Opinion ID: 1306200
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Cook's Change-in-Condition Claim

Text: Concerning this phase of the case, the Department argues along these lines: The burden was upon Cook to prove that he again became disabled as a natural and unavoidable result of the accident which occurred on January 11, 1977; this burden required him to establish a causal connection between the 1977 accident and his condition on and after his last day of work on September 10, 1979. Continuing with its argument, the Department maintains that Cook failed in his burden. He had recovered from his 1977 injuries when he returned to work in June, 1978, and thereafter he required no treatment for these injuries. He suffered from Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome and was troubled with severe, chronic anxiety neurosis even before the 1977 accident; after he stopped work in 1979, he exhibited the symptoms associated with those ailments. Under these circumstances, the finding is compelled that Cook's 1979 condition was not due to the 1977 accident. We do not agree with the Department. While the Department is able to point out certain excerpts from the record which might tend to support its position, it is our duty to determine whether credible evidence supports the Commission's finding that a change in Cook's condition did occur and, if such evidence exists, to sustain the finding. Code § 65.1-98; Sky Chefs, Inc. v. Rogers, 222 Va. 800, 805, 284 S.E.2d 605, 607 (1981). The record shows that, in a letter dated October 9, 1979, approximately one month after Cook's last day of work, his attending physician, Dr. Gorsuch, referred him to the Duke University Medical Center for help in treating the effects of his 1977 injury. The doctor added that Cook had returned to work [f]or a time, but recently [had] begun having dizziness and headaches again.... Cook's discharge summary from the Duke Medical Center, dated March 5, 1980, stated that [d]uring his stay, Mr. Cook was troubled by pain in his upper left arm and neck.... It may be significant that during his stay he required injections of Demerol at night in order to get relief from this discomfort. In a report dated April 18, 1980, Dr. Gorsuch stated that he had followed Cook for some years for two major problems, the first being the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome ... and the second being pain and stiffness in the neck and shoulder following an injury on January 11, 1977. The doctor stated further that Cook continues to complain of severe dizziness and weakness, numbness and tingling in the extremities.... Dr. Gorsuch said that he was unable to explain these but certainly in his present state, [Cook] is not capable of performing as a police officer. In another report dated May 22, 1980, Dr. Gorsuch stated that at present [Cook] is disabled from a number of problems, which include results of trauma to the neck, severe emotional disorder which I would label as a depressive reaction, [] and the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome [which] is now well controlled. Finally, in a letter dated October 3, 1980, Dr. Gorsuch said [t]here is no doubt that much of [Cook's] discomfort in the neck and much of his dizziness is related to his [neck] injury[,] some of it almost certainly is related to the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome [and] some of it is bonafide depressive reaction. We believe this evidence furnishes ample support for the Commission's change-in-condition finding. Hence, it was not error for the Commission to award Cook compensation for his change-in-condition claim. Finding that the Commission correctly denied Cook's heart disease claim and properly awarded him compensation for a change in condition, we will affirm both decisions. Affirmed.