Man can't claim SIIS for self-inflicted wound

Russell Mauer was working for Bryant Universal Roofers in November 1995 when he hit his head on the corner of a large rooftop air conditioning unit. He lost his temper and slugged the unit with his fist.

The result: a superficial head wound and a broken right hand.

The state's Employer's Insurance Company of Nevada accepted Mauer's claim for the head injury and paid treatment costs.

But the industrial insurance system rejected his claim for the broken hand, saying that was caused by Mauer's "willful intention to injure himself."

In rejecting Mauer's appeal, the Nevada Supreme Court cited several similar cases from around the country - all resulting in rulings that a worker was not entitled to compensation for self-inflicted damage during an outburst of temper.

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