Target Corp. v. Patrisia Vowels ( 2014 )

FILED
OCT 16,2014
In the Office of the Clerk of Court
WA State Court of Appeals, Division IH
IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
DIVISION THREE
TARGET CORPORATION, )
) No. 31818-4-111
Appellant. )
)
v. )
)
PATRISIA VOWELS AND THE ) UNPUBLISHED OPINION
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND )
INDUSTRIES OF THE STATE OF )
WASHINGTON, )
)
Respondent, )
KORSMO, J. - Target Corporation appeals a Board of Industrial Insurance
Appeals (BlIA) award, contending both that the BlIA and superior court lacked
jurisdiction to hear the claim and that the evidence did not support the award. We affmn.
FACTS
Patrisia Vowels worked for Target for over a decade before developing carpal
tunnel syndrome in both of her wrists. She had worked at various positions with Target
over the years, and used her wrists extensively during that time, but especially while
working as a cashier and when using a hand held scanner while working as a shelf
stocker. Her right wrist developed a severe case of carpal tunnel syndrome and was the
subject of surgery in late 2008.
No. 31818-4-111
Target v. Vowels
Dr. Kevin Sampson, an orthopedic surgeon, was Ms. Vowels ' attending
physician. He diagnosed her with carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists, with the right
worse than the left. The surgery did not go well and the right wrist worsened. Ms.
Vowels then filed an application for benefits with the Department of Labor and Industries
(DLI). Dr. Sampson opined that Ms. Vowels' employment at Target was the major cause
of her condition.
Dr. James Brinkman, a surgeon, examined Ms. Vowels a few months after the
2009 surgery. He concluded that she had bilateral carpal tunnel, but did not believe the
condition was caused by her work, although it may have been aggravated by her
employment.
Another surgeon, Dr. Alfred Blue, examined Ms. Vowels six months after the
surgery. He could not provide a medical explanation for Ms. Vowels' symptoms, but did
not believe that use of the scanner was a repetitive motion that would have caused her
carpal tunnel syndrome.
DLI rejected the application for benefits. Its order simply said that Ms. Vowels
did not have an industrial injury or occupational disease. She then appealed to the BIIA,
contending that she had suffered an industrial injury "to her upper extremity." The
Industrial Appeals Judge (lAJ) heard from Ms. Vowels and several co-workers, and
reviewed the depositions of the three doctors. The IAJ subsequently issued a proposed
decision and order granting Ms. Vowels benefits for bilateral carpal tunnel after
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No. 31818-4-II1
Target v. Vowels
determining that her employment was "at least a proximate cause" of the carpal tunnel
syndrome. Clerk's Papers (CP) at 30.
The IAJ found Dr. Sampson to be the most persuasive medical expert. The IAJ
also noted that the other doctors varied depending upon how much they believed Ms.
Vowels' reports of her scanner use. Testimony from some of the co-workers had
corroborated Ms. Vowels' description of her use of the scanner.
Target petitioned for review, alleging that consideration of the left wrist was
beyond the scope of the IAJ's authority because it had not been put into issue. The BIIA
denied Target's petition for review, making the proposed decision of the IAJ the final
order. Target then appealed to superior court. The superior court found in favor of Ms.
Vowels, largely mirroring the findings and conclusions made by the rAJ. Target
thereafter appealed to this court.
ANALYSIS
Target contends that the BIIA lacked jurisdiction to consider Ms. Vowels' claim as
to her left wrist, and also argues that the evidence is insufficient to support any award.
We first address the jurisdiction argument before turning to the sufficiency of the evidence
contention.
Jurisdiction
Target contends first that Ms. Vowels' appeal for an award for injury "to her
upper extremity" did not convey jurisdiction to hear any claim concerning the left wrist.
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No. 31818-4-111
Target v. Vowels
CP at 34. However, nothing in the record provided to this court shows that the DLI
decision was limited to the right wrist or that Ms. Vowels only appealed that injury.
Whether subject matter jurisdiction exists is a legal question that is reviewed
de novo. Marriage ofBuecking, 179 Wn.2d 438, 443, 316 P.3d 999 (2013), cert. denied,
2014 WL 3055357 (Oct. 6,2014). The BIIA and the superior court have only appellate
jurisdiction in industrial insurance cases, leaving both without authority "to consider
matters not first determined by the department." Lenk v. Dep 't ofLabor & Indus., 3 Wn.
App. 977, 982,478 P.2d 761 (1970). Otherwise, they "would usurp the prerogatives of
the department, the agency vested by statute with original jurisdiction." Id. Thus, ifDLI
does not address a question, "it cannot be reviewed either by the board or the superior
court." Id.As Lenk further explained:
The questions the board may consider and decide are fixed by the order
from which the appeal was taken (see Woodard v. Department ofLabor &
Indus., 188 Wash. 93, 61 P.2d 1003 (1936)) as limited by the issues raised
by the notice of appeal. Brakus v. Department ofLabor & Indus., 48
Wn.2d 218, 292 P.2d 865 (1956).
Id. (footnote omitted).
Target argues that the IAJ, and thus the BIIA and superior court, could not consider
any claims involving Ms. Vowels' left wrist because her application for benefits did not
address that wrist. Target's primary problem with this argument is that the application for
benefits is not part of this record and does not appear to have been part of the record on
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No. 3l8l8-4-III
Target v. Vowels
appeal after DLI turned down the claim. That deficiency, although probably not the fault
of either party, is fatal to Target's argument. I
The DLI ruling does not reference any specific bodily injury, nor does Ms. Vowels '
appeal form state any specific injury she was claiming. Rather, it simply reflected that she
had a claim for injury to her "upper extremity. " Neither of these forms limited the appeal
to Ms . Vowels ' right wrist.
Target argues that Ms. Vowels' notice of appeal simply refers to an injury of the
"upper extremity" in the singular instead of plural injuries to the upper extremities. This
argument proves too much. For one, the notice of appeal does not even identify a wrist
as the injured "upper extremity" and Target's reading would necessarily eliminate any
injury from the appeal since no specific extremity was identified. Alternatively, the word
extremity is certainly broad enough to encompass either wrist. While use of the singular
form suggests that only one body part was at issue, it did not identify one specific part to
the exclusion of any other. Target's remedy was to seek clarification of what injury was
at issue if there was any confusion. However, the parties argued this case at the level of
I The DLI order is generic, simply reflecting its determination that Ms. Vowels
had not satisfied any of the statutory criteria for relief. It does not address the nature of
the claim made. Her notice of appeal did not raise the topic as she simply was acting to
establish eligibility for benefits under the Industrial Insurance Act. Target, by its view of
the record, believed it had no reason to expect that the IAJ would be addressing the issue,
and simply was not in a position to expand the record when the IAJ found bilateral carpal
tunnel syndrome.
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No. 31818-4-IIl
Target v. Vowels
whether the carpal tunnel syndrome was an industrial injury, rather than at the level of
whether each wrist was an industrial injury. Target's reading of the notice of appeal does
not justify finding a jurisdictional limit on what issues could be raised on appeal.
Target also argues that the jurisdictional history form limited the appeal to the
right wrist. With regard to the application for benefits, the form's "ActionlResult"
column states: "DOl 11-17-08 r wrist~ Target Store." CP at 47. Even if this form is one
that can limit the scope of the appeal, a question we do not decide,2 it does not aid Target
here. By its own terms, this document, which is prepared by DLl as a summary of its
actions, "may not include every action taken by the Department." CP at 47 (emphasis in
original). While it identified that there was a right wrist claim, the history does not
indicate that it was only the right wrist that was at issue. Although suggestive, the history
form is not dispositive because it does not contain a full statement of what was contained
in the application for benefits. It is quite possible that Ms. Vowels claimed carpal tunnel
syndrome in both wrists, but the summary addressed only the right wrist that had been the
subject of the surgery and was clearly the more prominent problem for her. 3
2 This history form is not one of the two documents referenced in Lenk that can
limit the issues on appeal.
3 Target does not claim it lacked notice that Ms. Vowels believed both wrists
suffered from carpal tunnel syndrome. All three medical experts addressed both wrists in
their examinations and deposition testimony.
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No. 31818-4-II1
Target v. Vowels
Under these circumstances, the record simply does not allow Target to prevail.
The binding authority is Cowlitz Stud Company v. Clevenger, 157 Wn.2d 569, 573-74,
141 P.3d 1 (2006). There, on appeal both the BIIA and the superior court considered the
application of the last injurious exposure rule, despite an argument by the petitioner that
Lenk prohibited them from doing so because DLI had not considered application of the
rule. Jd. at 573. The Supreme Court agreed that the appellate bodies lacked authority
under Lenk to consider the rule ifDLI had not first considered it. Jd. at 573-74.
However, the Supreme Court refused to entertain the objection because the inadequate
record failed to show that DLI did not consider the rule. Jd. at 574. Similarly, here DLI
issued an order in general terms that did not detail what was and was not considered. On
this record, we are in the same position as the court in Cowlitz Stud.
Target has not established that the BIIA and superior court lacked jurisdiction to
consider Ms. Vowels' claim as to her left wrist.
Sufficiency o/the Evidence
Target also argues that the evidence does not support the determination that Ms.
Vowels had bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. Properly viewed, the evidence did support
that determination.
The superior court hears a BIIA appeal de novo, but based on the evidence presented
to the BIIA and with the findings and decision of the BIIA considered prima facie correct.
RCW 5l.52.l15. "Appeal shall lie from the judgment of the superior court as in other civil
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cases." RCW 5l.52.140. This court will view the record to see whether the "evidence is
sufficient to persuade a fair-minded, rational person of the truth of the declared premise."
Price v. Kitsap Transit, 125 Wn.2d 456, 464,886 P.2d 556 (1994).
Target essentially wants to retry its case in this forum, stressing that its experts were
more believable than Dr. Sampson and Ms. Vowels. However, this court does not weigh
evidence or make credibility determinations anew. Davis v. Dep't ofLabor & Indus.,
94 Wn.2d 119, 124, 615 P.2d 1279 (1980). Thus, we are not in a position to say that the
trial court erred in its review of the record.
It has long been the practice in this state to give the opinion of a treating physician
special consideration, because that doctor is not an expert hired to give an opinion.
Hamilton v. Dep't ofLabor & Indus., III Wn.2d 569, 571, 761 P.2d 618 (1988);
Intalco Aluminum v. Dep 't ofLabor & Indus., 66 Wn. App. 644, 654,833 P.2d 390(1992). The treating physician's opinion is itself sufficient evidence to support a
determination of causation. Intalco, 66 Wn. App. at 654-55.
Here, Dr. Sampson opined that employment at Target was a cause of the carpal
tunnel syndrome. Although his opinion varied from that of the other experts, a primary
reason for the difference appears to be the amount of credibility the other experts gave
Ms. Vowels' description of her workload. Her account of her use of the scanning device
was supported by the testimony of her co-workers. The trial court was free to credit that
supporting testimony, and apparently did so.
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No. 31818-4-111
Target v. Vowels
Lastly, we note that the existence of other, non-work related causes that might
have contributed to the development of carpal tunnel syndrome does not undercut
Dr. Sampson's opinion. A worker's employment need only be one of the proximate
causes of an injury rather than the sole cause. Dennis v. Dep 't ofLabor & Indus.,
109 Wn.2d 467, 471-72,745 P.2d 1295 (1987). Thus, although other factors may have
contributed to the carpal tunnel syndrome, the presence of those factors does not
preclude the finding of an industrial injury.
The record supports the trial court's findings and ruling.
Ms. Vowels also seeks attorney fees on appeal. Because she has successfully
defended the BIIA's order, she is entitled to her attorney fees. RCW 5l.52.130.
The judgment is affirmed. Ms. Vowels is awarded her attorney fees on appeal.
A majority of the panel has determined this opinion will not be printed in the
Washington Appellate Reports, but it will be filed for public record pursuant to
RCW 2.06.040.
WE CONCUR:
Lawrence-Be
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