Case Title: Segar v. Garan, Inc.

Citation: 388 So. 2d 164

Docket Number: 

State: mississippi

Court: Mississippi Supreme Court

Date: 1980-09-24T00:00:00Z

Document:
388 So. 2d 164 (1980) Shirley A. SEGAR v. GARAN, INC. and Insurance Company of North America. No. 52156. Supreme Court of Mississippi. September 24, 1980. Jan R. Butler, Butler & Butler, Eupora, for appellant. Velia Ann Mayer, Watkins & Eager, Jackson, for appellees. Before ROBERTSON, P.J., LEE and BOWLING, JJ. LEE, Justice, for the Court: The administrative law judge entered an order awarding compensation benefits to Shirley A. Segar being temporary total disability from April 9, 1976, to August 16, 1976, and five percent (5%) permanent partial benefits for the lost use of her right hand, which order was affirmed by the full Commission. On appeal to the Circuit Court of Webster County by Garan, Inc. [Garan] and Insurance Company of North America, the circuit judge reversed the order of the Commission and denied compensation. Mrs. Segar has appealed. The evidence for the claimant consists of her testimony, the deposition of Dr. Glen Warren, a neurosurgeon who performed surgery on claimant's right hand, and letters from Dr. Charles Ozborn, a physician, who first saw and diagnosed her injury. Appellant testified that she worked for Garan approximately three (3) years as an inseam machine operator and that she stuck her thumb into the seamer, felt a sharp pain, and that day notified her supervisor of the accident. Her hand, wrists and arm began to weaken in the period of time following the episode and she was operated on May 18, 1976. She has not worked since the operation, although she was released for work on August 15, 1976. The real question in this case is whether or not there is substantial evidence to show a causal connection between claimant's injury and her employment. Dr. Glen Warren, in his deposition, established the fact that claimant incurred a disability and that her permanent partial disability is five percent (5%) of the hand. However, questions were not asked Dr. Warren as to whether or not he could relate that injury to claimant's work. Dr. Ozborn, who made the original diagnosis, wrote a letter to claimant's attorney on November 12, 1977, which letter was introduced in evidence. Pertinent parts of the letter follow: Also introduced in evidence were notes on the prescription forms of Dr. Ozborn. On April 2, 1976, he wrote the following: Appellant did require surgery. The appellee argues that courts deal with medical probabilities rather than medical possibilities and that the medical evidence, together with lay testimony, are not sufficient to establish causal connection between appellant's injury and her employment. In Dixie Contractors, Inc. v. Ashmore, 349 So. 2d 532 (Miss. 1977), in discussing the principle, the Court said: *166 Dr. Warren testified that the condition in appellant's right hand could not be caused by one incident, such as she described. However, it is undisputed that she became aware of the condition in her hand while working for the employer and while on the job, and that she required surgery to correct that condition. We think that, considering all the testimony, medical and lay, there was substantial evidence to support the findings and order of the Commission. Therefore, the judgment of the lower court is reversed and the order of the Workmen's Compensation Commission is reinstated. REVERSED AND ORDER OF WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION COMMISSION REINSTATED. SMITH and ROBERTSON, P. JJ., and WALKER, BLOOM, BOWLING and COFER, JJ., concur. PATTERSON, C.J., and SUGG, J., take no part.