Case Name: Brenda WEATHERSPOON, Appellant, v. CROFT METALS, INC., and Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, Appellees
Court: Mississippi Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: Mississippi
Decision Date: 2002-01-22
Citations: 881 So. 2d 204
Docket Number: No. 2000-WC-01411-COA
Parties: Brenda WEATHERSPOON, Appellant, v. CROFT METALS, INC., and Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, Appellees.
Judges: KING, P.J., BRIDGES, LEE, IRVING, and MYERS, JJ., concur. McMILLIN, C.J., dissents with separate written opinion joined by SOUTHWICK, P.J., THOMAS and CHANDLER, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 881
Pages: 204–209

Head Matter:
Brenda WEATHERSPOON, Appellant, v. CROFT METALS, INC., and Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, Appellees.
No. 2000-WC-01411-COA.
Court of Appeals of Mississippi.
Jan. 22, 2002.
Rehearing Denied June 4, 2002.
Lampton 0. Williams, Jr., Poplarville, Attorney for Appellant.
John S. Gonzalez, Jackson, Attorney for Appellees.

Opinion:
BRANTLEY, J,
For the Court.
¶ 1. The case now before us requires this Court to confront, once again, the issue of the proper determination of compensation for a permanent injury to a scheduled member when the contention is that the injury has caused an industrial disability that exceeds the functional disability shown by the medical evidence. The claimant in this case, Brenda Weather-spoon, contends that the Mississippi Workers' Compensation Commission erred as a matter of law when it considered evidence of her employability in fields unrelated to her injury-causing job to determine that she did not suffer an industrial disability that exceeded the medical disability assigned by her treating physician. We reverse and remand this ease to the Commission for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
FACTS
¶ 2. Weatherspoon was employed at Croft Metal on November 3, 1994, when she suffered a repetitive-motion injury to both hands that was diagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome. There is no dispute that her injuries were work-related. Her condition was treated by surgical procedures to both wrists. Her treating physician concluded that, after reaching maximum medical improvement, Weatherspoon had suffered a ten percent permanent medical impairment to both of her upper extremities. In addition to his assessment of permanent functional disability, the physician advised Weatherspoon to avoid activities requiring prolonged periods of repetitive movements with her hands that included vigorous gripping or pushing activities. At the time of her injury, Weatherspoon had been employed in the assembly of screens. Her specific duties involved repetitive insertion of vinyl strips used to hold the screening material in the frames. There is no dispute that Weatherspoon's treating physician's restrictions on her physical activity prevented her from returning to the same duties at Croft Metals.
¶ 3. On this evidence, the administrative judge concluded that the injuries to Weatherspoon's right arm, which was her dominant arm, had permanently ended her ability to perform the substantial acts of her usual employment. The administrative judge concluded that Weatherspoon had suffered a one hundred permanent industrial disability to her right arm, entitling her to two-hundred weeks of compensation. Additionally, concluding that the medical disability to her left arm could not further diminish her ability to perform the duties of her previous employment, the administrative judge awarded Weather-spoon additional compensation of ten percent of the maximum scheduled benefit for the left arm, or twenty weeks. In sum, the administrative judge determined that Weatherspoon's total compensation should extend for two hundred twenty weeks.
¶ 4. The matter was appealed by Croft Metals to the Full Commission. The Commission concluded that the claimant had failed to establish an industrial disability to her upper extremities that exceeded the medical disability assigned by her treating physician and reduced her award to forty weeks, being ten percent of the maximum period for each arm. In so doing, the Commission placed substantial reliance on evidence showing Weatherspoon's lack of diligence in pursuing alternate forms of employment after her recovery.
¶ 5. It is from that ruling that Weather-spoon began the appeal process that ultimately resulted in the case coming before this Court.
ANALYSIS OF THE ISSUE
STANDARD OF REVIEW
¶ 6. A judicial body reviewing an action of the Mississippi Workers' Compensation Commission has certain limitations imposed on the scope of its inquiry. The court must give substantial deference to the factual determinations of the Commission and affirm if there is substantial evidence in the record to support the Commission's findings. General Elec. Co. v. McKinnon, 507 So.2d 368, 366 (Miss.1987). However, a reviewing court is further charged with determining whether there has been an error of law by the Commission, and, as to such an assertion, there is no obligation to afford the Commission's decision any deference. Metal Trims Indus., Inc. v. Stovall, 562 So.2d 1293, 1296-97 (Miss.1990). Rather, our judicial review of errors of law is de novo. The case before us is framed as an issue of law since the contention is that the Commission erred in considering matters that, under prevailing law, had no bearing on the determination of the extent of Weather-spoon's disability.
DISCUSSION
¶ 7. At the outset of any proceeding to determine the proper level of compensation for an injury to a scheduled member, there are two basic avenues of approach. The claimant may assert a claim that, by virtue of the residual effects of her injury, she is incapable of obtaining any form of gainful employment and that, as a result, she is entitled to 450 weeks of compensation under Section 71 — 3—17(a) of the Mississippi Code. Miss. Code Ann. § 71-3-17(a) (Rev.2000); Smith v. Jackson Constr. Co., 607 So.2d 1119, 1128 (Miss.1992). If the claimant does not claim total inability to return to some form of work, a scheduled member injury entitles her to appropriate compensation based on the degree of permanent partial disability suffered to the member. Miss.Code Ann. § 71-3-17(c) (Rev.2000).
¶ 8. One of the principal features of a disability claim under Section 71-3-17(c) is that the award is based solely on the degree of disability to the scheduled member and does not take into account the effect of that disability on the claimant's actual ability to earn wages in her post-injury condition. Smith, 607 So.2d at 1125-26. This stands in contrast to a claim of total disability under Section 71-3-17(a), for which the claimant must prove she is unable to engage in any form of gainful employment. Id. at 1127-28.
¶ 9. Wage-earning ability of the individual is not a consideration in compensation for a scheduled member injury which is not totally incapacitating. Rather, the amount of compensation is derived solely by a determination of the percentage of industrial loss of use of the member. To determine the loss of use, the Commission must look not only at the degree of physical impairment assigned by the physician but also determine the degree of industrial incapacity. Walker Mfg. Co. v. Cantrell, 577 So.2d 1243, 1248 (Miss.1991). The question is whether Weatherspoon can perform the substantial acts required of her in the performance of her job at the time of injury. McGowan v. Orleans Furniture, Inc., 586 So.2d 163, 166 (Miss.1991). Weatherspoon's treating physician testified that she could not return to the work she was asked to do at Croft Metals. The fact that Weatherspoon obtained employment elsewhere, even if only for short periods of time, is commendable. Her ability to perform those other jobs unrelated to Croft Metals does not reduce the extent of the industrial loss of use of her right arm. The prior range of jobs with other employers cannot be classified as part of her usual employment with Croft Metals.
¶ 10. If Weatherspoon is unable to perform those substantial acts of her employment with Croft Metals as a result of the injury to her right arm, then she is entitled to benefits for the total loss of the scheduled member. Id.; Piggly Wiggly v. Houston, 464 So.2d 510 (Miss.1985); Richey v. City of Tupelo, 361 So.2d 995 (Miss. 1978); Bill Williams Feed Serv. v. Mangum, 183 So.2d 917 (Miss.1966); McManus v. Southern United Ice Co., 243 Miss. 576, 138 So.2d 899 (1962). The evidence is uncontradicted that Weather-spoon cannot perform the tasks of her former job with or without any modifications, therefore no further inquiry is required. Thus, Weatherspoon has suffered a one hundred percent industrial loss of her right hand and is entitled to the maximum of two-hundred weeks compensation and twenty weeks compensation for her left hand which is equivalent to the medical impairment rating of ten percent.
¶ 11. This case is reversed and remanded to the Commission with instructions for the Commission to determine the total amount of permanent partial benefits due based upon' two-hundred weeks for the right arm and twenty weeks for the left arm, less any credits previously paid, plus penalties and interest on any due and unpaid compensation benefits.
¶ 12. THE JUDGMENT OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF PIKE COUNTY IS REVERSED AND THIS CAUSE IS REMANDED TO THE MISSISSIPPI WORKERS' COMPENSATION COMMISSION FOR FURTHER PROCEEDINGS CONSISTENT WITH THIS OPINION. THE COSTS OF THIS APPEAL ARE ASSESSED TO THE APPEL-LEES.
KING, P.J., BRIDGES, LEE, IRVING, and MYERS, JJ., concur. McMILLIN, C.J., dissents with separate written opinion joined by SOUTHWICK, P.J., THOMAS and CHANDLER, JJ.