Opinion ID: 1057692
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Temporary Total Disability & Medical Benefits

Text: As previously noted, both parties agreed that Employee was temporarily totally disabled as a result of her June 2004 work-related injury. The trial court determined that she reached maximum recovery from her work injury on September 7, 2004. A majority of the Appeals Panel, however, concluded that Employee did not reach maximum recovery until November 2, 2005, approximately three months after her back surgery, and that the surgery was causally related to the work injury. On appeal, Employer argues that the evidence does not preponderate against the trial court's findings that Employee's temporary aggravation of her spondylolisthesis had resolved itself as of September 2004 when she was released by Dr. Burrus and that there was no causal relationship between the surgery and the work injury. In order to receive temporary total disability benefits, Employee must prove (1) total disability to work by compensable injury; (2) a causal connection between the injury and the inability to work; and (3) duration of the disability. Simpson v. Satterfield, 564 S.W.2d 953, 955 (Tenn. 1978). Temporary total disability benefits are terminated either by the ability to return to work or the attainment of maximum recovery. Id. Dr. Burrus opined that Employee suffered only a temporary aggravation of her pre-existing spondylolisthesis. He released her to return to limited-duty work without restrictions on September 7, 2004. In a November 12, 2004 letter to Liberty Mutual, Dr. Burrus wrote I have seen no significant anatomic change in terms of her spondylolisthesis from the time prior to her injury and her current situation. I thus feel her work-related injury exacerbated her symptoms, but I do not see that there has been any anatomic change in relation to this. Additionally, when questioned about his diagnosis of a temporary exacerbation of her symptoms, Dr. Burrus explained that Employee's temporary exacerbations of pain prior to the work injury generally settled down. Thus, based on her past complaints and the fact that the symptoms after the work injury were similar to those prior to the work injury, except for increased pain, Dr. Burrus opined that Employee's work injury caused only a temporary exacerbation of her congenital or acquired condition of spondylolisthesis. Given this testimony, it was reasonable for the trial court to conclude that Employee's temporary aggravation of her pre-existing condition had resolved as of the date of Employee's last visit with Dr. Burrus, September 7, 2004. It was during this visit that Dr. Burrus recommended the same treatment options that he provided during the pre-work injury visit on May 7, 2004, and released Employee to return to work without restrictions. Therefore, we agree with the trial court that the temporary aggravation of her pre-existing condition had resolved itself by September 2004, and as such, Employee was only entitled to temporary total disability and medical benefits from June 24, 2004, until September 7, 2004. Since Employee was actually paid benefits through December 2004, she is not entitled to any further temporary disability benefits from Employer or Liberty Mutual. [18] We therefore reverse the Appeals Panel's decision on this issue and reinstate the trial court's judgment. Similarly, we agree with the trial court that the need for the November 2005 surgery was not causally connected to the work injury. Employee had been symptomatic since 2001. Less than two months before her work injury, Dr. Burrus discussed with Employee the need for surgical intervention after Employee had presented with increased back pain and questioned Dr. Burrus about her pain management options. The surgical intervention discussed prior to the work injury was the same surgery that was later performed and is the standard treatment for the condition. Employee's diagnosis prior to the work injury was grade I spondylolisthesis of L5 on S1 secondary to bilateral spondylolysis. The medical studies performed by Dr. Burrus after the work injury revealed the same diagnosis. At no time did any doctor testify that the grade of the spondylolisthesis changed. And, of Employee's two treating physicians, one testified that the work injury caused only a temporary aggravation while the other noted, nearly sixteen months after the injury, that he was unable to determine whether the back injury caused merely a temporary aggravation or an actual anatomical change or other advancement in the severity of the condition. Thus, given the record before us, we find that Employee's surgery was not causally related to her work injury. In light of our holding that the need for Employee's surgery was not caused by the June 2004 work injury, we hold that the claims of Intervenor must be dismissed. Given our holding in this case, all issues regarding the extent of Employee's permanent impairment and her right to attorney fees are pretermitted. The decision of the trial court ordering Employee to pay Employer $1,300.10, representing two-thirds (2/3) of its total discretionary costs, is affirmed.