Case Name: FLORIDA STRUCTURES, INC. and American States Insurance Company, Appellants, v. Hallie A. MORTON, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1984-01-10
Citations: 443 So. 2d 444
Docket Number: Nos. AQ-441, AS-458
Parties: FLORIDA STRUCTURES, INC. and American States Insurance Company, Appellants, v. Hallie A. MORTON, Appellee.
Judges: NIMMONS, J., concurs.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 443
Pages: 444–448

Head Matter:
FLORIDA STRUCTURES, INC. and American States Insurance Company, Appellants, v. Hallie A. MORTON, Appellee.
Nos. AQ-441, AS-458.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, First District.
Jan. 10, 1984.
Michael M. O’Brien of Akerman, Senter-fitt & Eidson, Orlando, for appellants.
William H. Yanger, Jr., Tampa, for appel-lee.

Opinion:
THOMPSON, Judge.
In these consolidated cases the employer/ carrier (E/C) appeal a compensation order awarding medical benefits and a subsequent order awarding attorney's fees. The E/C argue the award of medical benefits was barred by the statute of limitations, § 440.13(3)(b), Fla.Stat. (1977). We agree and reverse.
The claimant injured his right thumb in a compensable accident on October 24, 1977. Although the E/C had paid compensation and medical benefits, on November 23, 1977, he filed a general "shotgun" claim for:
Past and future medical care and attention; past and future temporary total and/or partial disability compensation benefits, upon employee reaching maximum medical improvement and/or recovery, permanent partial and/or total disability compensation benefits, all of such benefits payable at the correct average weekly wage; interest; penalties; costs, attorney's fees payable to his counsel, transportation expenses and all other benefits to which employee is entitled.
The record does not reflect that any hearing was held on this claim until May 5, 1979, when a hearing was held on the claim for temporary total disability (TTD) to the date of maximum medical improvement (MMI), which claimant contended he had not yet reached. At the hearing the parties stipulated that the date of MMI was November 17, 1978, and that the sole issue presented for adjudication was claimant's entitlement to TTD benefits from August 7, 1978 through November 17, 1978. The deputy awarded TTD benefits from August 7, 1978 through August 13, 1978.
On May 7, 1979 the E/C applied for a hearing to determine if claimant was entitled to any further benefits other than those they were voluntarily providing. A hearing was set for June 28, 1979, and after being rescheduled several times, was finally held on December 17, 1979. The resulting compensation order reflects that the only claims were for psychiatric treatment, payment of outstanding bills of Dr. Sprehe, Dr. Afield, and Janet Langford, and permanent total disability (PTD) benefits or alternatively permanent partial disability (PPD) benefits in excess of those paid by the E/C. In his March 3, 1980 order the deputy found that the claimant had not demonstrated any loss of wage earning capacity in excess of the physical and psychiatric impairments and denied the claim for further permanent disability in excess of the anatomical rating. He denied the claim for payment of the medical bill of Dr. Afield but authorized the payment of the medical bills of Dr. Sprehe and Janet Langford. He also denied the claim for future psychiatric treatment. Jurisdiction was reserved only for the determination of a reasonable attorney's fee and proper taxable costs.
In an August 6, 1982 letter the E/C informed claimant's attorney that it appeared the statute of limitations had run on the claim and that the file was being closed. On August 16, 1982 claimant's attorney requested further medical treatment. On August 24, claimant made application for hearing on his claim for continued medical treatment. The E/C denied the claim for additional medical treatment on August 26, 1982, based on their belief that the statute of limitations had expired. A hearing was held on this claim on December 14, 1982. Based on the following reasons the deputy found that the statute of limitations did not preclude the claim for continued medical treatment:
(a) The claim for medical treatment was extant on the original claim for future medical treatment, and so long as the claim for future medical treatment was not adjudicated, the claim for medical treatment continued, and claimant was entitled to future medical care.
(b) That claimant was entitled to continued palliative care based on claimant's continuing complaints of pain.
This finding is not tenable under the facts of this case. The only claims made at the December 17, 1979 hearing were for future psychiatric medical treatment, payment of outstanding medical bills, and PTD or alternatively PPD benefits in excess of those paid by the E/C. The deputy denied the future medical treatment and did not reserve jurisdiction to determine anything other than a reasonable attorney's fee and costs. A claim for future medical expense could not have been in existence when the August 24, 1982 application for hearing was filed, because the claim had been previously resolved and denied by another deputy. The filing of a "shotgun" claim, shortly after the injury, for every benefit to which the claimant might be entitled as a result of his injury does not and cannot toll the running of the statute of limitations on all benefits enumerated in the claim. The claimant in this case reached MMI on November 17, 1978, which is the date after which recovery or lasting improvement can no longer reasonably be anticipated and the date after which remedial care ceases absent a change in condition. Concurrent findings of maximum medical improvement and the necessity of continuing remedial medical care are erroneous as a matter of law. See Lake County Commissioners v. Walburn, 409 So.2d 153 (Fla. 1st DCA 1982). Accordingly, the award of future medical benefits in this ease is contrary to both the law and the facts and was reversible error.
The last remedial attention was furnished and the last compensation benefits were paid to the claimant on or before March 19, 1980. Pursuant to § 440.-13(3)(b), Fla.Stat. (1977):
All rights for remedial attention under this section shall be barred unless a claim therefor is filed with the division within 2 years after the time of injury, except that if payment of compensation has been made or remedial attention has been furnished by the employer without an award on account of such injury a claim may be filed within 2 years after the date of the last payment of compensation or within 2 years after the date of the last remedial attention furnished by the employer; and all rights for remedial attention under this section pursuant to the terms of an award shall be barred unless a further claim therefor is filed with the division within 2 years after the entry of such award, except that if payment of compensation has been made or remedial attention has been furnished by the employer under the terms of the award a further claim may be filed within 2 years after the date of the last payment of compensation or within 2 years after the date of the last remedial attention furnished by the employer.
No claim for future medical treatment was filed in this case within two years after the date of the last payment of compensation or within two years after the date the last remedial attention was furnished. The deputy therefore erred in finding the claim was not barred by the statute of limitations.
The order awarding medical benefits is reversed. Accordingly, the order awarding attorney's fees is also reversed.
NIMMONS, J., concurs.
ERVIN, C.J., dissents with opinion.