Court Opinion

ID: 9566812
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 19:43:34.161999+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:42:20.320920
License: Public Domain

On Motion for Rehearing.
Appellants have filed a motion for rehearing accompanied by a lengthy and closely argued brief, the points in which we have carefully considered.
1. It is correct, as appellants urge on their motion, that Dr. Bennett predicated his conclusion that trauma and not bedrest caused claimant’s thrombophlebitis upon his finding that "there was (sic) no obvious varicosities ...” and it is also true that at one point he testified that varicosities could have been present and not have been observed by him because of swelling. However, he later testified that on the three visits claimant made to him, concerning her leg, on March 23, April 13 and April 26, (by the last of which visits a good bit of improvement had occurred) he found no varicosity of the right leg. Further, his finding that she had no "obvious” varicosities may be medically distinct from a finding of no varicosity — at least distinct in degree. Appellants urge in effect that we should ignore the word "obvious”; this we cannot do because it is in the record, and had appellants wanted it explained away they should have directed their cross examination of the doctor to that end.
2. Appellants assert that there is no evidence of any incidence of thrombophlebitis prior to Dr. Bennett’s examination of claimant on March 23, 1971. But claimant’s testimony is evidence, and she stated that her condition had remained the same since the injury, with throbbing and swelling in the leg. Dr. Bennett’s testimony is also evidence, and he makes clear his own theory that his findings were consistent with a possible prior history of thrombophlebitis which periodically became active and then subsided.
3. Appellants argue that there is no specific evidence that the trauma to the right leg caused any damage to the deep veins. That is a point in issue in this case; it is to be established by medical evidence; and, as we have held, Dr. Bennett’s testimony is some evidence. Dr. Bennett concluded that it was probable that the trauma caused the thrombophlebitis, and that the thrombophlebitis involved the deep veins.

Motion for rehearing denied.