Court Opinion

ID: 8488375
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-11-21 21:10:47.502702+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:50:10.543655
License: Public Domain

FILED
                                                                                   Nov 21, 2022
                                                                                   02:47 PM(CT)
                                                                                TENNESSEE COURT OF
                                                                               WORKERS' COMPENSATION
                                                                                      CLAIMS

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

 REAZKALLAH ABDELSHAHAED,                     ) Docket No. 2021-05-0272
          Employee,                           )
 v.                                           )
 TAYLOR FRESH FOODS, INC.,                    ) State File Nos. 800172-2021
          Employer,                           )
 And                                          )
 ZURICH AMERICAN INS. CO.                     ) Judge Dale Tipps
          Carrier.                            )

      EXPEDITED HEARING ORDER GRANTING MEDICAL BENEFITS

        The Court held an Expedited Hearing on November 15, 2022, on whether Mr.
Abdelshahaed is likely to prove at trial that he suffered a compensable injury and is entitled
to medical and temporary disability benefits. For the reasons below, the Court cannot find
he is likely to prove this but holds Mr. Abdelshahaed is entitled to a panel of physicians.

                                     History of Claim

       Mr. Abdelshahaed claimed he cut his left forefinger with a knife while opening
boxes at Taylor Farms on November 4, 2020. He described being intentionally pushed by
his supervisor, which caused the knife to slip. Although Mr. Abdelshahaed claimed his
finger was bleeding profusely, he said Taylor Farms provided no medical treatment other
than a band-aid. Not long after this incident, Taylor Farms terminated him.

       Lisa Pomeroy, Taylor Farms’s safety coordinator, testified that on November 4, Mr.
Abdelshahaed was brought to her office because he was upset about an argument on the
floor. She noticed a little blood on his hand, but not on the index finger he now claims was
cut, and she gave him a band-aid. He did not mention a work injury, and the first time she
knew of any claim was when Mr. Abdelshahaed filed his petition for benefit determination.

       At the hearing, Mr. Abdelshahaed requested medical treatment and disability

                                              1
benefits.1 Taylor Farms contended that Mr. Abdelshahaed is not entitled to benefits
because he did not prove his injury was primarily caused by work and it was a “first-aid
only” injury.2

                               Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law

       For the Court to grant Mr. Abdelshahaed’s request, he must prove he is likely to
prevail at a hearing on the merits. Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-239(d)(1) (2022); McCord v.
Advantage Human Resourcing, 2015 TN Wrk. Comp. App. Bd. LEXIS 6, at *7-8, 9 (Mar.
27, 2015).

       To prove a compensable injury, Mr. Abdelshahaed must show that his alleged
injuries arose primarily out of and in the course and scope of his employment. This
includes the requirement that he must establish a work-related incident, or specific set of
incidents, identifiable by time and place of occurrence. Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-
102(12)(A). The parties presented two very different versions of the incident. But they
agreed on one important aspect: Mr. Abdelshahaed was bleeding at work. Under these
circumstances, Mr. Abdelshahaed appears likely to prove the existence of a “work-related
incident” as required by this section.

        The question then becomes whether Mr. Abdelshahaed appears likely to prove that
this workplace incident was the primary cause of his alleged need for treatment. The Court
cannot find at this time that he is likely to meet this burden. Neither party offered any
medical evidence addressing the cause of Mr. Abdelshahaed’s current symptoms. Without
a doctor’s causation opinion, he cannot prove “to a reasonable degree of medical certainty”
that his work “contributed more than fifty percent (50%) in causing the . . . disablement or
need for medical treatment, considering all causes,” as required by Tennessee Code
Annotated section 50-6-102(12)(C).

        However, even without a causation opinion, an employee may still prove
entitlement to a panel if he presents sufficient evidence in an expedited hearing that a work
event resulted in injury. See Lewis v. Molly Maid, 2016 TN Wrk. Comp. App. Bd. LEXIS
19, at *8-9 (Apr. 20, 2016). Thus, the question is whether Mr. Abdelshahaed is entitled to
a panel of physicians.

1
  He also complained of mistreatment by his supervisors, wrongful termination for filing a claim, and
substantial debt arising from his job loss. The Court explained that it has no authority to address these
allegations. Any recourse he might have for those allegations lies outside of the Court of Workers’
Compensation Claims.
2
  Taylor Farms also presented testimony about whether Mr. Abdelshahaed was wearing a safety glove at
the time of the incident. However, failure to use a safety device was not listed as a defense on the Dispute
Certification Notice, so the Court will not consider this affirmative defense.
                                                     2
       Taylor Farms contended that Mr. Abdelshahaed’s injury was minimal and only
required basic first aid. However, it presented no evidence to support this argument.
Further, even if the injury was minor, Mr. Abdelshahaed now claims that it caused
problems with his hand from which he still suffers. The Court is constrained to the record
before it because “judges, like lawyers, are poorly positioned to formulate expert medical
opinions.” Love v. Delta Faucet Co., 2016 TN Wrk. Comp. App. Bd. LEXIS 45, at *15-
16 (Sept. 19, 2016). Similarly, parties cannot rely solely on their own medical
interpretations to support their arguments. Lurz v. Int’l Paper Co., 2018 TN Wrk. Comp.
App. Bd. LEXIS 8, at *17 (Feb. 14, 2018).

        Therefore, the Court holds Mr. Abdelshahaed offered sufficient evidence to show at
this interlocutory stage that he is entitled to a panel of physicians. Taylor Farms shall
provide a panel, from which Mr. Abdelshahaed may choose an authorized doctor for
evaluation and, if appropriate, treatment of his alleged injuries under Tennessee Code
Annotated section 50-6-204(a)(1)(A).

        Mr. Abdelshahaed also seeks temporary disability benefits. An injured worker is
eligible for temporary total disability benefits if: (1) the worker became disabled from
working due to a compensable injury; (2) there is a causal connection between the injury
and the inability to work; and (3) the worker established the duration of the period of
disability. Jones v. Crencor Leasing and Sales, TN Wrk. Comp. App. Bd. LEXIS 48, at
*7 (Dec. 11, 2015). As noted above, Mr. Abdelshahaed failed to show he is likely to meet
his burden of proving a work-related injury. Therefore, the Court cannot find at this time
that he appears likely to prevail at trial on a claim for temporary disability benefits.

IT IS, THEREFORE, ORDERED as follows:

   1. Taylor Farms shall offer Mr. Abdelshahaed a panel of physicians and any medical
      treatment made reasonably necessary by his November 4, 2020 injury.

   2. Mr. Abdelshahaed’s request for temporary disability benefits is denied at this time.

   3. A status hearing will take place on February 2, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. Central Time.
      The parties must call 615-532-9552 or toll-free at 866-943-0025 to participate.
      Failure to call might result in a determination of issues without your participation.

   4. Unless an interlocutory appeal of the Expedited Hearing Order is filed, compliance
      with this Order must occur no later than seven business days from the date of entry
      of this Order as required by Tennessee Code Annotated section 50-6-239(d)(3). The
      Employer must submit confirmation of compliance with this Order to the Bureau by
      email to WCCompliance.Program@tn.gov no later than the seventh business day
      after entry of this Order. Failure to submit confirmation within seven business days
      may result in a penalty assessment for non-compliance. For questions regarding

                                            3
      compliance, contact the Workers’ Compensation Compliance Unit via email at
      WCCompliance.Program@tn.gov.

      ENTERED November 21, 2022.

                                 _____________________________________
                                 Judge Dale Tipps
                                 Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims

                                     APPENDIX

Exhibits:
   1. Mr. Abdelshahaed’s June 2, 2022 Rule 72 Declaration Under Penalty of Perjury
   2. Notice of Denial and written statements of Carmen Mendoza (identification only)
   3. Wage Statement

Technical record:
   1. Petition for Benefit Determination
   2. Dispute Certification Notice
   3. Request for Expedited Hearing

                                           4
                          CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

     I certify that a copy of the Expedited Hearing Order was sent as indicated on
November 21, 2022.

         Name              Certified    Email            Service Sent To
                            Mail
Reazkallah Abdelshahaed   X            X        456 Cedar Park Circle
                                                Lavergne, TN 37086
                                                reazkallahabdelshahaed@yahoo.com
Peter Rosen,                           X        prosen@vkbarlaw.com
Employer’s Attorney

                                       ______________________________________
                                       PENNY SHRUM, COURT CLERK
                                       wc.courtclerk@tn.gov

                                           5
                           Expedited Hearing Order Right to Appeal:

     If you disagree with this Expedited Hearing Order, you may appeal to the Workers’
Compensation Appeals Board. To appeal an expedited hearing order, 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 seven business days of the
      date the expedited hearing order was filed. When filing the Notice of Appeal, you must
      serve a copy upon all parties.

   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 fee. You must file the fully-
      completed 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 the 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. If a transcript of
      the proceedings is to be filed, a licensed court reporter must prepare the transcript and file
      it with the court clerk within ten business days of the filing the Notice of
      Appeal. Alternatively, you may file a statement of the evidence prepared jointly by both
      parties within ten business 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 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. If you wish to file a position statement, you must file it with the court clerk within ten
      business days after the deadline to file a transcript or statement of the evidence. The
      party opposing the appeal may file a response with the court clerk within ten business
      days after you file your position statement. All position statements should include: (1) a
      statement summarizing the facts of the case from the evidence admitted during the
      expedited hearing; (2) a statement summarizing the disposition of the case as a result of
      the expedited hearing; (3) a statement of the issue(s) presented for review; and (4) an
      argument, citing appropriate statutes, case law, or other authority.

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 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