Garza v. Workmen's Comp. App. Bd.

• Decision Date: 20 October 1970
• Parties: , 475 P.2d 451 Joe M. GARZA, Petitioner, v. WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION APPEALS BOARD, McDonnell-Douglas Aircraft Company, et al., Respondents. L.A. 29739.
• Court: California Supreme Court

Page 355

90 Cal.Rptr. 355

3 Cal.3d 312, 475 P.2d 451

Joe M. GARZA, Petitioner, v. WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION APPEALS BOARD, McDonnell-Douglas Aircraft Company, et al., Respondents.

L.A. 29739.

Supreme Court of California,

In Bank.

Oct. 20, 1970.

Levy & Van Bourg and Mervin N. Glow, Los Angeles, for petitioner.

Rupert A. Pedrin, San Francisco, Sheldon M. Ziff, Gabriel Sipos, Clopton & Penny and Mort L. Clopton, Los Angeles, for respondents.

BURKE, Justice.

Petitioner seeks review of the appeals board's decision upon reconsideration in which the board held, contrary to the finding of the referee, that petitioner did not sustain an industrial injury. We have concluded that, since the board's decision lacks the support of substantial evidence, it cannot stand.

On the date of the alleged injury, January 5, 1969, petitioner was employed as a spray painter and was engaged in painting a DC--9 airplane. At the hearing before the referee petitioner testified that he injured his back while attempting to push into position a paint stand approximately 14 to 16 feet high and 6 to 8 feet wide. According to petitioner, the stand had a partially flat tire and was difficult to roll. On pushing the stand with his shoulder petitioner felt something 'foreign' in his back, and a sharp pain in his tailbone. He became dizzy and noticed a numbness in his left cheek, hand and leg, and a pain in his left shoulder and left side of his chest. A day or two later, petitioner told his foreman, Vlahos, and his leadman, Henry, that he had to go to the hospital; although petitioner mentioned having a pain in his cheek and possible sinus trouble, he did not report the back injury to them until January 16, and did not report his injury to his employer's compensation coordinator until January 24.

Petitioner was admitted to White Memorial Hospital on January 8, complaining of pain on the left side of his face, side and lower ribs, and motor difficulties in his lower extremities. He first saw a dentist, who found nothing wrong with petitioner's teeth and who referred petitioner to other doctors. Apparently, petitioner did not advise the doctors of his back injury until January 13, the date of a consultant's report which mentions petitioner's account of the January 5 incident. Dr. Waters examined petitioner on January 24; his report states that although he had not examined petitioner's back completely, he considered the case to be 'nonindustrial,' noting that 'Injury not reported until 1--24--69 (19 days after incident).'

Dr. Brown, an orthopedist, examined petitioner on January 30, and subsequently performed an exploratory laminotomy which disclosed that petitioner had a herniated L 4--5 disc, with impingement of the nerve root at the fifth lumbar nerve root, and marked scarring, both anterior and posterior, to the dura. Both the disc and the scar were totally removed, and petitioner's condition improved. Thereafter, Dr. LeMoncheck examined petitioner on June 30, and concluded that 'a major portion' of petitioner's permanent disability would be attributable to prior back injuries, although there may be some disability resulting from the January 5 incident.

Medical records disclosed that petitioner had undergone prior back surgery in 1954, and that he had complained of subsequent back injuries or pain from time to time thereafter. When asked why he delayed in reporting the January 5 injury to his employer or his doctors, petitioner testified that he had hoped that his condition would soon improve, and feared that he might lose his job for failing to advise his employer regarding his prior back injuries.

The referee found that petitioner did suffer an industrial injury on January 5, and allowed temporary total disability, medical expenses and continuing disability, putting the issues of permanent disability and apportionment off calendar. Respondents (employer and compensation carrier) petitioned for reconsideration, and the referee, in his opinion on petition for reconsideration, set forth the reasons why he recommended denial of reconsideration, making it clear that he believed and relied upon petitioner's testimony regarding his delay in reporting the injury. ¹

The appeals board reviewed the evidence and granted reconsideration, noting that petitioner had made no report of the injury to his coemployees or employer immediately following the alleged injury; that petitioner did not inform his doctors of the accident until January 13; and that petitioner failed to inform his employer's compensation coordinator thereof until January 24. The board emphasized petitioner's failure to notify his doctors of the incident, stating that 'It is not reasonable to assume that applicant would seek treatment and then not advise the doctors of the condition which allegedly played a part in compelling him to seek such treatment.' ² The board also pointed out that although petitioner testified that he had had no problems with his back since his prior operation in 1954, his medical records disclosed that he had made several similar complaints thereafter.

Consequently, the board concluded that 'On the basis of applicant's failure to report the alleged injury initially to either his co-employees or the doctors from whom he sought treatment and his failure to testify as to all his back complaints prior to the alleged incident, we find applicant's testimony as to the occurrence of an event on January 5, 1969, cannot be believed. Where circumstantial evidence is in conflict with the direct testimony of a witness, the credibility of the witness and the weight to be given his testimony are matters within the province of the trier of fact. Therefore, we conclude that applicant did not sustain an injury arising out of and occurring in the course of his employment as alleged herein. We find his back complaints and the treatment obtained therefor are attributable to the pre-existing condition reflected in the record.'

Although the employee bears the burden of proving that his injury was sustained in the course of his employment, the established legislative policy is that the Workmen's Compensation Act must be liberally construed in the employee's favor (Lab.Code, § 3202), and all reasonable doubts at to whether an injury arose out of employment are to be resolved in favor of the employee. (Lundberg v. Workmen's Comp. App. Bd., 69 Cal.2d 436, 439, 71 Cal.Rptr. 684, 445 P.2d 300.) This rule is binding upon the board and this court. (Id. at p. 439, 71 Cal.Rptr. 684, 445 P.2d 300.) Moreover, although the board is empowered to resolve conflicts in the evidence (Liberty Mut. Ins. Co. v. Industrial Acc. Com., 33 Cal.2d 89, 93, 199 P.2d 302; Pacific Freight Lines v. Ind. Acc. Com., 26 Cal.2d 234, 240--241, 157 P.2d 634), to make its own credibility determinations (McAllister v. Workmen's Comp. App. Bd., 69 Cal.2d 408, 413, 71 Cal.Rptr. 697, 445 P.2d 313; Granco Steel, Inc. v. Workmen's Comp. App. Bd., 68 Cal.2d 191, 197, 65 Cal.Rptr. 287, 436 P.2d 287; Alexander v. Workmen's Comp. App. Bd., 262 Cal.App.2d 756, 758, 69 Cal.Rptr. 190; Wilhelm v. Workmen's Comp. App. Bd., 255 Cal.App.2d 30, 33, 62 Cal.Rptr. 829), and upon reconsideration to reject the findings of the referee and enter its own findings on the basis of its review of the record (Lab.Code, § 5907; Buescher v. Workmen's Comp. App. Bd., 265 Cal.App.2d 520, 529, 11 Cal.Rptr. 405; Wilhelm v. Workmen's Comp. App. Bd., Supra; Montyk v. Workmen's Comp. App. Bd., 245 Cal.App.2d 334, 335, 53 Cal.Rptr. 848), nevertheless, any award, order or decision of the board must be supported by substantial evidence in the light of the entire record (Lab.Code, § 5952; LeVesque v. Work men's Comp. App. Bd., 1 Cal.3d 627, 635, 83 Cal.Rptr. 208, 463 P.2d 432).

In LeVesque, supra, this court rejected prior decisions which suggested that the board's decision would be sustained if supported by any evidence whatsoever, and we determined that the test of substantiality must be measured on the basis of the entire record, rather than by simply isolating evidence which supports the board and ignoring other relevant facts of record which rebut or emplain that evidence. (1 Cal.3d at pp. 638--639, fn. 22, 83 Cal.Rptr. 208, 463 P.2d 432.) Upon reviewing the entire record in this case, we have concluded that the evidence relied upon by the board to discredit petitioner's uncontradicted testimony was insubstantial and cannot support its decision.

As a general rule, the board 'must accept as true the intended meaning of (evidence) both uncontradicted and unimpeached.' (LeVesque v. Workmen's Comp. App. Bd., Supra, 1 Cal.3d 627, 639, 83 Cal.Rptr. 208, 216, 463 P.2d 432, 440; McAllister v. Workmen's Comp. App. Bd., Supra, 69...