Court Opinion

ID: 4924202
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2021-09-22 13:29:29.359085+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:14:12.822184
License: Public Domain

FILED
                                                                                 Sep 16, 2021
                                                                                01:16 PM(CT)
                                                                             TENNESSEE COURT OF
                                                                            WORKERS' COMPENSATION
                                                                                   CLAIMS

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

 SVEN HOBBY,                       ) Docket No. 2021-06-0102
            Employee,              )
 v.                                )
 SUMMNER COUNTY                    ) State File No. 800060-2021
 ORNAMENTAL,                       )
            Employer,              )
 and                               ) Judge Joshua Davis Baker
 AUTO OWNERS INSURANCE             )
 COMPANY,                          )
             Carrier.              )
 ___________________________________________________________________

                    EXPEDITED HEARING ORDER
 ____________________________________________________________________

       In an August 25, 2021 expedited hearing, Mr. Hobby requested temporary disability
and medical benefits for a back injury he claimed to have suffered while installing a post
on the Blackmon Estate, a home previously owned by Johnny Cash. Sumner County
Ornamental (SC Ornamental) denied the claim, asserting that Mr. Hobby was not working
at the Blackmon Estate on the date of the alleged injury. It also raised lack of notice and
compensability as defenses. The Court denies Mr. Hobby’s request for benefits.

                                     Claim History

       Mr. Hobby worked as an installer for SC Ornamental, a producer of unique metal
fabrication pieces for homes and businesses. He claimed he injured his back on August
25, 2020, while installing a post for a gate at the Blackmon Estate. According to Mr.
Hobby, he felt immediate pain in his back when he attempted to lift and carry the one-
hundred-pound post. He said Rusty Wallace, the owner of SC Ornamental, was at the
jobsite, and that he told Mr. Wallace he hurt himself that day.

      Mr. Wallace denied he was at the Blackmon Estate that day and that Mr. Hobby told
him he hurt himself at work. Beth Wallace, Mr. Wallace’s wife and office manager for SC

                                            1
Ornamental, echoed Mr. Wallace’s testimony by saying that she and Mr. Wallace were in
McMinnville working on a boat that day.

       In response, Mr. Hobby said he might have been wrong about the date but knew it
was around August 25. He admitted not having the best memory and struggling with
reading and writing. No matter the possible misstatement of the injury date, he maintained
that he injured his back in the manner he described.

      Contrary to this testimony, SC Ornamental presented records showing that Mr.
Hobby did not work at the Blackmon Estate on August 24, 25, or 26, so his injury could
not have occurred as he described it. Ms. Wallace provided records showing that Mr.
Hobby installed a custom stair railing at another home on August 25, and installed
mailboxes on August 24 and 26, so his injury could not have occurred as he described it.

        SC Ornamental further questioned whether Mr. Hobby injured his back at work at
all, claiming he suffered from back problems long before August 25. It confronted Mr.
Hobby with medical records from a walk-in clinic, showing that he received treatment for
back pain for at least a year before his injury. Mr. Hobby admitted going to the clinic,
although he could not remember the dates, but denied receiving treatment for back pain.
However, Mr. Hobby admitted he suffered from chronic pain, including back pain, and
regularly smoked marijuana to combat it.

       Because he would have been required to take a drug test, Mr. Hobby’s marijuana
use could have been pertinent to this claim. Ms. Wallace testified that if Mr. Hobby had
reported a work injury on August 25, she would have called her insurance representative
to report the claim and sent Mr. Hobby for a drug test.

       After the alleged injury, Mr. Hobby continued to work for SC Ornamental until the
first week of October 2020. He called the office that week and said he could no longer do
the job. Mr. and Ms. Wallace both denied that Mr. Hobby said he could not work because
he hurt his back at work. The Wallaces testified they didn’t know about his alleged back
injury until February 2021, when they received a copy of Mr. Hobby’s petition for benefit
determination.

                       Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law

        Mr. Hobby need only present sufficient evidence at this stage that he is likely to
prevail at a final hearing. See Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-239(d)(1) (2020); McCord v.
Advantage Human Resourcing, 2015 TN Wrk. Comp. App. Bd. LEXIS 6, at *9 (Mar. 27,
2015). Because Mr. Hobby failed to prove to this Court’s satisfaction that he injured
himself in the course and scope of his employment on August 25, 2020, the Court holds he
is unlikely to prevail at a final hearing.

                                            2
        Under Workers’ Compensation Law, Mr. Hobby first must prove he suffered an
injury caused by a specific incident or set of incidents arising “primarily out of and in the
course and scope of employment.” Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-102(14)(A)-(B). This means
he must prove that the employment contributed more than fifty percent in causing the
injury, considering all causes, before any further inquiry need be made.

        The Court finds Mr. Hobby’s testimony was not credible concerning the timing and
cause of his injury. Several factors lead to this conclusion: Mr. and Ms. Wallace’s
testimony that he never reported the injury; the business records showing he did not work
at the Blackmon Estate on August 25; the medical records showing that, despite his denials,
he received prior treatment for back pain; and Mr. Hobby’s admitted memory failure to
remember the date of the accident. Further, his actions at trial cast additional doubt on the
veracity of his testimony. Certain characteristics are indicative of credibility and
reliability, such as self-assuredness, calmness, steadiness, confidence, forthcoming
responses, and reasonableness. Kelly v. Kelly, 445 S.W.3d 685, 694-95 (Tenn. 2014). Mr.
Hobby displayed none of these characteristics. Due to the credibility deficiency, Mr.
Hobby is unlikely to prevail at a hearing on the merits in proving he was injured at work.

        This same credibility deficiency that undermined Mr. Hobby’s claim
simultaneously buttressed SC Ornamental’s notice defense. Tennessee Code Annotated
section 50-6-201(a)(1) provides that an injured employee must provide an employer “who
has no actual notice, written notice of the injury . . . within fifteen (15) days after the
occurrence of the accident.” Mr. Hobby gave no written notice, so the second part of the
statute does not apply. Instead, he said he told Mr. Wallace he got hurt at the jobsite on
the alleged date of the accident. Mr. and Ms. Wallace both testified that neither Mr.
Wallace nor Mr. Hobby was at Blackmon Estate on August 25. In light of the credibility
issues plaguing his testimony and the Wallaces’ credible testimony, it follows logically
that SC Ornamental received no actual notice. In fact, the Court finds SC Ornamental
received no notice until Mr. Hobby filed a petition for benefit determination. The Court,
therefore, holds Mr. Hobby is unlikely to prove at a hearing on the merits that SC
Ornamental had actual notice.

       Mr. Hobby’s failure to give timely notice prejudiced SC Ornamental by preventing
a timely investigation. “The reason for the notice requirement is to allow the employer an
opportunity to investigate the alleged injury while evidence is available and to provide
timely medical care to the employee.” Masters v. Indus. Garments Mfg. Co., Inc., 595
S.W.2d 811, 815 (Tenn. 1980). SC Ornamental did not receive notice of the alleged
accident until approximately six months later. This lag in time affected its ability to
properly investigate the claim, including its opportunity to have Mr. Hobby drug tested.

                                             3
IT IS ORDERED as follows:

  1. The Court denies Mr. Hobby’s requested relief at this time.

  2. The Court sets this claim for a status conference on Monday, November 8, 2021,
     at 9:00 a.m. (CST). The parties must call (615) 741-2113 or toll-free at (855) 874-
     0474 to participate. Failure to call might result in a determination of the issues
     without the party’s participation.

ENTERED September 16, 2021.

                                ___________________________________
                                Joshua Davis Baker, Judge
                                Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims

                                          4
                                      APPENDIX

Exhibits:

   1.   Sven Hobby’s affidavit
   2.   First Report of Injury
   3.   Wage Statement (cumulative)
   4.   Customer Communications and Invoices

Technical Record

   1.   Petition for Benefit Determination
   2.   Dispute Certification Notice
   3.   Request for Expedited Hearing
   4.   Signature Page for Request for Expedited Hearing

                                           5
                             CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

    I certify that a copy of this Order was sent as indicated on September 16, 2021.

Name                      Certified   Via     Via Service sent to:
                           Mail       Fax    Email
Sven Hobby,                                   X    hobbyhorse40@yahoo.com
Employee
Michael Haynie,                                X     mhaynie@manierherod.com
Employer’s Attorney

                                ____________________________________________
                                Penny Shrum, Court Clerk
                                Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims
                                Wc.courtclerk@tn.gov

                                         6
                           Expedited Hearing Order Right to Appeal:

     If you disagree with this Expedited Hearing Order, you may appeal to the Workers’
Compensation Appeals Board. To appeal an expedited hearing order, you must:

   1. Complete the enclosed form entitled: “Notice of Appeal,” and file the form with the
      Clerk of the Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims within seven business days of the
      date the expedited hearing order was filed. When filing the Notice of Appeal, you must
      serve a copy upon all parties.

   2. You must pay, via check, money order, or credit card, a $75.00 filing fee within ten
      calendar days after filing of 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 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 the appeal.

   3. You bear the responsibility of ensuring a complete record on appeal. You may request
      from the court clerk the audio recording of the hearing for a $25.00 fee. If a transcript of
      the proceedings is to be filed, a licensed court reporter must prepare the transcript and file
      it with the court clerk within ten business days of the filing the Notice of
      Appeal. Alternatively, you may file a statement of the evidence prepared jointly by both
      parties within ten business days of the filing of the Notice of Appeal. The statement of
      the evidence must convey a complete and accurate account of the hearing. The Workers’
      Compensation Judge must approve the statement before the record is submitted to the
      Appeals Board. If the Appeals Board is called upon to 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. If you wish to file a position statement, you must file it with the court clerk within ten
      business days after the deadline to file a transcript or statement of the evidence. The
      party opposing the appeal may file a response with the court clerk within ten business
      days after you file your position statement. All position statements should include: (1) a
      statement summarizing the facts of the case from the evidence admitted during the
      expedited hearing; (2) a statement summarizing the disposition of the case as a result of
      the expedited hearing; (3) a statement of the issue(s) presented for review; and (4) an
      argument, citing appropriate statutes, case law, or other authority.

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