Court Opinion

ID: 9908974
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-12-12 13:06:16.5043+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:49:38.721725
License: Public Domain

FILED
                                                                                                Dec 11, 2023
                                                                                               03:24 PM(CT)
                                                                                            TENNESSEE COURT OF
                                                                                           WORKERS' COMPENSATION
                                                                                                  CLAIMS

             TENNESSEE BUREAU OF WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
            IN THE COURT OF WORKERS’ COMPENSATION CLAIMS
                           AT MURFREESBORO

    MAIKEL REAZKALLAH                                 )   Docket No.: 2022-05-0554
             Employee,                                )
    v.                                                )
                                                      )
    AMAZON.COM SERVICES, LLC,                         )   State File No.: 2854-2022
            Employer,                                 )
    And                                               )
                                                      )
    AMERICAN ZURICH INS. CO.,                         )   Judge Dale Tipps
            Insurance Carrier.                        )

                    COMPENSATION ORDER DENYING BENEFITS

      The Court held a Compensation Hearing on December 7, 2023, on whether Mr.
Reazkallah is entitled to medical and disability benefits. Because Mr. Reazkallah
submitted no admissible medical proof that his injury arose primarily out of his
employment with Amazon, the Court holds that he is not entitled to the requested benefits.

                                           History of Claim

      Mr. Reazkallah claimed he injured his low back while working at Amazon on
December 18, 2021.1 Amazon gave him a panel of physicians, and Mr. Reazkallah selected
Dr. Harold Nevels and saw him on December 30.

       Dr. Nevels’s treatment note from that day describes complaints of pain, tightness,
and numbness in the right thigh. Mr. Reazkallah asked for an MRI and x-ray and requested
to be moved to a different area of work. After examining him, Dr. Nevels wrote, “I cannot
explain the problems this patient is having. Says numb/cold sensation in right thigh one
week after starting work. I can not [sic] call this a work comp injury.” He advised Mr.
Reazkallah to follow up with his primary care doctor for possible electrolyte imbalance
and released him to full duty.
1
 The Petition for Benefit Determination describes a right leg injury, but Mr. Reazkallah now says he injured
his back, which resulted in upper right leg symptoms.
                                                     1
      Based on Dr. Nevels’s evaluation, Amazon denied Mr. Reazkallah’s claim, and he
sought treatment with unauthorized doctors.

       At the hearing, Mr. Reazkallah testified through an interpreter that his injury was so
severe that he requested an ambulance when it happened, but his supervisors refused. He
questioned Dr. Nevels’s opinion on the grounds that the doctor, being paid by Amazon, did
not exercise independent judgment. Mr. Reazkallah also felt that the doctor’s opinion was
unreliable because he ordered no x-ray or MRI.2

       Amazon moved Dr. Nevels’s C-32 Standard Medical Report into evidence. In it,
Dr. Nevels stated that Mr. Reazkallah’s work was not primarily responsible for his injury
or need for treatment.3

      Mr. Reazkallah offered a C-32 from Dr. John Burleson, but on Amazon’s objection,
it was not admitted into evidence because it did not contain the statutorily required
statement of qualifications.

        Mr. Reazkallah testified that he suffered a serious injury and has significant physical
limitations, including an inability to stand more than fifteen minutes at a time. He said he
has missed a great deal of work because of the injury and he believes he is fully disabled.
He requested medical treatment and disability benefits.

       Amazon contended that Mr. Reazkallah is not entitled to benefits because he did not
prove his injury was primarily caused by work.

                                Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law

        Mr. Reazkallah has the burden of proof on all essential elements of his claim. Scott
v. Integrity Staffing Solutions, 2015 TN Wrk. Comp. App. Bd. LEXIS 24, at *6 (Aug. 18,
2015). He must show by a preponderance of the evidence that he is entitled to the requested
benefits. Willis v. All Staff, 2015 TN Wrk. Comp. App. Bd. LEXIS 42, at *18 (Nov. 9,
2015).

2
  Mr. Reazkallah also complained of Amazon’s failure to produce video of the incident and witnesses to
the accident that he attempted to subpoena. Although Mr. Reazkallah caused subpoenas to be issued, he
submitted no proof of proper service. He filed a certified mail receipt, but it only shows that the subpoena
was delivered to the office of Amazon’s attorney. The subpoenas themselves, with completed Return On
Service attestations, were not filed with the clerk. Further, because the actual incident was never denied, it
is unclear how these witnesses’ testimony would be relevant to the medical causation question upon which
this claim turns.
3
  On cross-examination, Amazon questioned Mr. Reazkallah extensively about his history of leg and back
injuries, both before and since the incident in this claim. Because this case turns solely on the medical
proof of causation, the Court will not summarize that testimony here.
                                                      2
       Mr. Reazkallah must prove that his alleged injury arose primarily out of and in the
course and scope of his employment. He must show “to a reasonable degree of medical
certainty that [the incident] contributed more than fifty percent (50%) in causing the . . .
disablement or need for medical treatment, considering all causes.” “Shown to a
reasonable degree of medical certainty” means that, in the opinion of the treating physician,
it is more likely than not considering all causes as opposed to speculation or possibility.
Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-102(12) (2023).

       In this case, Amazon offered the opinion of Dr. Nevels, who said Mr. Reazkallah’s
work was not primarily responsible for his injury or need for treatment. As he is an
authorized panel physician, Dr. Nevels’s causation opinion is presumed correct. Tenn.
Code. Ann. § 50-6-102(12)(E).

       The question then is, did Mr. Reazkallah rebut this presumption? The Court finds
he did not, as he offered no admissible proof to counter Dr. Nevels’s opinion.4

       Therefore, the only medical proof is that Mr. Reazkallah’s injury did not arise out
of and in the course and scope of his employment. The Court cannot find he is entitled to
workers’ compensation benefits.

IT IS, THEREFORE, ORDERED as follows:

    1. Mr. Reazkallah’s claim is denied and dismissed with prejudice.

    2. Amazon shall pay the $150.00 filing fee under Tennessee Compilation Rules and
       Regulations 0800-02-21-.06 within five days of entry of this order.

    3. Amazon shall file an SD-2 within five days of entry of this order.

    4. Unless appealed, this order shall become final thirty days after entry.

        ENTERED December 11, 2023.

                                        _____________________________________
                                        Judge Dale Tipps
                                        Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims

4
 Even if Dr. Burleson’s opinion had been admitted into evidence, his bare responses are mere disagreement,
providing no insight into how he reached his conclusion or why Dr. Nevels’s opinion was incorrect.
Without additional information, Mr. Reazkallah could not have rebutted the presumption.
                                                    3
                                   APPENDIX

Exhibits
   1. C-32 Standard Form Medical Report of Dr. Harold Nevels
   2. C-32 Standard Form Medical Report of John Burleson (identification only)
   3. Medical Records from Dr. John Burleson (identification only)
   4. August 2, 2023 Certificate of Absence from Advanced Injury Care Clinic
      (identification only)
   5. November 22, 2022 Return to Work form Hughston Clinic Orthopaedics
   6. December 22, 2021 Initial Report Form
   7. March 31, 2021 treatment note of Dr. William Mayfield

Technical record:
   8. Petition for Benefit Determination
   9. Dispute Certification Notice
   10. Uncertified subpoenas
   11. Employer’s Pre-Hearing Statement
   12. Employer’s Exhibit List
   13. Employer’s Witness List
   14. Employer’s Pre-Hearing Brief
   15. Employer’s Notice of Filing Form C-32
   16. Request for Expedited Hearing
   17. Expedited Hearing Order
   18. Expedited Hearing Notice of Appeal
   19. Order dismissing appeal
   20. Motion for Contempt
   21. Employee’s responses to Motion for Contempt
   22. Order denying Motion for Contempt

                                         4
                         CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

    I certify that a copy of the Order was sent as indicated on December 11, 2023.

Name                       U.S.        Via      Service sent to:
                           Mail       Email
Maikel Reazkallah           X          X        100 Bungalow Ct.
                                                Smyrna, TN 37167
                                                Maikel.reazkallah@yahoo.com
Stephen Morton,                         X       stephen.morton@mgclaw.com
Employer’s Attorney

                                      ______________________________________
                                      PENNY SHRUM, COURT CLERK
                                      wc.courtclerk@tn.gov

                                         5
                              Compensation Order Right to Appeal:
     If you disagree with this Compensation Order, you may appeal to the Workers’
Compensation Appeals Board. To do so, you must:
   1. Complete the enclosed form entitled “Notice of Appeal” and file it with the Clerk of the
      Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims within thirty calendar days of the date the
      Compensation Order was filed. When filing the Notice of Appeal, you must serve a copy
      upon the opposing party (or attorney, if represented).

   2. You must pay, via check, money order, or credit card, a $75.00 filing fee within ten calendar
      days after filing the Notice of Appeal. Payments can be made in-person at any Bureau office
      or by U.S. mail, hand-delivery, or other delivery service. In the alternative, you may file an
      Affidavit of Indigency (form available on the Bureau’s website or any Bureau office)
      seeking a waiver of the filing fee. You must file the fully-completed Affidavit of Indigency
      within ten calendar days of filing the Notice of Appeal. Failure to timely pay the filing
      fee or file the Affidavit of Indigency will result in dismissal of your appeal.

   3. You are responsible for ensuring a complete record is presented on appeal. The Court Clerk
      will prepare the technical record and exhibits for submission to the Appeals Board, and you
      will receive notice once it has been submitted. If no court reporter was present at the hearing,
      you may request from the Court Clerk the audio recording of the hearing for a $25.00 fee.
      A licensed court reporter must prepare a transcript, and you must file it with the Court Clerk
      within fifteen calendar days of filing the Notice of Appeal. Alternatively, you may file a
      statement of the evidence prepared jointly by both parties within fifteen calendar days of
      filing the Notice of Appeal. The statement of the evidence must convey a complete and
      accurate account of the testimony presented at the hearing. The Workers’ Compensation
      Judge must approve the statement of the evidence before the record is submitted to the
      Appeals Board. If the Appeals Board must review testimony or other proof concerning
      factual matters, the absence of a transcript or statement of the evidence can be a significant
      obstacle to meaningful appellate review.

   4. After the Workers’ Compensation Judge approves the record and the Court Clerk transmits
      it to the Appeals Board, a docketing notice will be sent to the parties. You have fifteen
      calendar days after the date of that notice to file a brief to the Appeals Board. See the Rules
      governing the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board on the Bureau’s website
If neither party timely files an appeal with the Appeals Board, the trial court’s Order will
become final by operation of law thirty calendar days after entry. Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-
239(c)(7).

       For self-represented litigants: Help from an Ombudsman is available at 800-332-2667.
                                              NOTICE OF APPEAL
                                      Tennessee Bureau of Workers’ Compensation
                                        www.tn.gov/workforce/injuries-at-work/
                                        wc.courtclerk@tn.gov | 1-800-332-2667

                                                                                  Docket No.: ________________________

                                                                                  State File No.: ______________________

                                                                                  Date of Injury: _____________________

         ___________________________________________________________________________
         Employee

         v.

         ___________________________________________________________________________
         Employer

Notice is given that ____________________________________________________________________
                         [List name(s) of all appealing party(ies). Use separate sheet if necessary.]

appeals the following order(s) of the Tennessee Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims to the
Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board (check one or more applicable boxes and include the date file-
stamped on the first page of the order(s) being appealed):

□ Expedited Hearing Order filed on _______________ □ Motion Order filed on ___________________
□ Compensation Order filed on__________________ □ Other Order filed on_____________________
issued by Judge _________________________________________________________________________.

Statement of the Issues on Appeal
Provide a short and plain statement of the issues on appeal or basis for relief on appeal:
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

Parties
Appellant(s) (Requesting Party): _________________________________________ ☐Employer ☐Employee
Address: ________________________________________________________ Phone: ___________________
Email: __________________________________________________________
Attorney’s Name: ______________________________________________ BPR#: _______________________
Attorney’s Email: ______________________________________________ Phone: _______________________
Attorney’s Address: _________________________________________________________________________
                           * Attach an additional sheet for each additional Appellant *

LB-1099 rev. 01/20                              Page 1 of 2                                              RDA 11082
Employee Name: _______________________________________ Docket No.: _____________________ Date of Inj.: _______________

Appellee(s) (Opposing Party): ___________________________________________ ☐Employer ☐Employee
Appellee’s Address: ______________________________________________ Phone: ____________________
Email: _________________________________________________________
Attorney’s Name: _____________________________________________ BPR#: ________________________
Attorney’s Email: _____________________________________________ Phone: _______________________
Attorney’s Address: _________________________________________________________________________
                              * Attach an additional sheet for each additional Appellee *

                                             CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I, _____________________________________________________________, certify that I have forwarded a
true and exact copy of this Notice of Appeal by First Class mail, postage prepaid, or in any manner as described
in Tennessee Compilation Rules & Regulations, Chapter 0800-02-21, to all parties and/or their attorneys in this
case on this the __________ day of ___________________________________, 20 ____.

                                                           ______________________________________________
                                                            [Signature of appellant or attorney for appellant]

LB-1099 rev. 01/20                                 Page 2 of 2                                        RDA 11082
                               Tennessee Bureau of Workers’ Compensation
                                      220 French Landing Drive, I-B
                                        Nashville, TN 37243-1002
                                              800-332-2667

                                          AFFIDAVIT OF INDIGENCY

I, ________________________________________, having been duly sworn according to law, make oath that
because of my poverty, I am unable to bear the costs of this appeal and request that the filing fee to appeal be
waived. The following facts support my poverty.

1. Full Name:                                            2. Address:

3. Telephone Number:                                     4. Date of Birth:

5. Names and Ages of All Dependents:

        ______________________________________ Relationship:

        ______________________________________ Relationship:

        ______________________________________ Relationship:

        ______________________________________ Relationship:

6. I am employed by:

        My employer’s address is:

        My employer’s phone number is:

7. My present monthly household income, after federal income and social security taxes are deducted, is:

$ ___________________

8. I receive or expect to receive money from the following sources:

        AFDC            $ ________ per month             beginning
        SSI             $ ________ per month             beginning
        Retirement      $ ________ per month             beginning
        Disability      $ ________ per month             beginning
        Unemployment $ ________ per month                beginning
        Worker’s Comp.$ ________ per month               beginning
        Other           $ ________ per month             beginning

LB-1108 (REV 11/15)                                                                               RDA 11082
9. My expenses are:

        Rent/House Payment $ ________ per month          Medical/Dental $ ___________ per month

        Groceries       $ ________ per month             Telephone       $            per month
        Electricity     $ ________ per month             School Supplies $            per month
        Water           $ ________ per month             Clothing        $            per month
        Gas             $ ________ per month             Child Care      $            per month
        Transportation $ ________ per month              Child Support   $            per month
        Car             $_________ per month
        Other           $ _______ per month (describe:                                      )

10. Assets:

        Automobile              $                        (FMV)
        Checking/Savings Acct. $
        House                   $                        (FMV)
        Other                   $                        Describe:

11. My debts are:

        Amount Owed                     To Whom

I hereby declare under the penalty of perjury that the foregoing answers are true, correct, and complete
and that I am financially unable to pay the costs of this appeal.

                                                                         _

APPELLANT

Sworn and subscribed before me, a notary public, this

_______ day of                                    , 20_______.

NOTARY PUBLIC

My Commission Expires:

LB-1108 (REV 11/15)                                                                             RDA 11082