Opinion ID: 1379394
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Boggess' Claim

Text: On December 23, 1992, Appellant Robert L. Boggess, a former employee of Appellee Union Carbide Corporation, filed an application for occupational pneumoconiosis benefits. On January 7, 1994, the Workers' Compensation Commissioner (Commissioner) granted Boggess a 5% permanent partial disability award based on findings of the OP Board, dated December 9, 1993, in which the OP Board diagnosed occupational pneumoconiosis with no pulmonary functional impairment. In March 1997, Boggess filed a petition to reopen his claim for additional permanent partial disability consideration. Attached to his petition was a report by Dr. Gaziano. The report documented a pulmonary function test which was administered to Boggess on February 22, 1997, and which produced an actual FVC of 3.31 and a FVC percent of predicted of 74%, using the Morris predicted normal values. At the conclusion of the report, Dr. Gaziano opined that Boggess has asbestosis with a mild degree of pulmonary functional impairment. The Workers' Compensation Division (Division) reopened Boggess' claim, and on September 18, 1997, ventilatory function tests were performed for the OP Board. The tests revealed an actual FVC of 3.11 and a FVC percent of predicted of 75%, using the Kory predicted normal values. Based in part on the test results, the OP Board, in a statement of findings dated September 18, 1997, diagnosed occupational pneumoconiosis with 10% pulmonary functional impairment, representing an additional 5% impairment above that previously found in Boggess' claim. In accordance with the OP Board's findings, the Division granted Boggess an additional 5% award in a decision dated November 19, 1997. The Division's November 19, 1997, decision was protested by both Boggess and Union Carbide Corporation. On January 20, 1999, a hearing was held before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) for the purpose of taking the testimony of members of the OP Board. At the hearing, James H. Walker, M.D., chairman of the OP Board, testified that his opinion had changed subsequent to the issuance of the OP Board's September 1997 findings due to a report from the Occupational Lung Center, which was submitted by Union Carbide. The Occupational Lung Center report compared the actual test results documented in Dr. Gaziano's February 22, 1997, report to the Kory predicted normal values and showed, among other things, that Boggess' FVC percent of predicted was 78%. According to Dr. Walker, the percentages contained in the Occupational Lung Center report represent normal ventilatory function. Dr. Walker credited Dr. Gaziano's test results over the OP Board's September 18, 1997, results because higher actual volumes were recorded during Dr. Gaziano's testing. As stated at the hearing, Dr. Walker's opinion was that Boggess had been fully compensated by the original 5% award. OP Board members Jack L. Kinder, Jr., M.D., and Thomas M. Hayes, M.D., agreed with Dr. Walker's testimony. In a decision dated March 2, 1999, an ALJ reversed the Division's November 19, 1997, decision and ordered that Boggess be granted no additional award beyond the original 5% permanent partial disability award. On September 30, 1999, the Appeal Board affirmed the ALJ's decision.