Opinion
54292, 54293.
ARGUED SEPTEMBER 6, 1977.
DECIDED SEPTEMBER 19, 1977.
Workmen's compensation. DeKalb Superior Court. Before Judge Hendon.
Arthur K. Bolton, Attorney General, Robert S. Stubbs, II, Chief Deputy Attorney General, Don A. Langham, Deputy Attorney General, Michael J. Bowers, Senior Assistant Attorney General, W. Hensell Harris, Jr., Assistant Attorney General, James H. Weeks, Special Assistant Attorney General, for State of Georgia et al.
Skidmore, Barrett Tripp, Charles L. Barrett, III, for Purmort.
1. The administrative law judge in this workmen's compensation case found that claimant sustained an accidental injury arising out of and in the course of his employment when he was attacked and struck in the head by one of his subordinate employees as a result of a reprimand that he had given the employee because of the type work that he was doing. The full board made the same findings, the superior court affirmed, and we do likewise.
The findings and award were authorized by the evidence, and the record does not demand a finding that claimant was the aggressor (see Code Ann. § 114-105; Fulton Bag Cotton Mills v. Haynie, 43 Ga. App. 579 ( 159 S.E. 781) (1931)) or that the attack was directed against claimant for nonwork-related personal reasons. See Code Ann. § 114-102; Lanier v. Brown Bros., 44 Ga. App. 831 ( 163 S.E. 263) (1932). Consequently, while a different result could have been reached ( U.S. Fidelity c. Co. v. Giddens, 102 Ga. App. 576 ( 116 S.E.2d 883) (1960)) the award was authorized ( Commercial Const. Co. v. Caldwell, 111 Ga. App. 1 ( 140 S.E.2d 298) (1965) and cits.), the "any evidence" rule being applicable to those questions. Wolfe v. Williams, 92 Ga. App. 1 ( 87 S.E.2d 436) (1955); General Fire c. Co. v. Bellflower, 123 Ga. App. 864 ( 182 S.E.2d 678) (1971).
2. It does not appear that the employer/self-insurer was defending without reasonable ground, and consequently the denial to claimant of costs and attorney fees complained of in the cross appeal was not reversible error. Code Ann. § 114-712.
Judgment affirmed. Deen, P. J., and Birdsong, J., concur.