Court Opinion

ID: 9945123
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-02-27 13:59:29.339467+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:25:22.896363
License: Public Domain

FILED
                                                                                 Feb 26, 2024
                                                                                 01:40 PM(CT)
                                                                              TENNESSEE COURT OF
                                                                             WORKERS' COMPENSATION
                                                                                    CLAIMS

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

  Lindsey Crabtree,                              )   Docket No. 2023-06-4372
             Employee,                           )
 v.                                              )
 Kelly Services Global, LLC,                     )   State File No. 57814-2022
              Employer,                          )
 And                                             )
 Indemnity Ins. Co. of N.A.,                     )   Judge Kenneth M. Switzer
              Carrier.                           )

                            EXPEDITED HEARING ORDER

       The Court held an expedited hearing on February 21, 2024, on Lindsey Crabtree’s
request for benefits for sudden knee pain she experienced while working for Kelly Services
Global. Kelly Services denied the claim, arguing that the injury is idiopathic. For the
reasons below, the Court denies benefits at this time.

                                      Claim History

       On June 27, 2022, Ms. Crabtree was working on assignment for Kelly Services at
Electrolux. She worked on an assembly line and performed a series of tasks as stoves went
by. She inserted screws on one side of the appliance, manually turned it, and inserted
screws on the other side. Then she placed stickers and a rack inside the stove.

      Ms. Crabtree testified that on that day, she began to feel pain in her right knee. She
completed her shift, hoping ice and rest would alleviate her symptoms.

      That did not occur. Instead, the very next day, Ms. Crabtree was performing the
same duties and again felt right-knee pain. On a break, she began to walk away from the
assembly line, when she felt a “pop” in her knee and sudden, sharp pain. She kept walking
because she was embarrassed and decided to “push through” the situation.

      Ms. Crabtree returned to the line. She told a supervisor that she had hurt her knee
but would try to work. When Ms. Crabtree turned the first stove that went by, “My knee
                                             1
just went; like, it was excruciating.” She was unable to complete the work on that stove,
so she hit a nearby emergency button to stop the assembly line. Seconds later, the line
turned back on. Ms. Crabtree hit the button again; the line stopped briefly but restarted. A
concerned coworker then stopped the line; the supervisor ignored them and re-engaged the
line.

        With the help of the coworker, Ms. Crabtree worked until the next break. Finding
it extremely difficult to walk, she contacted her former husband and son to help her return
home.

       Ms. Crabtree received authorized treatment the next day. A physician assistant
wrote, “6/28/22-10 A.M. Sharp pain when walking away from line. Felt like knee gave
out.” X-rays showed no acute fractures and “mild osteoarthritis of the knee.” The
physician assistant gave her a knee brace and referred her to an orthopedic specialist.

       A few days later, Kelly Services denied the claim, stating that her injury was
idiopathic because it occurred as “she was walking away and felt the pop in her right knee.”

       Ms. Crabtree testified that, on her own, she later saw a nurse practitioner at an
orthopedic practice. Records from this treatment were not admitted into evidence,
however, because they were not signed by a physician. Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0800-02-
21-.16(2)(b) (2023). She also underwent an MRI and saw a physician at a later visit, but
she did not offer those records into evidence.

         On cross-examination, Ms. Crabtree clarified the circumstances immediately before
the injury. She agreed that, before experiencing the knee pain while walking, she did not
fall, trip, or slip on anything. Nothing was obstructing her path, and no water or other
liquid was present on the floor. An anti-fatigue mat was placed near the assembly line, but
Ms. Crabtree said she did not slip or trip on it. No “hazard” or stairs were in her way.

                       Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law

       Ms. Crabtree must show she is likely to prevail at a hearing on the merits that her
right knee condition arose primarily out of and in the course and scope of her employment.
McCord v. Advantage Human Resourcing, 2015 TN Wrk. Comp. App. Bd. LEXIS 6, at *9
(Mar. 27, 2015); Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-102 (2023).

      Kelly Services did not dispute that Ms. Crabtree felt knee pain at work. Rather, it
contended that her knee pain occurred while walking and was not caused by a workplace
hazard. Therefore, the injury is idiopathic and not compensable.

      The Appeals Board has explained, “An idiopathic injury is one that has an
unexplained origin or cause, and generally does not arise out of the employment unless
some condition of the employment presents a peculiar or additional hazard.” Bullard v.

                                             2
Facilities. Perf. Grp., 2018 TN Wrk. Comp. App. Bd. LEXIS 37, at *7 (Aug. 7, 2018). An
injury that occurs from an idiopathic condition is compensable “if an employment hazard
causes or exacerbates the injury.” Id. at *8 (Emphasis added). Further, “Tennessee courts
have consistently held that an employee may not recover for an injury occurring while
walking unless there is an employment hazard, such as a puddle of water or a step, in
addition to the injured employee’s ambulation.” Id. at *11.

       Here, Ms. Crabtree was a credible witness. She testified candidly, even when it was
unfavorable to her interests. She admitted that while walking and before and after the onset
of her pain, the floor was free of obstructions or spills, and the path was open. In fact, Ms.
Crabtree acknowledged that the knee pain itself might be idiopathic, but she contended that
her supervisor’s actions afterward exacerbated the injury.

       Her argument is intriguing. Certainly Ms. Crabtree’s supervisor’s actions showed
a lack of empathy and respect. However, whether those actions exacerbated her injury is
unknown on this record.

       Ms. Crabtree did not explain the mechanics of how the alarm being repeatedly
overridden exacerbated her knee condition. For example, did she put additional weight on
the hurt knee when the line was suddenly restarting?

       But more importantly, she offered no medical proof to support her theory. Medical
evidence is generally required to establish a causal relationship, “[e]xcept in the most
obvious, simple and routine cases.” Berdnik v. Fairfield Glade Cmty. Club, 2017 TN Wrk.
Comp. App. Bd. LEXIS 32, at *10-11 (May 18, 2017). This case is not obvious, simple,
or routine. Moreover, Ms. Crabtree’s opinion on how she became injured, while sincerely
held, cannot suffice as proof of causation. See Lurz v. Int’l Paper Co., 2018 TN Wrk.
Comp. App. Bd. LEXIS 8, at *17 (Feb. 14, 2018) (parties cannot rely solely on their own
medical interpretations of evidence to successfully support their arguments).

       Under these circumstances, the Court cannot find that Ms. Crabtree’s knee condition
arose primarily out of her employment. She is not likely to prevail at a hearing on the
merits at this time.

                                              3
      IT IS ORDERED AS FOLLOWS:

   1. Ms. Crabtree’s request for workers’ compensation benefits is denied at this time.

   2. A status hearing will take place on April 22, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. Central Time.
      The parties must call 615-532-9552 or 866-943-0025.

                                  ENTERED February 26, 2024.

                                  _____________________________________
                                  JUDGE KENNETH M. SWITZER
                                  Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims

                                      EXHIBITS

Technical record:

   1. Petition for Benefit Determination
   2. Motion to Withdraw
   3. Order Granting Motion to Withdraw
   4. Order Resetting Status Hearing
   5. Dispute Certification Notice
   6. Order Setting Expedited Hearing
   7. Amended Order Setting Expedited Hearing
   8. Hearing Request
   9. Employer’s Pre-Expedited Hearing Brief
   10. Employer’s Witness and Exhibit List

Evidence:

   1. Declaration of Ms. Crabtree
   2. Notice of Denial
   3. Denial letter
   4. Wage statement
   5. C-42
   6. Medical Records: NorthCrest, Springfield-Ascension St. Thomas Urgent Care
   7. Employee Incident Statement

                                           4
                         CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

    I certify that a copy of this Order was sent as indicated on February 26, 2024.

           Name                  Regular       Email   Service sent to:
                                  Mail
Lindsey Crabtree, employee         X            X      11256 Orndorff Mill Rd.
                                                       Adairville, KY 42202
                                                       Lcrab2959@gmail.com
John Barringer, employer’s                      X      jbarringer@manierherod.com
attorney                                               sknack@manierherod.com
                                                       hsantilli@manierherod.com

                                               _____________________________
                                               Penny Shrum, Clerk of Court
                                               Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims
                                               WC.CourtClerk@tn.gov

                                           5
                                              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