FOURTH D I VI SI ON
DI L LA RD, P. J.

, RA Y and SELF, JJ.

N O T IC E : M otions for r e c ons i de r a tion m us t be ph y sic a l ly r e ce iv ed i n our c le r k ’s offic e w ithin te n da y s of the da te of de c is ion to be de e m ed tim e ly file d.

http://w w w .ga a ppe a l s .us /r ule s

A pr i l 13, 2017



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 7 A0 41 4

. PREM IER ELEVATOR COM PANY, INC./ SOI et al

. v

. EDW ARDS.

S E LF , J u d g e.

W e gran t ed Prem i er El ev at o r Co m p an y , In c./ SOI an d CCM SI’ s

(“ Em p l o y er/ In s u rer”) ap p l i cat io n fo r d i s cret i o n ary ap p eal fro m

t h e s u peri o r co urt ’ s

o rd er affi rm in g t h e St at e Bo ard o f W o rk ers ’ Co m p en s at io n ’ s (“ t h e Bo ard ”) o rd er

d en y i n g t h ei r m o t i o n t o d i s m i s s em pl o y ee M i ch ael Ed ward s ’ cl ai m fo r m ed i cal

b en efi t s b as ed o n t h e s tat u t e o f l i m i t at i o n.

In t h i s cas e, an Ad m i n i s t rat i v e Law J u dg e ( “ A LJ ”) o f th e Bo ard d en i ed t h e

Em p l o y er/ In s u rer’ s m o ti o n t o d i s m i s s , fi n d i n g t h at Ed ward s ’ “ cl ai m fo r ad d i t i o n al

m ed i cal t reat m en t fo r co m p en s ab l e i n

ju ri es t o h i s l eft m i d d l e fi n g er i s n o t b arred by

t h e st at u t e o f l i m i t at i on [] u n d er OCGA § 3 4 -9 -8 2 (a).” T h e ap p el lat e d i v i s io n o f t h eBo ard ad o p t ed an d affi r m ed t h e ALJ ’ s fi n di n gs an d co ncl u s io n s an d t h e

Em p l o y er/ In s u rer ap peal ed t o t h e s u p eri o r co u r t

. T h e s u p eri o r co u rt affi rm ed t h e

Bo ard ’ s d eci s i o n.

OCGA § 3 4 -9 -1 0 5 (b ) p ro v i d es t h at

[e] i t h er p art y t o [a wo rk ers ’ co m p en s at i o n ] d i s p u t e m ay , wi t h i n 2 0 d ay s

fro m t h e d at e o f an y s u ch fi n al award o r wi t h in 2 0 d ay s fro m th e d at e o f

an y o t h er fi nal o rd er o r ju d g m en t o f t h e m em b ers o f t h e b oard , b u t n o t

t h er e a f t e r , ap p eal fro m t h e d eci s io n i n s u ch fi nal award o r fro m an y

o t h er fi n al d eci s i o n o f t h e b o ard to t h e su p er i o r c o urt o f t h e co un t y i n

wh i ch t h e i n

j u ry o ccu rred o r, i f t h e i n ju ry o ccu rred o u t s i de t h e s t at e, t o

t h e s u p eri or co u rt o f t h e co u n t y i n w hi ch th e ori g i n al heari ng was h el d

, i n t h e m an n er an d u p on t h e g ro u n d s p ro v i d ed i n t h i s Co d e s ect i o n

.

Id

. “ Th i s s t at u t e p lai n l y , cl earl y , an d u n am b i g u o u s l y p res cri bes t h at o n ly a f i n al

award , o rd er, ju d g m en t , o r deci s i o n o f t h e b oard i s s u b ject t o ap p eal t o t h e s u p eri o r

co u rt

. Fu rt h er, t h e W o rk ers ’ Co m p en s at i o n Act m ak es n o p ro v i s i o n fo r an ap p eal to

t h e s u p eri o r co u rt fro m a d eci s i o n b y t h e fu l l b oard o th er t h an o n e wh i c h g r a n t s o r

d en ies co m

p en s at i o n

. Co nwo o d

Co r p

. v. Gu i n n , 1 9 0 Ga. Ap p

. 5 9 5 (3 7 9 SE2 d 6 2 1 )

(1 9 8 9).” (Pu n ct u at i o n om i t t ed ; em ph as i s i n o ri g i n al

. ) F

a s h er Pa i n ti n g & Deco r a t i n g

Co . v. Bo r d

el o n , 2 0 4 Ga. Ap p. 1 9 6 , 1 9 6 (2 ) (4 1 9 SE2 d 8 2) (1 9 9 2 ). Here, t h e Bo ard

d en ied t h e Em

p l o y er/ In s urer’ s m ot i o n t o di s m i s s bas ed o n s t at u te o f l i m i t at i o n

2g ro u nd s

. Al t ho u g h th e Bo ard fo u n d th at Ed ward s h ad a “ co m p en sab l e” i n

ju ry , i t d id

n o t i s s u e a co m

p en s at i on award

. Th us , Ed ward s’ cl ai m fo r ben efi t s rem ai ns p en d i n g

b el o w. Becau s e t h e Bo ard ’ s ru l i n g d i d n o t co n st i t u t e a “ fi n al o rd er o r ju d gm en t ” as

co n tem p l at ed b y OCGA § 3 4 -9 -1 0 5 (b ), t h e s u p eri o r co urt was wi th o u t ju ri s d i ct i o n

t o co ns i d er t h e ap p eal an d sh o u l d h av e d i s m i s s ed i t

. Acco rd i n g l y , t h e ju d g m en t o f t h e

s u p eri o r co u rt i s rev ers ed wi t h d i rect i o n t h at t h e ap p eal b e d i s m i s s ed as p rem at u re.

S e e G A C

, MFG/

Pr o ces si n g v. Bu s b i n , 23 3 Ga. Ap p

. 4 06 (5 04 SE2 d 2 7 0 ) (1 9 9 8 ) ;

Fa s her Pa i n ti n g & Deco r a t i n g Co

. , s u p ra; Co n wo o d Co r p

. , s u p ra.

Ju d g me n t v a c a t e d a n d rema n d ed wi t h d i r ect io n

. Di ll a r d

, P. J. a n d Ra

y, J.,

co n cu r

.

3