denied, 549 Pa. 701, 700 A.2d 441 (1997).

. The arbitrator stated that the reports of psychiatrists Harlan B. Handler, M.D., Clarissa Cabacungan, M.D., and Dr. Scott suffice to establish causation and disability. (Arbitrator’s op. at 9.) However, the arbitrator did not state a specific cause of Claimant's psychic injury.