Source: http://www.pawcj.com/2003/05/
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 18:44:09+00:00

Document:
DDP Contracting, Inc. & Penn National Ins. v. WCAB (Mora) presents the issue unresolved by The Reinforced Earth Co. v. WCAB (Astudillo), i.e. what is the Employer's burden to suspend or modify benefits awarded to an illegal alien?
In Reinforced Earth, the case was remanded to the WCJ to make a record on the Employer's request that benefits be suspended. The Court held a suspension will not be granted on the sole basis that an illegal alien can't be employed, but this does relieve the Employer from showing job availability. The Court discussed earning power as a basis for change of status, but in a footnote stated it did not endorse the Commonwealth Court's suggestion that an Act 57 analysis be undertaken. One possible outcome could be that a credible medical opinion that the Claimant could return to work would suspend benefits.
However, in the present case this outcome is not easy to arrive at. The WCJ has credited a medical opinion that the Claimant is unable to return to work as a roofer. Another fact is that the Claimant found new work at a reduced wage. Since the Supreme Court's decision in Reinforced Earth post-dated the Commonwealth Court's decision in DDP Contracting the Supreme Court exercised its perogative to see what the Commonwealth Court can make of the facts of DDP Contracting. In the meantime, the Employer's burden to show a change of status remains anywhere between a medical release and job availability.
In Diana G. Brunell v. Wildwood Crest Police Department and Samuel Stango v. Lower Township Police Department (A-126/127-2001) the New Jersey Supreme Court explained that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can be considered an occupational disease, following decisions of courts in Colorado, Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia. Accordingly, the Claimants could file within two years of discovery of their compensable injury.
In S. Brobst v. WCAB (Schuylkill Products, Inc.) the WCJ rejected the Claimant's testimony he could not perform a light duty job on credibility grounds. The Claimant appealed citing Chavis v. W.C.A.B. (Port Authority of Allegheny County) 598 A.2d 97 (1991) for the proposition that the job was not available when he could not perform the job without chronic pain. The Court observed the credible medical testimony established only that the Claimant would have chronic pain with fatigue. The Court distinguished Chavis because in that case the duties of the job aggravated the Claimant's condition. The decision of the WCJ suspending benefits was affirmed.
Central Bucks School District v. WCAB (Belz) re-emphasizes that a Claimant has a presumption of ongoing disability related to the work injury when she is on modified duty and she has a recurrence of loss of earning power. Here the Claimant had non-work related fibromyalgia, but the Court cited Latta holding the Claimant had no medical burden for reinstatement. The burden to show job availability shifted to the Employer, and it did not meet its burden under Kachinski .
OSHA Voluntary Injury-Reducing Guidelines for Grocers Proposed.
Risk and Insurance Magazine on-line has an overview article of the present factors affecting workers' compensation rates.
The Law Journal TV Program in Philadelphia posts its past programs for webcast. Settling the Workers' Comp Claim was presented on March 17. 2003 and You Got Your Workers' Comp Benefits-- Now Get Back to Work! was presented on May 19. The latter program could be on the webcast page in several weeks.
Dr. Charles L. Cole Jr., an orthopaedic surgeon from SUN Orthopaedic Group Inc. in Lewisburg is offering the Unispacer insert to avoid knee replacement surgery in arthritic knees.
A. Zacour v. WCAB (Mark Ann Industries) is a case in which the Claimant received a third-party settlement that exceeded the accrued workers' compensation lien. The issue was at what percentage the Claimant should receive credit for the Claimant's costs of litigation when a medical expense is incurred. The WCJ and the Board used the percentage of total costs of the third-party award that the Employer was responsible for. However, the Commonwealth Court noted that to the extent the Claimant used the balance of the subrogation lien for medical, the Claimant would be shorted. Accordingly, the Court held the Claimant was entitled to receive the same percentage of medical expenses as the percentage of future TTD the Claimant is entitled to receive during the grace period.
In Allied Products and Services v. WCAB (Click) the WCJ rejected the vocational expert's testimony as not credible. On appeal, the Employer alleged errors in the application of Section 306 of the Act. The Court did not reach any of these issues because without credible vocational expert testimony, the Employer cannot sustain its burden.
P. Dowhower v. WCAB (Capco Contracting) is a case regarding when an IRE request is timely, e.g. within 60 days of the expiration of 104 weeks of temporary total disability. The Commonwealth Court held that where an Employer requested designation of an IRE physician before the expiration of 104 weeks, but didn't have the exam and issue the Notice of Change of Workers' Compensation Disability Status until after 104 weeks had expired, the IRE and change of status is valid.
According to the Patriot-News, the Department of Labor and Industry has advised injured workers of Bethlehem Steel who have stopped receiving payments that an insurer will take over payment in thirty days.
J. Hail v. WCAB (City of Philadelphia) outlines a case in which the Claimant was found to have voluntarily retired from the work force and benefits were suspended. The Claimant took a service based pension and moved to a trailer park. The WCJ found the Claimant did not folow through in good faith on job development because he failed to look for jobs on his own, although he did follow-up on all the jobs referred and was not offered employment. It is an unpublished opinion, which is appropriate because these cases are fact specific.
Flexeril 5 mg provides symptomatic relief and reduced recovery time in cases of acute muscloskeletal spasm according to an article in Clinical Therapeutics. The study was reported on in Doctorsguide.com.
A recent study concluded computed tomography-guided interventional procedures offer highly accurate and conservative therapies for patients with back pain. The treatment decreased the need for pain medications by persons in the study and most importantly less than 3% of patients who underwent a CT guided interventional procedure needed surgical treatment for pain management.
In Westinghouse Electric Corp. v. WCAB (Weaver) the Commonwealth Court denied a laundry list of Employer arguments surrounding what penalties are due when the employer is late in reimbursing Highmark Blue Cross and to whom the penalties are paid. The penalties are payable to the Claimant. Penalties are payable: 1) On bills Ordered to be reimbursed by the WCJ, regardless of whether LIBC-9 or HCFA forms were provided; 2) Without regard to Highmark's agreement to waive penalties for a period of time; 3) On amounts found on the Explanation of Benefits forms even though the accident lien report showed different numbers; 4) On the difference when Highmark's reimbursement was less than the Act 44 repriced amount; and 5) On the Claimant's deductible. The Court further rejected the Employer's argument that no penalties are payable because the Claimant received no award on amounts payable to Highmark. The Claimant did receive indemnity and medical benefits for the injury.
Congratulations to WCJ Todd Seelig who will be Chair of the Young Lawyer's Division of the Pennsylvania Bar Association at the Annual Meeting April 23-25 in Philadelphia.

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