Miller by Miller v. State Roofing Co., No. 24011

CourtUnited States State Supreme Court of South Carolina
Writing for the CourtCHANDLER; FINNEY, TOAL and MOORE, JJ., and BRUCE LITTLEJOHN
Citation441 S.E.2d 323,312 S.C. 452
PartiesMichael MILLER, Deceased, Employee, by Mildred MILLER, Mother, Laurence M. Felder, Felicia M. Felder, and Kristella Hamm, minor children, Claimants, Respondents, v. STATE ROOFING COMPANY, Employer, and U.S. Fidelity & Guaranty Company, Carrier, Appellants. . Heard
Decision Date10 December 1993
Docket NumberNo. 24011

Page 323

441 S.E.2d 323
312 S.C. 452
Michael MILLER, Deceased, Employee, by Mildred MILLER,
Mother, Laurence M. Felder, Felicia M. Felder, and
Kristella Hamm, minor children,
Claimants, Respondents,
v.
STATE ROOFING COMPANY, Employer, and U.S. Fidelity &
Guaranty Company, Carrier, Appellants.
No. 24011.
Supreme Court of South Carolina.
Heard Dec. 10, 1993.
Decided Feb. 7, 1994.

Page 324

R. Lewis Johnson and L. Elaine Mozingo, both of Barnes, Alford, Stork & Johnson, Columbia, for appellants.

John C. Land, III, of Land, Parker & Reaves, P.A., Manning, for respondents.

[312 S.C. 453] CHANDLER, Acting Chief Justice:

In this Workers' Compensation case, Single Commissioner and Full Commission denied benefits to the beneficiaries of Michael Miller, deceased, (Employee), holding that his drowning death did not arise in the course of his employment for State Roofing Company (Employer). Circuit Court reversed; Employer appeals.

We reverse and reinstate Commission's Order.

FACTS

Employee, a laborer for State Roofing Company of Sumter, was transported to Augusta, Georgia, on Monday, July 16, 1990, for work on a roofing job at the Naval Reserve Center. While in Augusta, Employee was housed by Employer at Horn's Motor Lodge and was furnished $10 per day food allowance.

On Wednesday, July 18, Employer's roofing crew arrived at the job site at approximately 6:30 a.m. Due to rain, work was discontinued and employees returned to the motel. Several workers were directed back to the job site for inspection of leaks. Employee and another laborer, Walter Moore, remained at the motel where they sat out by the pool. Employee, who could not swim, went into the deep end of the pool and drowned.

Single Commissioner denied Employee's beneficiaries benefits, finding that Employer had no control over his off-duty activities. Full Commission affirmed. Circuit Court reversed, holding that Employee was under the control and custody of Employer at the time of his death.

ISSUE

Were the findings of the Single Commissioner and the Full Commission supported by substantial evidence?

DISCUSSION

Circuit Court found that Employee was "on-call," and subject to Employer's control, such that his drowning death arose in the course and scope of his employment. Employer contends Circuit Court substituted its view of the evidence for Commission's. We agree.

[312 S.C. 454] The substantial evidence standard of the Administrative Procedures Act governs judicial review of factual...

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32 practice notes
  • Coastal Conservation v. Dept. of Health, No. 4450.
    • United States
    • Court of Appeals of South Carolina
    • 23 de outubro de 2008
    ...evidence is more than a mere scintilla of evidence. Whitworth, 377 S.C. at 640, 661 S.E.2d at 335; Miller by Miller v. State Roofing Co., 312 S.C. 452, 454, 441 S.E.2d 323, 324-325 (1994); Laws v. Richland County Sch. Dist. No. 1, 270 S.C. 492, 495-496, 243 S.E.2d 192, 193 (1978); Kimmer v.......
  • Gray v. Club Group, Ltd., No. 3119.
    • United States
    • Court of Appeals of South Carolina
    • 22 de fevereiro de 2000
    ...the record as a whole, would allow reasonable minds to reach the same conclusion the Full Commission reached. Miller v. State Roofing Co., 312 S.C. 452, 441 S.E.2d 323 (1994). Furthermore, "`substantial evidence' is not a mere scintilla of evidence nor the evidence viewed blindly from one s......
  • Aughtry v. Abbeville County Sch. Dist., No. 2835.
    • United States
    • Court of Appeals of South Carolina
    • 13 de agosto de 1998
    ...reasonable minds to reach the conclusion the administrative agency reached in order to justify its action. Miller v. State Roofing Co., 312 S.C. 452, 441 S.E.2d 323 (1994); Stokes v. First Nat'l Bank, 306 S.C. 46, 410 S.E.2d 248 (1991). The general policy is to construe the Workers' Compens......
  • Sharpe v. Case Produce Co., No. 2775
    • United States
    • Court of Appeals of South Carolina
    • 2 de dezembro de 1997
    ...reasonable minds to reach the conclusion the administrative agency reached in order to justify its action. Miller v. State Roofing Co., 312 S.C. 452, 441 S.E.2d 323 (1994); Stokes v. First Nat'l Bank, 306 S.C. 46, 410 S.E.2d 248 (1991). While a finding of fact of the Commission will normall......
  • Request a trial to view additional results
32 cases
  • Coastal Conservation v. Dept. of Health, No. 4450.
    • United States
    • Court of Appeals of South Carolina
    • 23 de outubro de 2008
    ...evidence is more than a mere scintilla of evidence. Whitworth, 377 S.C. at 640, 661 S.E.2d at 335; Miller by Miller v. State Roofing Co., 312 S.C. 452, 454, 441 S.E.2d 323, 324-325 (1994); Laws v. Richland County Sch. Dist. No. 1, 270 S.C. 492, 495-496, 243 S.E.2d 192, 193 (1978); Kimmer v.......
  • Gray v. Club Group, Ltd., No. 3119.
    • United States
    • Court of Appeals of South Carolina
    • 22 de fevereiro de 2000
    ...the record as a whole, would allow reasonable minds to reach the same conclusion the Full Commission reached. Miller v. State Roofing Co., 312 S.C. 452, 441 S.E.2d 323 (1994). Furthermore, "`substantial evidence' is not a mere scintilla of evidence nor the evidence viewed blindly from one s......
  • Aughtry v. Abbeville County Sch. Dist., No. 2835.
    • United States
    • Court of Appeals of South Carolina
    • 13 de agosto de 1998
    ...reasonable minds to reach the conclusion the administrative agency reached in order to justify its action. Miller v. State Roofing Co., 312 S.C. 452, 441 S.E.2d 323 (1994); Stokes v. First Nat'l Bank, 306 S.C. 46, 410 S.E.2d 248 (1991). The general policy is to construe the Workers' Compens......
  • Sharpe v. Case Produce Co., No. 2775
    • United States
    • Court of Appeals of South Carolina
    • 2 de dezembro de 1997
    ...reasonable minds to reach the conclusion the administrative agency reached in order to justify its action. Miller v. State Roofing Co., 312 S.C. 452, 441 S.E.2d 323 (1994); Stokes v. First Nat'l Bank, 306 S.C. 46, 410 S.E.2d 248 (1991). While a finding of fact of the Commission will normall......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

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