Court Opinion

ID: 9954072
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-03-25 17:43:02.844239+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:11:50.225701
License: Public Domain

FILED
                                                                               Mar 25, 2024
                                                                               11:44 AM(CT)
                                                                             TENNESSEE COURT OF
                                                                            WORKERS' COMPENSATION
                                                                                   CLAIMS

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

 JOSEPH CARPENTER,                          )   Docket No. 2023-02-5697
          Employee,                         )
 v.                                         )
 AMERIACN WATER HEATER                      )
 COMPANY,                                   )   State File No. 14762-2017
          Employer,                         )
 And                                        )
 SENTRY INSURANCE,                          )
          Carrier.                          )   Judge Brian K. Addington
                                            )

        COMPENSATION ORDER GRANTING SUMMARY JUDGMENT

       American Water Heater filed a motion for summary judgment contending no
genuine issues of material fact exist as to whether the statute of limitations bars Joseph
Carpenter’s claim. The Court agrees and grants the motion, dismissing the claim with
prejudice.

                                     Claim History

        American Water Heater filed a statement of undisputed material facts, summarized
as follows:

      1. Mr. Carpenter filed his Petition for Benefit Determination on August 18, 2023.
      2. The date of injury is February 10, 2017.
      3. American Water Heater voluntarily paid workers’ compensation benefits within
         one year of February 10, 2017.
      4. No voluntary payment was made by the employer during the year before August
         18, 2023.
      5. No authorized treatment occurred during the year before August 18, 2023.

                                            1
       American Water Heater supports these facts by citation to the record and with the
declaration of the adjuster, Kathleen Jeremiah.

        Mr. Carpenter responded by affidavit that he disputed the alleged nature of his
injury. He stated that he settled his case in July 2020 by signing paperwork the employer
sent to him in 2019, but he never received payment. He submitted no documentation of the
settlement agreement. He also stated his last appointment with the treating physician was
October 28, 2020, and that he could have gone to the doctor again but did not for personal
reasons.

                                     Law and Analysis

        Summary judgment is appropriate “if the pleadings, deposition, answers to
interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there
is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment
as a matter of law.” Tenn. R. Civ. P. 56.04 (2023).

       As the moving party, American Water Heater must accomplish one of two things to
prevail on its motion: (1) submit affirmative evidence that negates an essential element of
Mr. Carpenter’s claim, or (2) demonstrate that evidence is insufficient to establish an
essential element of Mr. Carpenter’s claim. Tenn. Code Ann. § 20-16-101 (2023); see also
Rye v. Women’s Care Ctr. of Memphis, MPLLC, 488 S.W.3d 235, 264 (Tenn. 2015).

      If American Water Heater does either or both, Mr. Carpenter must respond by
producing specific facts showing a genuine issue for trial. Id.; Tenn. R. Civ. P. 56.06.

        American Water Heater argues the Court should grant summary judgment because
it demonstrated that Mr. Carpenter did not timely file a petition, so his claim is barred.
Tennessee Code Annotated section 50-6-203(b)(2) states that when an employer has paid
workers’ compensation benefits to or on behalf of an employee, “the right to compensation
is forever barred unless . . . a petitioned for benefit determination is filed” within one year
from the later of the date of the last authorized treatment or the time the employer ceased
to make payments of compensation to or on behalf of the employee.

       Here, the undisputed facts show Mr. Carpenter neither received authorized
treatment, nor did American Water Heater make payments for medical care or other
compensation within a year before August 18, 2023, the date he filed his petition.

       Mr. Carpenter’s personal reasons for not seeking medical treatment do not toll or
stop the statute of limitations. Also, his assertion that his case settled does not have bearing
on the statute of limitations, as section 50-6-240(a)(1) states that a workers’ compensation
judge must approve a settlement before it is binding on either party. Mr. Carpenter
submitted no evidence of a court-approved settlement.

                                               2
       Therefore, American Water Heater negated an essential element of the claim: that
Mr. Carpenter timely filed his petition. It also demonstrated that his rebuttal affidavit did
not create issues of material fact. American Water Heater’s motion for summary judgment
is granted.

       It is ORDERED as follows:

       1. Mr. Carpenter’s claim is dismissed with prejudice to its refiling.

       2. The Court taxes the $150.00 filing fee to American Water Heater, to be paid to
          the Court Clerk under Tennessee Compilation Rules and Regulations 0800-02-
          21-06 (2023) within five business days of this order becoming final.

       3. American Water Heater shall file Form SD-2 with the clerk within ten business
          days after this order becomes final.

       4. Unless appealed, this Order shall become final 30 days after entry.

              ENTERED March 25, 2024.

                                            /s/ Brian K. Addington
                                          ______________________________________
                                          BRIAN K. ADDINGTON, JUDGE
                                          Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims

                                             3
                         CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

           I certify that a copy of this Order was sent on March 25, 2024.

        Name               First    Fax       Email           Service sent to:
                           Class
                           Mail
Joseph Carpenter,           X                  X      carp135@outlook.com
Employee                                              135 Roosevelt Ave.
                                                      Elizabethton, TN 37643
LeeAnne Murray,                                X      leeamurray@feeneymurray.com
Taylor Pruitt,                                        trp@feeneymurray.com
Employer’s Attorneys                                  florence@feeneymurray.com

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

                                          4
                                          Right to Appeal:
      If you disagree with the Court’s 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 before the expiration of the deadline.
               If the order being appealed is “expedited” (also called “interlocutory”), or if the
                 order does not dispose of the case in its entirety, the notice of appeal must be filed
                 within seven (7) business days of the date the order was filed.
               If the order being appealed is a “Compensation Order,” or if it resolves all issues
                 in the case, the notice of appeal must be filed within thirty (30) calendar days of
                 the date the Compensation Order was filed.
      When filing the Notice of Appeal, you must serve a copy on 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. 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. If you choose to submit a transcript as part of your
      appeal, which the Appeals Board has emphasized is important for a meaningful review of
      the case, a licensed court reporter must prepare the transcript, and you must file it with the
      Court Clerk. The Court Clerk will prepare the record for submission to the Appeals Board,
      and you will receive notice once it has been submitted. For deadlines related to the filing of
      transcripts, statements of the evidence, and briefs on appeal, see the applicable rules on the
      Bureau’s website at https://www.tn.gov/wcappealsboard. (Click the “Read Rules” button.)

   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.
      If neither party timely files an appeal with the Appeals Board, the Court Order
      becomes enforceable. See Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-239(d)(3) (expedited/interlocutory
      orders) and Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-239(c)(7) (compensation orders).

       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