Court Opinion

ID: 9365370
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-01-23 21:10:13.426294+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:15:45.158386
License: Public Domain

FILED
                                                                             January 23, 2023
                                                                              EDYTHE NASH GAISER, CLERK
                                                                              SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS
                                                                                  OF WEST VIRGINIA

                              STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA

                           SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS

TROY BUTCHER,
Claimant Below, Petitioner

vs.)   No. 21-0504 (BOR Appeal No. 2055981)
                   (Claim No. 2019022762)

PARKER DRILLING COMPANY,
Employer Below, Respondent

                              MEMORANDUM DECISION
       Petitioner Troy Butcher, by Counsel J. Thomas Greene Jr., appeals the decision of the West
Virginia Workers’ Compensation Board of Review (“Board of Review”). Parker Drilling
Company, by Counsel Kendra Welker, filed a timely response.

        The issue on appeal is compensability. The claims administrator rejected the claim on
September 4, 2019. The Workers’ Compensation Office of Judges (“Office of Judges”) affirmed
the decision in its November 2, 2020, Order. The Order was affirmed by the Board of Review on
May 20, 2021.

        The Court has carefully reviewed the records, written arguments, and appendices contained
in the briefs, and the case is mature for consideration. The facts and legal arguments are adequately
presented, and the decisional process would not be significantly aided by oral argument. This case
satisfies the “limited circumstances” requirement of Rule 21(d) of the Rules of Appellate
Procedure and is appropriate for a memorandum decision rather than an opinion.

       The standard of review applicable to this Court’s consideration of workers’ compensation
appeals has been set out under West Virginia Code § 23-5-15, in relevant part, as follows:

              (c) In reviewing a decision of the Board of Review, the Supreme Court of
       Appeals shall consider the record provided by the board and give deference to the
       board’s findings, reasoning, and conclusions . . . .

               (d) If the decision of the board represents an affirmation of a prior ruling by
       both the commission and the Office of Judges that was entered on the same issue
       in the same claim, the decision of the board may be reversed or modified by the
                                                  1
       Supreme Court of Appeals only if the decision is in clear violation of constitutional
       or statutory provision, is clearly the result of erroneous conclusions of law, or is
       based upon the board’s material misstatement or mischaracterization of particular
       components of the evidentiary record. The court may not conduct a de novo
       reweighing of the evidentiary record . . . .

See Hammons v. W. Va. Off. of Ins. Comm’r, 235 W. Va. 577, 582-83, 775 S.E.2d 458, 463-64
(2015). As we previously recognized in Justice v. West Virginia Office Insurance Commission,
230 W. Va. 80, 83, 736 S.E.2d 80, 83 (2012), we apply a de novo standard of review to questions
of law arising in the context of decisions issued by the Board. See also Davies v. W. Va. Off. of
Ins. Comm’r, 227 W. Va. 330, 334, 708 S.E.2d 524, 528 (2011).

        Mr. Butcher, a shop hand, alleges an injury to his lower back on April 12, 2019, while
pulling on and brushing top drives. Mr. Butcher has a history of lower back issues. On December
17, 2008, he sought treatment at Ruby Memorial Hospital Emergency Department for back pain.
Mr. Butcher reported that he was kneed in the back ten years prior while playing football and was
told that there may be a fracture in his vertebra. Mr. Butcher reported an onset of pain one day
prior with no trauma. Mr. Butcher returned to Ruby Memorial Hospital on June 14, 2012, due to
an acute onset of back pain that occurred while he was playing basketball the day before. The pain
radiated into his right leg. X-rays and a lumbar MRI showed mild degenerative disc disease from
L2 through L5. On July 20, 2012, Mr. Butcher was again seen at Ruby Memorial Hospital. He
stated that he had low back pain that had lasted for nine days. It was noted that it was a recurrent
problem.

       On April 14, 2019, two days after the alleged injury at issue, Mr. Butcher sought treatment
at Fairmont Regional Medical Center. He reported low back pain that started Friday morning at
work while he was pulling on something. Mr. Butcher was diagnosed with lumbar strain. X-rays
were negative. The following day, Mr. Butcher presented to Fairmont Regional Medical Center
Emergency Department where he underwent a lumbar CT scan. The results showed multilevel
degenerative disc disease with bulging at L2-3, L3-4, L4-5, and L5-S1. It was recommended Mr.
Butcher follow up with his primary physician and obtain an MRI.

        An April 18, 2019, treatment note by Justin Morgan, PA-C, indicates Mr. Butcher was seen
for an April 12, 2019, low back injury. Mr. Butcher reported that he was using a high speed brush
to clean a tool when he felt pulling in his lower back. A CT scan showed multiple bulging discs
from L3-S1. PA Morgan diagnosed lumbar spine sprain.

       In an April 23, 2019, email titled “Troy Butcher Incident Notes”, Ron Schumacher,
Operations Manager for the employer, stated that Mr. Butcher reported to Axiom, (the third party
healthcare business that the employer uses) that his back locked up, causing him to fall to his knees.
This happened twice before he reported the incident to David Baron on April 12, 2019. Mr. Butcher
was instructed to go home and to call Axiom if he felt worse and needed to go to the hospital.
When he was asked why he did not contact Axiom before going to Fairmont Regional Medical
Center Emergency Department, Mr. Butcher stated that he was not feeling better and knew he
would be sent home again. Mr. Schumacher stated that when Axiom contacted Mr. Butcher to go
                                                  2
to Wedgewood place, Mr. Butcher refused to sign a waiver to allow Axiom to see his medical
records. On April 14, 2019, Steve Villars, Yard Foreman, visited Mr. Butcher’s house and
observed that he was walking normally and showed no signs of pain.

        Mr. Butcher retuned to PA Morgan on April 25, 2019, and reported low back pain as well
as pain in the upper back and neck. Mr. Butcher stated that he also experienced headaches and
vision changes, as well as right upper thigh and bilateral hip pain. PA Morgan diagnosed lumbar
intervertebral disc disorder and cervicalgia secondary to posture change.

        Gerald Eaton, with the claims administrator, conducted a recorded interview with Mr.
Butcher on May 13, 2019. Mr. Butcher stated that he felt fine on the morning of April 12, 2019.
Around 8:30 or 9:00 a.m., he was cleaning top drives with a brush. The top drives weighed eighty
to 100 pounds and brushing them required pulling on them. Mr. Butcher stated that his back began
to tighten up while he was finishing the cleaning. He then dropped a protector for the top drives.
When he bent over to pick it up, his back locked up and he fell to his knees. He told his coworker,
Tyler, about the injury. Mr. Butcher stated that he reported the injury to the foreman, Dave, after
break. Dave made him clock out, and he has not returned to work since. Mr. Butcher testified that
he saw PA Morgan on request by Axiom. Mr. Butcher stated that he had previous problems with
his lower back about a year prior to the work injury, but he asserted that his current symptoms
were different.

        The July 29, 2019, Employees’ and Physicians’ Report of Injury indicates Mr. Butcher
alleged an injury to his back on April 12, 2019. Mr. Butcher stated that he was brushing top drives
when he felt a pull in his lower back. A minute later, his back started locking up. The physician’s
section was completed at Fairmont Regional Medical Center, and the diagnosis was listed as
occupational low back strain. The claims administrator rejected the claim on September 4, 2019.

        Mr. Butcher testified in a March 2, 2020, deposition that on April 12, 2019, he was brushing
top drives. When he was almost finished, he felt something pull in his lower back. A minute later,
his back pain worsened. He then bent over to pick something up and his back locked up, causing
him to fall to his knees. Mr. Butcher testified that he reported the injury to his foreman, Dave
Barton at break time. Mr. Butcher stated that he had previous back problems, beginning with a
football injury when he was thirteen. Mr. Butcher stated that he occasionally had periods of back
pain that resolved. However, he asserted that his current symptoms were different than those he
previously experienced, and he stated that he had never experienced pain running up his spine.

        Prasadarao Mukkamala, M.D., performed a Record Review on July 20, 2020, in which he
concluded that there was no credible, objective medical evidence of a work-related injury. He
noted that Mr. Butcher had suffered from chronic back pain for many years.

       The Office of Judges affirmed the claims administrator’s rejection of the claim in a
November 2, 2020, Order. It found that Mr. Butcher had significant preexisting back issues,
including multilevel degenerative disc disease. Mr. Butcher admitted that he had problems with
back pain since he was thirteen. The Office of Judges determined that Dr. Mukkamala’s Record
Review was the most persuasive evidence of record. Dr. Mukkamala stated that Mr. Butcher had
                                                3
a history of chronic back pain that started when he was young. He further determined that Mr.
Butcher suffers from degenerative lumbar spondyloarthropathy, which is the cause of his current
symptoms. The Office of Judges concluded that it is more likely than not that Mr. Butcher’s
symptoms are the result of his preexisting condition rather than a work-related injury. The Board
of Review adopted the findings of fact and conclusions of law of the Office of Judges and affirmed
its Order on May 20, 2021.

       After review, we reverse and remand the case for further development of the evidentiary
record and analysis under Moore v. ICG Tygart Valley, LLC, ___ W. Va. ___, 879 S.E.2d 799,
(2022). In Syllabus Point 5 of Moore, this Court stated that

       [a] claimant's disability will be presumed to have resulted from the compensable
       injury if: (1) before the injury, Mr. Butcher’s preexisting disease or condition was
       asymptomatic, and (2) following the injury, the symptoms of the disabling disease
       or condition appeared and continuously manifested themselves afterwards. There
       still must be sufficient medical evidence to show a causal relationship between the
       compensable injury and the disability, or the nature of the accident, combined with
       the other facts of the case, raises a natural inference of causation. This presumption
       is not conclusive; it may be rebutted by the employer.

        The evidence in this case indicates that Mr. Butcher clearly had preexisting low back issues
in the form of degenerative disc disease. It must still be determined, however, if his preexisting
condition was asymptomatic prior to the compensable injury.

       West Virginia Code § 23-5-8a(a) provides that

       [t]he Workers’ Compensation Office of Administrative Law Judges, referred to as
       the Office of Judges, shall terminate on or before October 1, 2022, as provided in
       §23-5-8b of this code. All powers and duties of the Office of Judges to review
       objections, protests, or any other matter authorized by this chapter, shall be
       transferred to the Workers’ Compensation Board of Review on July 1,
       2022: Provided, That any objection or other matter filed pursuant to this chapter
       and pending before the Office of Judges upon its termination, in which a final
       decision has not been issued, shall also be transferred to the Workers’
       Compensation Board of Review as provided in §23-5-8b of this code.

       Therefore, we remand the case to the Board of Review with directions to analyze the case
under the new standard and to further develop the evidentiary record.

                                                                          Reversed and Remanded.

                                                 4
ISSUED: January 23, 2023

CONCURRED IN BY:

Chief Justice Elizabeth D. Walker
Justice John A. Hutchison
Justice William R. Wooton
Justice C. Haley Bunn

DISSENTING:

Justice Tim Armstead

ARMSTEAD, Justice, dissenting:

       I would have set this case for oral argument to thoroughly address the issues raised in this
appeal. Accordingly, I respectfully dissent to the memorandum decision

                                                5