1 A T NA S H V ILLE

C H AR LES J E N KI N S

- Q U EE N, III , ) Doc k et No

. 2019-06-0971 E m p l o y ee, )

v . ) M E D I CA L N E C ESSITIES & SE RV I C ES , LL C, E m pl oyer,

B R I D GE F IEL D CA S UA LT Y I N S URANC E C O MPANY, C a rr i er
. ) ) ) S tate F il e No. 30370-2018

) ) ) ) J ud ge Jo shu a Dav is B a k er

_______________________________________________________________ _____

E XP E D ITE D HE AR I N G O RD E R

_______________________________________________________________ _____
The C ourt convened an exped it ed hear i ng on J u l y 30, 2020, t o de t er mi ne whe t her M r. J enk i n s -Queen is li ke l y t o prove a t a f i na l hear i ng tha t he s uffered a co m pen s ab l e aggrava ti on of a preex isti ng cond iti on tha t wou l d en titl e h im t o t e mporary d is ab ility benef its and s urgery. In M r. J enk i n s

tha t h is c l a im s uffer s fro m t wo si gn i f i can t crack s h is own cred i b ility prob l e ms , and
the fac t tha t ano ther phy si c i an reco mm ended t he s a m e procedure i n 2012 tha t M r. J enk i n s

Queen now a tt e m p ts t o li nk t o work a t M ed i ca l Nece ssiti e s . The C our t ho l d s he is un li ke l y t o prove he s uffered a co mpen s ab l e aggrava ti on and den i e s h is reque st ed re li ef a t th is tim e.

C l a i m His tory

M ed i ca l Nece ssiti e s h i red M r. J enk i n s -Queen t o de li ver and i n st a ll m ed i ca l
equ i p m en t . In 2018, he a ll eged work i n j ur i e s fro m two i nc i den ts: one when he sli pped and fe ll on i ce, and ano t her when a cu st o m er yanked h is ar m t o pu ll h imou t of a veh i c l e. 1

1 A t t he hear i ng, t he C our tcon s o li da t ed docke tno. 2019-06-0765 and st at e f il e no. 3609-2018 i n t o docke t no. 2019-06-0971 and st a t e f il e no. 30370-2018, a s bo t h ca s e s have co mm on que sti on s of l aw. 

### F I LE D A u g 27, 2020 09:52 A M (C T )

TE NN E SSEE C O UR T O F W O R KE R S ' C O MPE N S A T IO N C L A IMS2 M ed i ca l Nece ssiti e s accep t ed bo t h c l a ims and prov i ded trea tm en t w it h Dr. Edward M ackey, an exper i enced s p i ne s urgeon. Af t er rough l y t en m on th s of trea tm en t , Dr. M ackey

reco mm ended an an t er i or cerv i ca l d is cec t o m y and fu si on (A C D F ) for a d is c ex tru si on a t l eve l C 5-6 of h is s p i ne. Dur i ng near l y t en m on th s of t rea tm en t , Dr. M ackey d i d no t know
tha t h is pa ti en t had a 2012 cerv i ca l i n j ury.

In fac t , M r. J enk i n s -Queen had t wo preex isti ng i n j ur i e s . Dr. B r i an C uddy perform ed an A C D F a t C 6-7 i n 2001. Then, i n 2012, he pre s cr i bed ex t en si ve con s erva ti ve trea tm en t for a d is c ex t ru si on t he s a m e d is c ex tru si on Dr. M ackey trea t ed a s a pre s u m ed work i n j ury i n 2018. L i ke Dr. M ackey, Dr. C uddy reco mm ended an A C D F a t C 5-6 for t he d is c ex tru si on. B ecau s e M r. J enk i n s -Queen cou l d no t afford the s urgery, he rece i ved
ep i dura l st ero i d i n j ec ti on s i n st ead, un til he m oved t o ano ther st a t e abou t a year l a t er.

Dr. C hr ist opher Kauff m an, a s p i ne s urgeon, exa mi ned M r. J enk i n s -Queen, rev i ewed h is m ed i ca l record s , and t e sti f i ed abou t the preex isti ng i n j ur i e s . He co mpared t he 2012 and 2018 MR I s and no ti ced
the o st eophy t e or ar thr iti c proce ss

. Therefore, he d i d no t be li eve e ither work i n j ury

nece ssit a t ed the reco mm ended s urgery or cau s ed any th i ng o ther than a cerv i ca l s pra i n or st ra i n. R a ther, he be li eved t he 2001 fu si on cau s ed st re ss on t he ad j acen t l eve l a t C 5-6,

m ak i ng it m ore arthr iti c and crea ti ng the d is c ex tru si on s een i n 2012.

Abou t a m on t h af t er t ha teva l ua ti on, M ed i ca l Nece ssiti e s confron t ed Dr. M ackey i n iti a ll y agreed. On a M arch 24, 2019
que sti onna i re, he m arked t ha the cou l d no t st a t e w ith rea s onab l e m ed i ca l cert a i n ty t ha t t he work i n j ur i e s nece ssit a t ed t he reco mm ended s urgery, nor cou l d he st a t e the cau s e of the C 5-6 cond iti on.

However, j u st four day s l a t er, Dr. M ackey changed t ha t op i n i on. When a s ked dur i ng h is depo siti on abou t t h is change, he exp l a i ned t ha t s peak i ng t o M r. J enk i n s -Queen dur i ng a M arch 28 off i ce v isit had per s uaded h im Kauff m an] m ade it

s ound li ke [ M r. J enk i n s -Queen] wa s per sisti ng i n h is s y mp t o ms . [ M r. J enk i n s -Queen]

m ade it c l ear tha t he wa s a s y m p t o m a ti c for four year s

. M r. J enk i n s -Queen worked a t fu ll du ty before t he

acc i den t and s ough t no trea tm en t dur i ng the i n t erven i ng year s , Dr. M ackey conc l uded t he work i n j ur i e s had perm anen tl y aggrava t ed h is preex isti ng i n j ury.

Th is po i n t wa s s o import an t t o h is op i n i on tha t Dr. M ackey i nv it ed defen s e coun s e l
t o prove t o h im tha t M r. J enk i n s -Queen rece i ved trea tm en t or had s y mp t o ms fro m 2013 t o 2017. C oun s e l re s ponded t ha t he mi gh t no thave s ough t trea tm en t dur i ng t ha tper i od becau s e he cou l d no t afford it , ra ther than becau s e he d i d no t need it

. Simil ar l y, Dr. Kauff m an offered t ha t m ay have need for m ed i ca l trea tm en t

.3 U ltim a t e l y, Dr. M ackey d i d no t i den ti fy any t h i ng t ha t d i ffered be tween t he MR I s and trea tm en t record s fro m 2012 and 2018. On cro ss -exa m , he acknow l edged t ha t M r. J enk i n s -Queen had a d is c pro tru si on a t C 5-6 cau si ng rad i cu l ar s y mp t o ms i n h is upper

ex t re miti e s i n the C 6 d istr i bu ti on i n 2012, and he ha s tha t s a m e prob l e m now.

In add iti on t o the prev i ou s i n j ur i e s , M r. J enk i nof h is cred i b ility. M ed i ca l Nece ssiti e s pre s en t ed ev i dence s ugge sti ng he ha s mis repre s en t ed fac ts for per s ona l or f i nanc i a l ga i n, of t en a t expen s e. M r. J enk i n s -Queen conv i c ti on s for ar s on w it h i n t en t t o defraud, thef t and forgery. He i n t en ti ona ll y s e t f

i re t o h is ho m e for i n s urance m oney ; he he forged cour t docu m en ts t o s h i f t re s pon si b ility for a burden s o m e cred it card deb t t o an ex-g i r l fr i end. M r. J enk i n s -Queen acknow l edged i den tity and u si ng a li a s e s t o evade l aw enforce m en t . He a ls o admitt ed fa lsi fy i ng re s um e s or e mp l oy m en t app li ca ti on s t o concea l
gap s i n h is e mp l oy m en t h ist ory due t o i ncarcera ti on.

M o st recen tl y, R ebecca Hughe s , who da t ed M r. J enk i n s -Queen for two year s af t er h is work i n j ur i e s , c l a im ed v i a depo siti on tha t he m an i pu l a t ed her i n t o fu ll y s uppor ti ng h im

, exp l o it ed her permissi on t o u s e a veh i c l e and cred it card s , and l ef t her bankrup t

. S he s a i d
tha t he drove her car t o Georg i a and li ved there for week s a t a tim e t oward the end of t he i r

re l a ti on s h i p. He t o l d her h is s on needed h im and tha t he wou l d s oon re t urn t o Tenne ss ee

w ith t he car. S he now be li eve s t ha t he j u st wan t ed t o con ti nu i ng u si ng her car and cred it card s

. C oncern i ng her cred it card s , Ms . Hughe s s a i d a hardware st ore ca ll ed her once t o

en s ure tha t a purcha s e m ade on her cred it card i n Georg i a wa s au thor i zed. M r. J enk i n s

Queen s poke t o her fro m the st ore and conv i nced her he needed l u mber. S he l a t er d is covered i n st ead he had purcha s ed g i f t card s . Accord i ng t o Ms . Hughe s , s he cou l d no t f

il e cr imi na l charge s aga i n st h im , becau s e s he had au t hor i zed the purcha s e.

F indin g s of Fact a nd Co n c lusi o ns of L aw

The cen tra l focu s of M r. J enk i n s

of h is preex isti ng cond iti on tha taro s e pr im ar il y fro m h is e mp l oy m en t , t hereby

en titli ng h im t o correc ti ve s urgery and t e mporary d is ab ilit y benef its . To s ucceed, he m u st pre s en t ev i dence s how i ng he wou l d li ke l y preva il a t a f i na l hear i ng i n prov i ng an aggrava ti on of h is preex isti ng cond iti on aro s e pr im ar il y fro m h is work. See Tenn. C ode Ann. § 50-6-239(d)(1) (2019) ; Mc C o r d v. Advan t age Human Re s ou r c i ng , 2015 TN Wrk. C o m p. App. B d. LEXI S 6, a t *9 ( M ar. 27, 2015).

Th is c l a im is de t er mi ned by two i n t ertw i ned e l e m en ts: M r. J enk i n s

and the m ed i ca l proof. The C ourt f

i nd s ne ither i n h is favor.

Turn i ng f i r st t o cred i b ility, M r. J enk i n s -Queen is no t cred i b l e. A lthough he t e sti f i ed
st ead il y, ca lml y and wa s s o m ewha t forthco mi ng abou t h is pa st , the we i gh t of h is mis deed s4 and the i r decep ti ve na t ure ca st doub t on h is tru thfu l ne ss and the verac ity of h is st a t e m en ts t o Dr. M ackey abou t t he cond iti on of h is neck.

Dr. M ackey st a t ed t ha t M r. J enk i n s -Queen s uffered a work-re l a t ed aggrava ti on of h is preex isti ng neck cond iti on tha t requ i red s urgery. A s t he au thor i zed trea ti ng phy si c i an, the l aw pre s u m e s h is cau s a ti on op i n i on is correc t and h is t rea tm en t reco mm enda ti on s are

rea s onab l e and nece ss ary. See Tenn. C ode Ann. § 50-6-102(14)(E). B ecau s e t he li nchp i n tha the wa s M r. J enk i n s

- t he C ourt found M r. J enk i n s -Queen non-cred i b l e, t he

d is agree s w it h h is rea s on i ng. recovery for
an aggrava ti on of a preex isti ng cond iti on itcan be s hown t o a rea s onab l e degree of

m ed i ca l cert a i n t y tha t t he aggrava ti on aro s e pr im ar il y ou t of and i n t he cour s e and s cope

a t

§ 50-6-102(14)(A). A lthough Dr. M ackey u s ed t he word i n h is depo siti on, he fa il ed t o i den ti fy how the work acc i den taggrava t ed,

wor s ened, or changed M r. J enk i n s

- cond iti on. F urther, he a ls o agreed
tha t t he MR I s fro m2012 and 2018 s how the s a m e i n j ury and need for trea tm en t w ithou t any i den ti f i ab l e ana t o mi ca l change.

Dr. Kauff m an, on t he o t her hand, rev i ewed the s a m e ev i dence bu t reached a d i fferen t conc l u si on. L i ke Dr. M ackey, he cou l d no t de t ermi ne how the work i n j ury aggrava t ed M r. J enk i n s -Queen preex isti ng cond iti on. He a ls o agreed tha t the 2012 and 2018 MR I s s howed t he s a m e i n j ury and need for trea tm en t w ithou t ev i dence of ana t o mi ca l change. In the end, Dr. Kauff m an be li eved M r. J enk i n s -Queen s uffered on l y a cerv i ca l

s pra i n or st ra i n, wh i ch requ i red no s urgery.

The s e co m pe ti ng op i n i on s l eave the C our t w it h a cho i ce, and the C ourtchoo s e s Dr. Kauff m an. A t r i a l cour t genera ll y ha s the d is cre ti on t o choo s e wh i ch exper t t o accred it when
t here is a conf li c t of expertop i n i on s

. K e ll e r man v. Food Li on, Inc., 929 S .W.2d 333, 335 (Tenn. 1996).

In co m par i ng the t wo op i n i on s , the on l y rea l d i fference be tween the mco m e s fro m st a t e m en ts abou t h is neck cond iti on before
ge tti ng hurt a t work. A s t he C ourt found h is t e stim ony non-cred i b l e, the C our t d is coun ts th is record, M r. J enk i n s

Queen canno t s how a li ke li hood of s ucce ss a t a f i na l hear i ng.

IT IS O RD E R E D a s fo ll ow s:

1. The C our t den i e s M r. J enk i n s -Queen5 2. The C ourt s e ts t h is c l a imfor a s c h e dulin g h ear in g o n O cto b er 19, 2020, at 9:00 a.m. Ce n tra l Ti me. The par ti e s m u st ca ll (615) 741-2113 or t o ll -free a t (855) 874- 0474 t o parti c i pa t e. F a il ure t o ca ll mi gh t re s u lt i n a de t ermi na ti on of the iss ue s

w it hou t par ti c i pa ti on.

E N TE R E D A u g us t 27, 2020.

___________________________________ Jo shu a Dav is B a k er, J ud ge6 APP E ND I X

Exh i b its

1. Fi r st R epor t of In j ury 2. Wage St a t e m en t 3. C ho i ce of P hy si c i an 4. Depo siti on of Dr. Edward M ackey 5. Depo siti on of Dr. C hr ist opher Kauff m an 6. R u l e 72 Dec l ara ti on of R ebecca Hughe s 7. Depo siti on of Ms

. R ebecca Hughe s 8. V i deo of P hone C a ll be t ween M r. J enk i n s Queen and Ms . Hughe s 9. M ed i ca l R ecord s 10. 11. R e s u m e of M r. J enk i n s Queen 12. E m p l oy m en t App li ca ti on of M r. J enk i n s Queen 13. C o m p l a i n tfro m t he Ci rcu it C our t of Dav i d s on C oun ty

Techn i ca l R ecord

1. P e titi on for B enef it De t er mi na ti on 2. D is pu t e C erti f i ca ti on No ti ce 3. R eque st for Exped it ed Hear i ng7 C E R TI F I CA TE O F SE RV I C E

I certi fy t ha t a copy of t h is Order wa s s en t a s i nd i ca t ed on Augu st 27, 2020.

Na m e C erti f i ed M a il V i a F ax V i a E m a il S erv i ce s en t t o :

Andrea Stil genbauer, E m p l o y ee X andrea@ponce l aw.co m , Andr ew @ p once l aw.co m C a ther i ne Dugan, X C a t e@pe t er s onwh it e.co m K

r isti na. b o y d @ p e t e r s onwh it e.co m

____________________________________________ Pe nn y Sh r u m, Co u rt C l er k Co u rt of Wc.court c l erk@ t n.gov