Bauer v. State ex rel. Wyoming Worker's Compensation Div., 84-77
Citation | 695 P.2d 1048 |
Decision Date | 01 March 1985 |
Docket Number | No. 84-77,84-77 |
Parties | Sherry L. BAUER, Appellant (Employee-Claimant), v. STATE of Wyoming, ex rel., WYOMING WORKER'S COMPENSATION DIVISION, Appellee (Objector-Defendant). |
Court | United States State Supreme Court of Wyoming |
Donald L. Painter, Casper, for appellant.
A.G. McClintock, Atty. Gen., Gerald A. Stack, Deputy Atty. Gen., John W. Renneisen, Sr. Asst. Atty. Gen., and Terry J. Harris, Asst. Atty. Gen. (argued), for appellee.
Before THOMAS, * C.J., and ROSE, ROONEY, ** BROWN and CARDINE, JJ.
The parties in this case stipulated to the following facts: The town of Saratoga had taken over supervision of the ambulance service from Carbon County approximately thirty days prior to this injury. The appellant was employed part time by the town of Saratoga as a member of the ambulance service. She suffered a ruptured eardrum in the course of her employment on December 14, 1981, and sought medical treatment the next day. She was advised by her supervisor that she was not covered by worker's compensation because she was a part-time employee. 1
Appellant underwent surgery on March 24, 1982. In March 1983, when it became apparent that additional surgery would be necessary, appellant requested that the hospital apply for payment under worker's compensation. The second surgery for the injury that occurred during her employment was performed on April 6, 1983. At that time she again discussed worker's compensation with the chief executive officer of her employer, the mayor of Saratoga, who agreed that she should be covered. Appellant then, during April 1983, attempted to file a worker's compensation claim. The clerk of court rejected the claim because it was not timely filed. 2 Appellant was allowed to file her claim on July 19, 1983. The court, thereafter, determined that the claim was barred by the statute of limitations.
We reverse.
The only issue presented by appellant is: "Whether Appellant has a legally, excusable reason for failure to comply with § 27-12-503, W.S.1977." This statute provides in part:
We stated in In re Martini, 38 Wyo. 172, 265 P. 707 (1928), that the legislature had fixed the applicable time in which a claim could be filed and, therefore, an exception could not be read into the law because the result would be legislation rather than statutory construction. We, however, expressly did not resolve the question here presented, stating:
(Emphasis added.) In re Martini, supra, 265 P. at 708-709.
The question we treat here does not involve statutory construction. The statute is clear and unambiguous. It contains no provision for tolling because of excusable neglect or to relieve hardship in particular circumstances. Thus, the statute here has run and is a bar to this claim unless the doctrine of equitable estoppel prevents raising the statute-of-limitations defense.
It is established policy that worker's compensation statutes and the law applicable thereto should be liberally construed to the end that just claims of workers will be paid whenever possible. Jurisdictions such as ours, with statutes not providing tolling for excusable neglect, apply waiver or equitable estoppel to prevent the employer from asserting the statute of limitations as a defense where the lateness was the result of the employer's assurances, misrepresentations, negligence, or fraudulent deceptions. 3 Larson, The Law of Workmen's Compensation § 78.45.
There are no jurisdictions which always hold their statutes of limitation to be a total bar in worker's compensation cases. All jurisdictions allow late filings under some circumstances. These circumstances range from good faith misrepresentations by employers to a requirement of deliberate and actual fraud. Fraud, either actual or legal, will toll the statute of limitations, Perkins v. Aetna Casualty & Surety Co., 147 Ga.App. 662, 249 S.E.2d 661 (1978), as will a reasonable reliance on incorrect information and active misleading conduct. Cohen v. Industrial Comm'n of Arizona, 133 Ariz. 24, 648 P.2d 139 (1982). Thus, where the failure to file the claim resulted from the direct intervention of the employer's agents and all parties believed that the accident was not covered by worker's compensation, equitable estoppel prevented the defense of statute of limitations. Levo v. General-Shea-Morrison, 128 Mont. 570, 280 P.2d 1086 (1955). Estoppel flows from the actual consequences produced by the conduct of A on B regardless of whether A intended those consequences or not. Pino v. Maplewood Packing Co., Me., 375 A.2d 534 (1977). It is immaterial whether the conduct falsely misrepresented the situation or fraudulently concealed the truth. The employer is estopped to plead the statute of limitations. Cambron v. Co-operative Distributing Co., Ky., 405 S.W.2d 687 (1966); Pacific Employers Ins. Co. v. Industrial Accident Comm'n, 66 Cal.App.2d 376, 152 P.2d 501 (1944). Where the employer's carrier gave information with no intent to deceive or mislead but his conduct did just that, estoppel applied because the employer, having assisted the employee, could not complain about action taken or not taken. Robertson v. Brissey's Garage, Inc., 270 S.C. 58, 240 S.E.2d 810 (1978). The employer is estopped when the claimant is deceived; the deception occurs when the employee is lulled into a false sense of security. Taglianetti v. Workmen's Compensation Appeal Board, 63 Pa.Cmwlth. 456, 439 A.2d 844 (1981); Ashcraft v. Hunter, 268 Ark. 946, 597 S.W.2d 124 (App.1980). 3 But fraud should not be the only basis for relief in worker's compensation cases. The limitation period is short--just one year. The injury resulting to the worker during the course of her employment is our concern. If she has a valid claim which is lost because of some action by the employer or the insurance provider (here the state of Wyoming) reasonably relied upon by the employee to her detriment, relief should be granted.
In McKaskle v. Industrial Comm'n of Arizona, 135 Ariz. 168, 659 P.2d 1313 (1982), the injured employee was told by the employer that he was not covered by worker's compensation because he was an independent contractor and not an employee. Later he learned that he was covered. The court stated:
In Levo v. General-Shea-Morrison, supra, the court stated:
"The doctrine of equitable estoppel is a flexible one, founded in equity and good conscience; its object is to prevent a party from taking an unconscionable advantage of his own wrong while asserting his strict legal rights. Seemingly the only strict legal right that we are asked to adhere to is the statute which was passed solely for the benefit of the employer and the insurance carrier, i.e., the Statute of Limitations.
* * *
* * *
The State here contends that estoppel is not warranted because the bad advice was merely an honest mistake and cites Larson for the proposition,
"[i]f the employer's bad advice was the result of an honest mistake due to the uncertain state of the law at the time, estoppel is not warranted." 3 Larson, The Law of Workmen's Compensation § 78.45.
The basis for that statement is a California case which held that the city's advice was reasonable when given "due to the uncertain state of the law" at that time. City of Los Angeles v. Industrial Accident Commission, 63 Cal.2d 255, 46 Cal.Rptr. 105, 404 P.2d 809 (1965). In the instant case, the state of the law is not uncertain. The worker here was covered by worker's compensation. That is not disputed. And had she, contrary to the advice of her employer, filed a claim, it would have been paid.
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