Massie v. University of Florida, No. AY-12

CourtCourt of Appeal of Florida (US)
Writing for the CourtMILLS
Citation463 So.2d 383,10 Fla. L. Weekly 235
Decision Date24 January 1985
Docket NumberNo. AY-12
Parties23 Ed. Law Rep. 437, 10 Fla. L. Weekly 235 Emmett MASSIE, Appellant, v. UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA and Division of Risk Management, Appellees.

Page 383

463 So.2d 383
23 Ed. Law Rep. 437, 10 Fla. L. Weekly 235
Emmett MASSIE, Appellant,
v.
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA and Division of Risk Management, Appellees.
No. AY-12.
District Court of Appeal of Florida,
First District.
Jan. 24, 1985.
Rehearing Denied Feb. 20, 1985.

Terence J. Kann of Davis, Tabano, Weiss & Kahn, Gainesville, for appellant.

James E. Clayton of Clayton, Johnston, Quincey, Ireland, Felder & Gadd, Gainesville, for appellees.

MILLS, Judge.

Massie appeals from a workers' compensation order finding that he is not entitled

Page 384

to PTD for his disabling condition of multiple sclerosis because there is no evidence that during his employment by the University of Florida he was exposed to hazards greater than those to which the public is generally exposed. We affirm.

Massie contends the evidence shows that his job subjected him to a greater than normal stress level and that his nondisabling pre-existing multiple sclerosis was aggravated or accelerated by this factor which is peculiar to his employment by the University of Florida.

The University of Florida argues that the evidence shows that stress was not peculiar to Massie's job and that generally job stress is not unusual.

Festa v. Teleflex, Inc., 382 So.2d 122 (Fla. 1st DCA 1980) established the factors necessary to prove injury by repeated exposure: (1) prolonged exposure, (2) the cumulative effect of which is injury or the aggravation of a pre-existing condition, and (3) the claimant is subject to a hazard greater than the general public.

Massie argues that the deputy acted contrary to cumulative, uncontroverted evidence in finding that he had not shown exposure to an extraordinary hazard. The cases relied on by Massie to support this argument are ineffective in this case. McCandless v. M.M. Parrish Construction, 449 So.2d 830 (Fla. 1st DCA 1984), stands for the proposition that "it is an abuse of discretion for the deputy to reject uncontroverted medical testimony without a reasonable explanation." Weaver v. Gold Kist, Inc., 449 So.2d 829 (Fla. 1st DCA 1984), held that "the deputy should offer a sufficient reason for rejecting expert medical testimony, especially if such testimony is unrefuted." However, there was no medical testimony stating that Massie's job stress was an extraordinary hazard uncommon to the public in general. The medical testimony went primarily to the element of causation, i.e., could the particular stress Massie underwent exacerbate his...

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4 practice notes
  • Massie v. University of Florida, No. BN-98
    • United States
    • Court of Appeal of Florida (US)
    • June 29, 1990
    ...expert witness, Alan Pappas. 1 Page 966 The deputy commissioner's order was affirmed on appeal in Massie v. University of Florida, 463 So.2d 383 (Fla. 1st DCA), pet. for rev. denied, 472 So.2d 1181 (Fla.1985), upon the reasoning that Massie's evidence showed that the stress to which he was ......
  • University of Florida v. Massie, No. 76414
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Court of Florida
    • May 28, 1992
    ...difficulty, we must hold that the deputy's holding was supported by competent substantial evidence." Massie v. University of Florida, 463 So.2d 383, 384 (Fla. 1st DCA), review denied, 472 So.2d 1181 (Fla.1985) [hereafter Massie I ]. In reaching this decision the district court noted that st......
  • Lafave v. Bay Consol. Distributors, No. 88-2422
    • United States
    • Court of Appeal of Florida (US)
    • June 30, 1989
    ...this statute, and the case law, in finding that claimant's psychiatric condition is not compensable. Massie v. University of Florida, 463 So.2d 383 (Fla. 1st DCA 1985), rev. denied 472 So.2d 1181 (Fla.1985), does not mandate a contrary ruling. Massie applied Festa v. Teleflex Inc., 382 So.2......
  • Massie v. University of Florida, Div. of Risk Management
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Court of Florida
    • June 26, 1985
    ...(Emmett H.) v. University of Florida, Division of Risk Management NO. 66,744 Supreme Court of Florida. JUN 26, 1985 Appeal From: 1st DCA 463 So.2d 383 Pet. for rev....
4 cases
  • Massie v. University of Florida, No. BN-98
    • United States
    • Court of Appeal of Florida (US)
    • June 29, 1990
    ...expert witness, Alan Pappas. 1 Page 966 The deputy commissioner's order was affirmed on appeal in Massie v. University of Florida, 463 So.2d 383 (Fla. 1st DCA), pet. for rev. denied, 472 So.2d 1181 (Fla.1985), upon the reasoning that Massie's evidence showed that the stress to which he was ......
  • University of Florida v. Massie, No. 76414
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Court of Florida
    • May 28, 1992
    ...difficulty, we must hold that the deputy's holding was supported by competent substantial evidence." Massie v. University of Florida, 463 So.2d 383, 384 (Fla. 1st DCA), review denied, 472 So.2d 1181 (Fla.1985) [hereafter Massie I ]. In reaching this decision the district court noted that st......
  • Lafave v. Bay Consol. Distributors, No. 88-2422
    • United States
    • Court of Appeal of Florida (US)
    • June 30, 1989
    ...this statute, and the case law, in finding that claimant's psychiatric condition is not compensable. Massie v. University of Florida, 463 So.2d 383 (Fla. 1st DCA 1985), rev. denied 472 So.2d 1181 (Fla.1985), does not mandate a contrary ruling. Massie applied Festa v. Teleflex Inc., 382 So.2......
  • Massie v. University of Florida, Div. of Risk Management
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Court of Florida
    • June 26, 1985
    ...(Emmett H.) v. University of Florida, Division of Risk Management NO. 66,744 Supreme Court of Florida. JUN 26, 1985 Appeal From: 1st DCA 463 So.2d 383 Pet. for rev....

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