Title: Ex parte Alabama Forest Products Industry Workmen's Compensation Self-Insurers' Fund. PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE COURT OF CIVIL APPEALS (In re: Alabama Forest Products Industry Workmen's Compensation Self-Insurers' Fund v. Amos Harris) (Marengo

State: alabama

Issuer: Alabama Supreme Court

Document:

Rel: 12/12/14
Notice: This opinion is subject to formal revision before publication in the advance
sheets of Southern Reporter.  Readers are requested to notify the Reporter of Decisions,
Alabama Appellate Courts, 300 Dexter Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama 36104-3741 ((334) 229-
0649), of any typographical or other errors, in order that corrections may be made before
the opinion is printed in Southern Reporter.
SUPREME COURT OF ALABAMA
OCTOBER TERM, 2014-2015
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Ex parte Alabama Forest Products Industry Workmen's
Compensation Self-Insurers' Fund
PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI
TO THE COURT OF CIVIL APPEALS
(In re: Alabama Forest Products Industry Workmen's
Compensation Self-Insurers' Fund
v.
Amos Harris)
(Marengo Circuit Court, CV-12-900136;
Court of Civil Appeals, 2121008)
BRYAN, Justice.
WRIT DENIED.  NO OPINION.
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Moore, C.J., and Stuart, Bolin, Parker, Shaw, Main, and
Wise, JJ., concur.
Murdock, J., dissents.
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MURDOCK, Justice (dissenting).
The Court denies certiorari review of the decision of the
Court of Civil Appeals in this case, see Alabama Forest
Products Industry Workmen's Compensation Self-Insurers' Fund
v. Harris, [Ms. 2121008, June 13, 2014] ___ So. 3d ___ (Ala.
Civ. App. 2014), overruling its previous decision in Osorio v.
K & D Erectors, Inc., 882 So. 2d 347 (Ala. Civ. App. 2003),
and holding that Alabama's Workers' Compensation Act makes
compensable 
the 
provision 
by 
nonprofessional 
family 
members 
of
certain assistance to injured employees.  Section 25-5-1(13),
Ala. Code 1975, Alabama Workers' Compensation Act, defines
"providers" as
"[a] 
medical 
clinic, 
pharmacist, 
dentist,
chiropractor, psychologist, podiatrist, physical
therapist, 
pharmaceutical 
supply 
company,
rehabilitation service, or other person or entity
providing treatment, service, or equipment, or
person or entity providing facilities at which the
employee receives treatment."
Urging the application of the principle of ejusdem generis,
petitioner 
Alabama 
Forest 
Products 
Industry 
Workmen's
Compensation Self-Insurers' Fund argues that the reference at
the end of 25-5-1(13) to "other person or entity providing
treatment, service or equipment" should be understood as a
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reference 
to 
other 
medical 
professionals, 
not 
to
nonprofessional family members of the claimant.  The
petitioner also argues that, in Osorio, the Court of Civil
Appeals correctly held that our Workers' Compensation Act
"does not require an employer to provide attendant-care
expenses to the family of a permanently and totally disabled
employee for assisting the employee in his 
daily 
functioning,"
882 So. 2d at 350, and that the Court of Civil Appeals erred
in the present case by overruling Osorio.  Finally, the
petitioner points out that the court in Osorio noted that
Minnesota's Workers' Compensation Act, upon which Alabama's
Workers' Compensation Act generally is modeled, specifically
provides for the payment of nursing services performed by
family members of a permanently and totally 
disabled 
employee,
see Minn. Stat. § 176.35(1)(b) (2000), whereas Alabama's act
contains no such provision.  Because I believe there is a
probability of merit in the petitioner's arguments, I would
grant the petition pending before us.  I therefore
respectfully dissent from the denial of further review in this
case.
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