Williams v. Workmen's Compensation Appeal Board
Williams v. Workmen's Compensation Appeal Board
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
Scott C. Williams (claimant) appeals here an order of the Workmen’s Compensation Appeal Board (Board) which affirmed a referee’s denial of benefits.
The claimant was a pressman’s helper employed by the Pittsburgh Annealing Box Company. He averred in his claim petition that while attempting to pull a 1/4" slab of stainless steel out from under a 1" slab, he sustained back sprains and became disabled. Hearings were held at which both the claimant’s and the employer’s medical experts
The claimant of course, has the burden of proving his right to benefits. Halaski v. Hilton Hotel, 487 Pa. 313, 409 A.2d 367 (1979). And where, as here, the party with the burden of proof fails before the referee, our scope of review is limited to determining whether any constitutional rights were violated or an error of law was committed or whether or not the findings of fact are consistent with each other and if the conclusions of law can be sustained without a capricious disregard of competent evidence. Roadway Express, Inc. v. Workmen’s Compensation Appeal Board, 54 Pa. Commonwealth Ct. 169, 420 A.2d 774 (1980).
The claimant argues that the referee capriciously disregarded competent evidence in believing the employer’s witnesses instead of his. It is clear, how
We have carefully reviewed the record and the referee’s detailed findings and we cannot say, given his role as the fact-finder,
Order
And Now, this 27th day of September, 1983, the order of the Workmen’s Compensation Appeal Board in the above-captioned matter is hereby affirmed.
The claimant, his foreman, and several co-workers also testified.
The Board inferred in its opinion that the case was very close,-and were it in the fact-finding role, it, may have decided the case differently. However, we agree with the Board that neither it nor this Court is empowered to second-guess the referee’s factual findings provided those findings are supported in the record. Bethlehem, Steel Corp.
Dissenting Opinion
Dissenting Opinion by
1 regretfully must dissent. While the majority would characterize this case as one involving the
Before the referee, Claimant testified that he injured his back on October 26, 1979, pulling a quarter inch steel slab out from under a one inch slab, and that he subsequently went home after informing his foreman of the injury. This testimony was corroborated by the testimony of the two fellow employees who had been working with Claimant at the time of the injury. Claimant also testified that while he returned to work the following day, fellow employees had to “cover” for him and that he subsequently left work on November 1, 1979 after his foreman discovered him not working. A deposition for Claimant’s treating physician, Dr. Jon D. Polocavich, was offered into evidence and Dr. Polocavich stated in his testimony that he believed Claimant to be totally disabled by a severe lumbosacral and thoracic sprain, complicated by a muscle spasm, which was caused by his injury at work. Additional evidence was submitted by Claimant establishing the medical treatments he had received, some of them painful, since his injury.
Claimant’s employer, for its part, presented the testimony of a single witness, Stanley R. Palmer, Claimant’s foreman. While Mr. Palmer denied receiving notice of Claimant’s accident on the date of the injury, he admitted that he overheard Claimant saying he had injured his back and that Claimant had told him “I’m going home and soak my back in the tub so I can work on Saturday. I don’t want to miss my overtime.” Mr. Palmer further testified that he had found Claimant asleep on November 1, 1979, and
In his decision the referee reviewed the evidence noted above, stated that “[t]he question of credibility is basic herein[,]” further found “the witnesses and evidence of the defendant to be more credible than that of the claimant[,]” and denied benefits. Since the evidence submitted by Claimant’s employer did not significantly conflict with the evidence submitted by Claimant, however, I believe that the referee erred by denying benefits on the ground that he found the employer’s witnesses to be more credible. In my view, where there is no conflict on the basic facts at issue, to raise a question of credibility is frivolous.
“To constitute a capricious disregard of evidence there must be a willful and deliberate overlooking of competent testimony and relevant evidence which one of ordinary intelligence could not possibly have avoided in reaching the result.” Workmen’s Compensation Appeal Board v. Philco Ford Corp., 27 Pa. Commonwealth Ct. 298, 302, 366 A.2d 620, 623 (1976). In light of the unanimous testimony of the witnesses that Claimant suffered a work related injury, the obvious causal relationship between his disability and his work related accident, supported by unequivocal and uncontradicted medical opinion, and the complete
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