Court Opinion

ID: 9533004
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 04:27:17.129115+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:28:53.409166
License: Public Domain

Mr. Justice Groves
dissenting:
I respectfully dissent from the majority’s disposition of the respondent’s second contention, i.e., that in effect, the evidence supports the Commission’s finding that “medical evidence” showed that the “back problems” were the result of the “knee problems.” The claimant’s back condition consisted of an aggravation of pre-existing arthritis of the spine. There was no evidence that the accident itself caused the aggravation. Rather, as the majority opinion points out, the affirmance of the Commission’s award is predicated upon a conclusion reached by this court that there was sufficient evidence to demonstrate that the back trouble resulted from the treatment of the knee injury. As stated in the majority opinion, the Commission in effect found that “medical evidence” disclosed the connection between the “knee problems” and the “back problems.” To me, the term “medical evidence” means an opinion expressed by a medical expert. No medical expert expressed any opinion that the back trouble resulted from treatment of the knee. The only testimony bearing upon causation of the claimant’s aggravated back condition was that the claimant began having back pain during the time his knee was being treated.
Assuming arguendo that the majority is correct in its conclusion that “medical” in the findings does not mean *285an opinion by a medical expert, but rather is a generic description, the connection between the knee treatment and the back pain nevertheless is purely speculative. The claimant had the burden of showing that one injury caused the other and this burden was not sustained by testimony solely to the effect that both occurred at the same time. United States Co. v. Industrial Com., 122 Colo. 31, 219 P.2d 315. I find it difficult to visualize how that burden could be sustained except upon testimony of a qualified expert that the aggravation of the arthritis resulted from the treatment of the knee injury.
I am authorized to state that Mr. Justice Day joins in this dissent.