Opinion ID: 1201378
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Case Number 35036 Ernie Bowers

Text: Ernie Bowers (hereinafter Mr. Bowers), one of the appellants herein, was injured in the course of and as a result of his employment on July 12, 2002. At the time of his injury, Mr. Bowers was employed as a mechanic in a coal mine; he injured his back when he slipped and fell while using a bar to lift a heavy motor. Mr. Bowers underwent back surgery in January 2003, and has undergone pain management therapy, but he has been unable to return to work due to the ongoing pain and decreased mobility resulting from his work-related back injury. By decision dated November 18, 2005, the Workers Compensation Commission granted Mr. Bowers a 34% permanent partial disability award due to his work-related cervical and lumbar injuries; Mr. Bowers ultimately withdrew his subsequent appeal of this award. In April 2004, Mr. Bowers's treating physician, Dr. Richard Trenbath (hereinafter Dr. Trenbath), first observed that Mr. Bowers ha[d] a very depressed affect, and prescribed him medication for depression. On May 26, 2004, Dr. Trenbath requested the Workers' Compensation Claims Administrator (hereinafter Claims Administrator) to authorize a prescription for medication to treat Mr. Bowers's depression that had resulted from his work-related injury; however, it does not appear from the record that the Claims Administrator authorized this medication. Dr. Trenbath continued to observe and recount Mr. Bowers's symptoms of depression in his subsequent treatment notes. Nearly two years after first prescribing medication for Mr. Bowers's depression, Dr. Trenbath, on May 24, 2006, requested that major depression be added as a compensable diagnosis to Mr. Bowers's workers' compensation claim resulting from his July 12, 2002, work-related back injury. The Claims Administrator Office of Medical Management (hereinafter the OMM) denied this request on July 11, 2006, [3] citing W. Va.C.S.R. § 85-20-12.2.a, which requires a psychiatric diagnosis be made within six months of the work-related injury, or a significant complication thereof, upon which such psychiatric diagnosis is based to be held compensable. In turn, the Claims Administrator upheld the OMM's denial of a depression diagnosis by order entered October 3, 2006. Likewise, the Office of Judges (hereinafter the OOJ), by decision dated February 5, 2007, and the Board, by order entered March 26, 2008, upheld these rulings. From these adverse decisions, Mr. Bowers appeals to this Court.