COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA 

Present: Judges Coleman, Willis and Bray 

Argued at Norfolk, Virginia 

EULA MELINDA WOODSON 

v. Record No. 2044-94-1 MEMORANDUM OPINION* BY 

 JUDGE JERE M. H. WILLIS, JR. 

SMITHFIELD PACKING COMPANY, INC. JULY 5, 1995 

and 

LUMBERMENS MUTUAL CASUALTY COMPANY 

 FROM THE VIRGINIA WORKERS' COMPENSATION COMMISSION 

 Annette Miller (Parker, Pollard & Brown, 

P.C., on brief), for appellant. 

 William W. Nexsen (Timothy P. Murphy; 

Stackhouse, Smith & Nexsen, on brief), for 

appellees. 

 Eula Melinda Woodson appeals the Virginia Workers' 

Compensation Commission's finding that she failed to prove that 

she suffered from an occupational disease pursuant to Code 

§ 65.2-400. Woodson contends that no credible evidence supports 

the commission's finding. We disagree and affirm the 

commission's decision. 

 Woodson was employed by Smithfield Packing Company 

(Smithfield) as a sausage casing puller. This required her to 

pull between six hundred and six hundred fifty sausage casings 

each day. On September 2, 1992, she experienced a sharp pain in 

her right hand while pulling casings. She reported the pain to 

her supervisor, who sent her to the plant clinic. Her symptoms 

 

 *Pursuant to Code § 17-116.010 this opinion is not 

designated for publication. 
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worsened and the next day she returned to the plant nurse, who 

diagnosed her as having a tendinitis injury and recommended light 

duty work. Woodson's symptoms continued and on September 23, 

1992, she was examined by Dr. Lundie, the plant doctor. He 

diagnosed her as having an overuse syndrome related to work. She 

continued working until November 18, 1992 when she went on 

maternity leave. When Dr. Lundie examined her again on March 19, 

1993, he concluded that because her symptoms had not abated while 

she was on maternity leave, they were not work-related. He 

released her from his care. 

 Woodson then began seeing Dr. Howell, who treated her for 

"right wrist synovitis." It is unclear from Dr. Howell's reports 

whether he believed her condition was work-related. In his 

letter of February 28, 1994 to the insurance carrier, he stated, 

"I would appreciate knowing if this is a work related injury 

. . . ." However, in his March 18, 1994 letter to Woodson's 

attorney, he states, "it would be my opinion that the carpal 

tunnel syndrome which this patient apparently has is related to 

her type of work which she performs." 

 The deputy commissioner found Dr. Howell's opinion 

inconsistent and did not rely on it. The deputy commissioner 

found that Woodson had failed to prove that she suffered from a 

compensable occupational disease. The full commission affirmed, 

stating further that Woodson had failed to prove that her 

condition was a disease as required by Merillat Industries v. 
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Parks, 246 Va. 249, 436 S.E.2d 600 (1993). 

 To be compensable as an occupational disease, a condition 

must be "a disease arising out of and in the course of employment 

. . . ." Code § 65.2-400. The medical records and evidence 

support the commission's finding that Woodson failed to prove 

that her employment was a proximate cause of her synovitis. Dr. 

Lundie reported that her synovitis was not work-related because 

her symptoms did not abate while she was on maternity leave. 

 The decision of the commission is affirmed. 

 Affirmed.