Court Opinion

ID: 9840013
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-14 21:11:48.194316+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:42:55.682742
License: Public Domain

FILED
                                                                          September 14, 2023
                                                                             EDYTHE NASH GAISER, CLERK
                                                                             SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS
                                                                                 OF WEST VIRGINIA

                             STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA
                           SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS

Joe Panuccio,
Claimant Below, Petitioner

vs.)   No. 21-0929     (BOR Appeal No. 2056770)
                       (Claim No. 2018016130)

Boy Scouts of America,
Employer Below, Respondent

                              MEMORANDUM DECISION

        Petitioner Joe Panuccio appeals the decision of the West Virginia Workers’ Compensation
Board of Review (“Board of Review”). Boy Scouts of America filed a timely response. 1 The issue
on appeal is permanent partial disability. The claims administrator granted a 0% permanent partial
disability award on April 13, 2020. The Workers’ Compensation Office of Judges (“Office of
Judges”) affirmed the decision in its May 10, 2021, Order. The Order was affirmed by the Board
of Review on October 21, 2021. Upon our review, we determine that oral argument is unnecessary
and that a memorandum decision affirming the Board of Review’s decision is appropriate. See W.
Va. R. App. P. 21.

        Mr. Panuccio, a logistics team leader, was injured when he was traveling for work, hit some
black ice, and struck a tree. The claim was held compensable for fractures of the upper end of the
right humerus, upper end of the left distal radius, the left ulna shaft, and the left wrist navicular
bone. Mr. Panuccio underwent two independent medical evaluations to determine his permanent
impairment resulting from the compensable injury.

       On March 13, 2020, Robert Grob, D.O., performed an independent medical evaluation in
which he found that Mr. Panuccio’s left scaphoid fracture was a preexisting, chronic injury. The
remainder of Mr. Panuccio’s fractures were the result of the compensable injury. Dr. Grob found
that Mr. Panuccio had reached maximum medical improvement and found no indication of
impairment in the right shoulder when compared to the left. For the left wrist, Dr. Grob noted that
Mr. Panuccio had preexisting carpal tunnel syndrome and a previous scaphoid injury. On exam,
Mr. Panuccio had full range of motion and strength when compared to the left wrist. Dr. Grob
therefore opined that Mr. Panuccio had no permanent impairment as a result of the compensable

       1
        Petitioner, Joe W. Panuccio, is represented by Reginald D. Henry, and respondent, Boy
Scouts of America, is represented by Tracey B. Eberling.
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injury. On April 13, 2020, Mr. Panuccio was granted a 0% permanent partial disability award
based on Dr. Grob’s report.

        On July 13, 2020, Bruce Guberman, M.D., performed an independent medical evaluation
in which he diagnosed status post-surgery comminuted closed proximal right humerus fracture and
status-post left distal radius fracture with fracture of the scaphoid and displaced ulnar styloid
fracture. Dr. Guberman found that Mr. Panuccio had reached maximum medical improvement for
the compensable injuries. He assessed 5% impairment for the right humerus and 7% impairment
for the left wrist injury for a total of 12% whole person impairment.

         Jennifer Lultschik, M.D., performed an independent medical evaluation on December 2,
2020, in which she found that Mr. Panuccio had reached maximum medical improvement for the
compensable injury. She assessed 1% impairment for right shoulder range of motion loss, 2%
impairment for the right wrist, 1% impairment for the left shoulder, and 2% for range of motion
loss in the left wrist. The impairments combined and reduced to 2% whole person impairment. Dr.
Lultschick apportioned the entire 2% for preexisting injuries because, on examination, she found
that Mr. Panuccio had the same impairment in his uninjured left upper extremity. She noted that
the right humerus fracture did not extend into the right shoulder joint and that Mr. Panuccio had
suffered prior scaphoid fractures.

        The Office of Judges affirmed the claims administrator’s 0% permanent partial disability
award on May 10, 2021. It found that Mr. Panuccio’s treating surgeon assessed Mr. Panuccio’s
injuries as closed right humerus fracture and closed left distal fracture. On September 25, 2018,
Dr. Day opined that Mr. Panuccio had reached maximum medical improvement and noted that Mr.
Panuccio had full range of motion in both wrists and shoulders. The Office of Judges found that
of the three evaluators of record, Dr. Guberman was the only one to find impairment, 12%, while
Drs. Grob and Lultschik both assessed 0%. Dr. Grob found symmetrical strength and range of
motion for the right shoulder and left wrist when compared to their uninjured counterparts. He also
noted the presence of chronic wrist pathology. Dr. Lultschik also compared both shoulders and
wrists and found Mr. Panuccio’s strength and range of motion were essentially equal. The Office
of Judges found that Dr. Guberman made no such comparison of the injured and uninjured upper
extremities. It therefore concluded that the reports of Drs. Grob and Lultschik were more reliable
than that of Dr. Guberman. The Board of Review adopted the findings of fact and conclusions of
law of the Office of Judges and affirmed the order on October 21, 2021.

        This Court may not reweigh the evidentiary record, but must give deference to the findings,
reasoning, and conclusions of the Board of Review, and when the Board’s decision affirms prior
rulings by both the Workers’ Compensation Commission and the Office of Judges, we may reverse
or modify that decision only if it is in clear violation of constitutional or statutory provisions, is
clearly the result of erroneous conclusions of law, or is based upon a material misstatement or
mischaracterization of the evidentiary record. See W. Va. Code § 23-5-15(c) & (d). We apply a de
novo standard of review to questions of law. See Justice v. W. Va. Off. Ins. Comm’n, 230 W. Va.
80, 83, 736 S.E.2d 80, 83 (2012).

                                                  2
        After review, we agree with the reasoning and conclusions of the Office of Judges as
affirmed by the Board of Review. Pursuant to West Virginia Code § 23-4-6(i) permanent partial
disability awards are determined exclusively by the degree of whole body medical impairment that
an employee has suffered. In order to accurately assess impairment, evaluators often examine both
the injured and corresponding uninjured body parts. In this case, Drs. Grob and Lultschik both
examined the injured and uninjured upper extremities and found 0% impairment. Their reports are
reliable and show Mr. Panuccio has 0% impairment as a result of the compensable injury.

                                                                                       Affirmed.
ISSUED: September 14, 2023

CONCURRED IN BY:
Chief Justice Elizabeth D. Walker
Justice Tim Armstead
Justice John A. Hutchison
Justice William R. Wooton

DISQUALIFIED:

Justice C. Haley Bunn

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