Court Opinion

ID: 4637943
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2020-11-28 18:40:05.934149+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:39:50.133783
License: Public Domain

FILED
                                                                                  Oct 23, 2020
                                                                                  09:01 AM(CT)
                                                                               TENNESSEE COURT OF
                                                                              WORKERS' COMPENSATION
                                                                                     CLAIMS

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

 RODNECIA A. JACKSON,                              ) Docket No. 2019-08-0846
          Employee,                                )
 v.                                                )
 FEDERAL EXPRESS CORPORATION,                      ) State File No. 9308 2017
          Employer,                                )
 And                                               )
 AGRI GENERAL INS. CO.,                            ) Judge Amber Luttrell
          Carrier.                                 )

          COMPENSATION ORDER GRANTING SUMMARY JUDGMENT

       This case came before the Court on Federal Express’s Motion for Summary
Judgment. The issue is whether Ms. Jackson filed her claim within the statute of limitations.
For the reasons below, the Court holds she did not, and Federal Express is entitled to
summary judgment.
                                 Procedural History

       While working for Federal Express, Ms. Jackson became injured on December 15,
2016, when dust or debris flew into her left eye, causing irritation. She sought emergency
treatment and was diagnosed with a corneal abrasion. Federal Express provided authorized
treatment through early 2018, making the final payment for treatment on June 13, 2018.
Ms. Jackson then sought unauthorized treatment. She filed a Petition for Benefit
Determination (PBD) on August 12, 2019.

       Federal Express filed this Motion for Summary Judgment, and Ms. Jackson filed
responses to the Statement of Undisputed Facts and a response opposing the motion. The
Court heard arguments on October 8, 2020.

                                           Facts

       Federal Express filed five statements of undisputed material facts in compliance

                                             1
with Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure 56.03.1 Ms. Jackson admitted facts one and two.
The parties agreed Ms. Jackson reported an injury to her eye on December 15, 2016, and
she sought emergency treatment resulting in a corneal abrasion diagnosis. Ms. Jackson
disputed facts three through five and provided arguments in response to each.

       Federal Express’s statement three said that Ms. Jackson received authorized medical
treatment from various physicians at Eye Specialty Group and the Southern College of
Optometry. Ms. Jackson responded that she did not receive “all of the needed medical care
related to the on-the-job injury[.]” The Court finds Ms. Jackson’s response did not show a
disputed issue of fact as to whether she received authorized treatment from the listed
providers. Therefore, the Court deems statement three admitted.

        In statement four, Federal Express asserted that the last payment for benefits was
June 13, 2018, for treatment at the Eye Center at Southern College of Optometry in early
2018. Federal Express further stated it paid no temporary disability or medical benefits
after June 13, 2018, and it cited the affidavit of its claims examiner.

       Ms. Jackson disputed the June 13, 2018 payment date. She argued a claims adjuster
stated in a June 27, 2018 letter that she would allow Ms. Jackson to have another
evaluation. However, Ms. Jackson acknowledged the evaluation never occurred because
the doctor had nothing further to offer. Ms. Jackson admitted that, “Employer/Carrier last
payment was June 13, 2018.” Because Ms. Jackson did not show a disputed issue of fact
regarding the last voluntary payment date, the Court deems statement four admitted.

       Finally, Ms. Jackson disputed statement five, which states that she filed her PBD
for her December 15, 2016 work injury on August 12, 2019. However, she did not identify
any fact in the record to dispute the filing date of her PBD. Thus, the Court deems statement
five admitted.

        Based on these facts, Federal Express argued the Court should grant summary
judgment because it affirmatively negated an essential element of Ms. Jackson’s claim ̶ that
she timely filed the PBD ̶ and that the facts are insufficient for Ms. Jackson to prove this
element. In response, Ms. Jackson invoked the discovery rule, arguing that she did not learn
that her eye condition was work-related until 2020. Thus, Ms. Jackson contended her claim
is not barred by the statute of limitations.

                                          Law and Analysis

       Summary judgment is appropriate “if the pleadings, depositions, answers to
interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there

1
 Statement three regarding Ms. Jackson’s authorized treatment did not include a citation. However, the fact
was supported by the affidavit of the claims examiner and Ms. Jackson’s response.
                                                    2
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 (2019).

       As the moving party, Federal Express must do one of two things to prevail: (1)
submit affirmative evidence that negates an essential element of Ms. Jackson’s claim, or
(2) demonstrate that Ms. Jackson’s evidence is insufficient to establish an essential element
of her claim. Tenn. Code Ann. § 20-16-101 (2019); see also Rye v. Women’s Care Ctr. of
Memphis, MPLLC, 477 S.W.3d 235, 264 (Tenn. 2015). If Federal Express meets this
burden, Ms. Jackson must then show that the record contains specific facts upon which the
Court could rule in her favor. Rye, at 265.

        The essential element at issue here is compliance with the statute of limitations.
Tennessee Code Annotated section 50-6-203(b)(2) provides that when benefits are initially
paid, a claim shall be forever barred unless a PBD is filed within one year of the date of
the last authorized treatment or payment for treatment.

        The Court finds Federal Express proved it provided medical care for Ms. Jackson’s
December 15, 2016 injury; the last authorized treatment occurred in early 2018; it paid for
the last visit on June 13, 2018; it did not make any further payments; and, Ms. Jackson filed
her PBD more than one year later on August 12, 2019. These facts are sufficient for Federal
Express to shift the burden to Ms. Jackson to produce specific facts upon which the Court
could rule in her favor.

        In response, Ms. Jackson argued the discovery rule applies. “The discovery rule
provides that the statute of limitations ‘is suspended until by reasonable care and diligence
it is discoverable and apparent that a compensable injury has been sustained.’” Linsey v.
Acadia Healthcare Co. d/b/a Delta Med. Ctr.-Memphis, 2019 TN Wrk. Comp. App. Bd.
LEXIS 17, at *13 (May 13, 2019) (internal citations omitted).

       Ms. Jackson contended the statute of limitations should be suspended because she
did not know her ongoing condition was work-related until 2020, but she did not submit a
supporting affidavit. Instead, she offered letters from two authorized treating physicians,
Dr. Dennis Mathews and Dr. Subba Gollamudi. They concluded her work-related corneal
abrasion had healed, but they could not determine the cause of her other reported symptoms
or relate them to her work injury.2 Ms. Jackson argued that she treated on her own for
ongoing symptoms and saw a provider in 2020, who believed she has possible corneal
neuralgia due to her work injury.

       Her argument is unpersuasive. Regardless of when Ms. Jackson learned of a
possible diagnosis for her ongoing complaints, the undisputed material facts prove Ms.

2
 Federal Express also submitted these letters in support of summary judgment and attached them as Exhibit
11.
                                                   3
Jackson knew she sustained an acute compensable injury to her eye on December 15, 2016.
The parties agreed she timely reported the injury, was diagnosed with a corneal abrasion,
and received authorized treatment through early 2018 with a last payment for treatment on
June 13, 2018. Thus, the Court holds the discovery rule does not apply to toll the statute of
limitations, and her PBD was untimely filed.

       Accordingly, Federal Express is entitled to summary judgment as a matter of law.

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED as follows:

   1. Ms. Jackson’s claim for workers’ compensation benefits is dismissed with prejudice
      to its refiling.

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

   3. The Court taxes the $150.00 filing fee to Federal Express under Tennessee
      Compilation Rules and Regulations 0800-02-21-.07, payable to the Clerk within
      five days of this order becoming final.

   4. Federal Express shall prepare and submit the SD-2 with the Clerk within ten days
      of the date of judgment.

       ENTERED October 23, 2020.

                                          _____________________________________
                                          JUDGE AMBER E. LUTTRELL
                                          Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims

                                             4
                                       Appendix

Exhibits
  1. Employer/Carrier’s Motion for Summary Judgment
  2. Affidavit of Carol Williams
  3. Dr. David McMillan’s record (December 17, 2016)
  4. Order Setting Summary Judgment Hearing
  5. Ms. Jackson’s Motion for Extension of Hearing Date
  6. Employer/Carrier’s Response in Opposition
  7. Order on Ms. Jackson’s Motion for Extension
  8. Ms. Jackson’s Opposition to Employer/Carrier’s Motion for Summary Judgment
  9. Wage Statement
  10. First Report of Injury
  11. Dr. Subba Gollamudi and Dr. Dennis Matthews’s causation opinions

                           CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

      I certify that a copy of this Order was sent as indicated on October 23, 2020.

          Name             Certified   Email Service sent to:
                            Mail
 Rodnecia A. Jackson,         X          X       rodneciajackson@yahoo.com
 Employee                                        3734 Rainford Ave., Memphis, TN 38128
 Stephen Miller,                         X       smiller@mckuhn.com
 Employer’s Attorney                             mdoherty@mckuhn.com

                                                 _________________________________
                                                 Penny Shrum, Court Clerk
                                                 wc.courtclerk@tn.gov

                                             5
                         Compensation Hearing Order Right to Appeal:
     If you disagree with this Compensation Hearing Order, you may appeal to the Workers’
Compensation Appeals Board or the Tennessee Supreme Court. To appeal to the Workers’
Compensation Appeals Board, 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 thirty calendar days of the date the
      compensation hearing 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 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 filing fee. You must file the fullycompleted
      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 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. A licensed court
      reporter must prepare a transcript and file it with the court clerk within fifteen calendar
      days of the filing the Notice of Appeal. Alternatively, you may file a statement of the
      evidence prepared jointly by both parties within fifteen calendar 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 of
      the evidence 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. 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. The appealing party
      has fifteen calendar days after the date of that notice to submit a brief to the Appeals Board.
      See the Practices and Procedures of the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board.
To appeal your case directly to the Tennessee Supreme Court, the Compensation Hearing
Order must be final and you must comply with the Tennessee Rules of Appellate Procedure.
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. See 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 filestamped 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