Court Opinion

ID: 9661311
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 22:35:06.755357+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:14:27.130026
License: Public Domain

*623ABRAHAMSQN, J.
(dissenting). I would affirm the judgment of the circuit .court.
This case turns on the question whether the posthumously born “illegitimate child” was a dependent of the deceased within sec. 102.51 (2), Stats., on the date of injury. The majority says it is applying a “literal interpretation” and finds that a child living at the time of injury falls within the category of lineal descendant in sec. 102.51(2), but that an unborn child does not. I think it more in keeping with the Worker’s Compensation Act (nee Workmen’s Compensation Act) to apply a familiar rule of construction, namely “relation back.” In other areas of the law a person who is conceived and unborn (and then is born alive) is deemed to be in existence during the period of gestation for purposes of application of the particular rule. Cf. Bergin & Haskell, Preface to Estates in Land and Future Interests, 192 (1966). Thus I would find that the posthumously born “illegitimate child” is a lineal descendant alive at the time of injury.
The next step is to establish the dependency in fact of a posthumously born illegitimate child. Sec. 102.51 (1), Stats., provides a conclusive presumption of dependency if a parent has an obligation to support the child. The majority concludes that the father has no obligation to support the “illegitimate child” during gestation. The majority notes that sec. 52.37(1), Stats., requires payments for the mother’s care during pregnancy but does not require support of the child until after birth. The majority labels as “tenuous” the argument that support of the mother during pregnancy is in effect support of the child. I find nothing tenuous about this argument. It is soundly based on biological fact. The majority notes that sec. 52.37 (1) does not become operative until after an adjudication of or an admission of paternity, which may occur a substantial time after birth. Nevertheless the father’s obligations and the amount of *624his payments relate back to and are determined from the date of conception.
I have considered the legislature’s expressly providing for secondary death benefits for posthumously born children in sec. 102.49(1), Stats. Judge Currie has correctly interpreted the legislative intent. He wrote “There is no perceivable reason why a posthumous child should receive secondary death benefits under sec. 102.49 (1) and be denied primary death benefits under sec. 102.51(1).”
Although the status of a posthumous child is specifically governed by the particular workmen’s compensation statute adopted by the particular state, the interpretations that other states have placed on their statutes are helpful in considering Wisconsin law. Judge Currie in his memorandum decision referred to numerous textbook authorities and judicial authority of other states which support the conclusion that death benefits should be accorded to posthumously born children. See, Annot. Workmen’s Compensation: Posthumous Children and Children Born After Accident As Dependents, 18 A.L.R. 3d 900 (1968); Ide v. Scott Drilling, 341 Mich. 164, 67 N.W.2d 133 (1954); Shelley v. Central Woodwork, Inc., 207 Tenn. 411, 340 S.W.2d 896 (1960); Green v. Burch, 164 Kan. 348, 189 P.2d 892 (1948).
Given the liberal interpretation this court has generally accorded to the worker’s compensation statutes and given the legislative design and purpose to compensate the dependents of deceased employees, I would hold that the legislature intended that a posthumously born illegitimate child could qualify as a dependent under sec. 102.51 (1) and (2), Stats.