Opinion ID: 2010464
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: temporary total disability after first surgery

Text: Lindsay contends that there was insufficient evidence in the form of medical opinion to support the trial judge's finding of TTD. The trial judge awarded Frauendorfer TTD benefits from October 5, 1995, the day of his first surgery for a herniated disk, until January 21, 1996, the day he was released to go back to work in a limited capacity. This court has defined temporary disability as the period during which the employee is submitting to treatment, is convalescing, is suffering from the injury, and is unable to work because of the accident. Bindrum v. Foote & Davies, 235 Neb. 903, 457 N.W.2d 828 (1990). Total disability exists when an injured employee is unable to earn wages in either the same or a similar kind of work he or she was trained or accustomed to perform or in any other kind of work which a person of the employee's mentality and attainments could perform. Miller v. E.M.C. Ins. Cos., 259 Neb. at 440, 610 N.W.2d at 405. Frauendorfer testified that he had surgery on October 5, 1995, and Stricklett's summary of the medical records in her report confirms this date. The report also states that Reckmeyer concluded that in March 1997, Frauendorfer had sustained a 20% permanent partial impairment to his body as a whole due to his on-the-job injury and subsequent surgery. An impairment rating is a medical assessment of what physical abilities have been adversely affected or lost by the injury. See, Phillips v. Industrial Machine, 257 Neb. 256, 597 N.W.2d 377 (1999) (Gerrard, J., concurring); Jorn v. Pigs Unlimited, Inc., 255 Neb. 876, 587 N.W.2d 558 (1998) (citing Florida case with approval that impairment is medical assessment, while disability is legal issue); Heiliger v. Walters & Heiliger Electric, Inc., 236 Neb. 459, 461 N.W.2d 565 (1990) (drawing distinction between employee's disability and physician's evaluation and assessment of employee's loss of bodily function). Here, the parties stipulated to the admission of these reports, and that evidence established that Frauendorfer's physical impairment after his surgery was causally related to his on-the-job injury. Stricklett's report also states that Reckmeyer opined that on January 22, 1996, Frauendorfer had `reached a point of medical stability in the sense that he could return to limited capacity employment.' When we view the evidence in the light most favorable to Frauendorfer and give him the benefit of every reasonable inference, the report shows that Reckmeyer did not release Frauendorfer to return to work from his surgery until January 22, 1996. Thus, the trial judge was not clearly wrong in concluding that he was unable to work from October 5, 1995, to January 21, 1996, and awarding him TTD benefits for this period.