Synopsis of Sigmon v. Dayco Corporation

By Ilene Stacey King

In Sigmon v. Dayco Corporation, 316 S.C.  260, 449 S.E.2d 497 (Ct. App. 1994), Mr. Sigmon knelt to tighten bolts on a machine that Dayco assigned to him to rebuild. When he stood up, his knee locked. He had surgery and brought a claim for workers' compensation benefits. The insurance carrier denied the claim. Mr. Sigmon sought the assistance of Turnipseed & Associates to help him pursue his claim. Ilene Stacey King handled the claim. The hearing commissioner ruled against Mr. Sigmon, finding that he did not have an injury by accident because there was no "causative event." Ms. King appealed Mr. Sigmon's claim to the full commission, but they agreed with the hearing commissioner. Ms. King then appealed Mr. Sigmon's case to the Circuit Court. The Circuit Court reversed the full commission, finding in Mr. Sigmon's favor that he did have an injury by accident. However, that was not the end of it. The carrier appealed further. Ms. King continued to handle the appeal for Mr. Sigmon. Finally, the South Carolina Court of Appeals ruled that the Commission was wrong and the Circuit Court was right. An injury by accident does not require a "causative event." The matter would have to go back to the Commission to determine the facts of the injury. Just before the matter was to come back up at the Commission, the carrier agreed to a settlement. The Sigmon case clarifies and reaffirms that a causative event is not necessary to establish an injury by accident. This is especially important for claimants who get hurt doing repetitive motion jobs or the types of jobs that over time cause injury. Many insurance companies continue to deny these claims, but the Sigmon case is one of a line of cases that can be effectively cited by Claimants' attorneys to obtain justice for injured workers.

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