Court Opinion

ID: 9839013
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-11 12:09:42.163172+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:05:14.469130
License: Public Domain

FILED
                                                                                  Sep 11, 2023
                                                                                  07:00 AM(CT)
                                                                               TENNESSEE COURT OF
                                                                              WORKERS' COMPENSATION
                                                                                     CLAIMS

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

  Frank Allen,                                   )   Docket No. 2023-06-2249
                 Employee,                       )
  v.                                             )
  United Cabinet Corp., LLC,                     )   State File No. 17763-2023
              Employer,                          )
  And                                            )
  AmTrust North America,                         )   Judge Kenneth M. Switzer
               Carrier.                          )

               EXPEDITED HEARING ORDER DENYING BENEFITS

       Frank Allen allegedly suffered a hernia while working for United Cabinet
Corporation, LLC. United Cabinet denied the claim based on the statute of limitations.
After a September 6, 2023 expedited hearing, the Court grants United Cabinet’s motion for
involuntary dismissal of Mr. Allen’s request for temporary benefits, but the claim remains
pending.

                                      Claim History

       Mr. Allen testified that on February 22, 2022, he suffered an injury while lifting and
stacking heavy drums at work. He “felt a tear” and immediately told his supervisor, “Paul.”
Paul took no action but agreed that Mr. Allen could stop heavy-lifting. Mr. Allen continued
working that day and for months afterward, occasionally mentioning the injury to Paul,
who took no action.

        A year without treatment passed, while Mr. Allen continued working without heavy
lifting. Mr. Allen believed informing his supervisor about the injury was the proper
protocol. During that time he never reported the injury to human resources, because the
individual in that role changed five times that year, and “there wasn’t an H.R. there at that
time.” Ultimately, according to Mr. Allen, Paul was fired.

                                             1
        After a company-wide meeting, Mr. Allen learned he could see an onsite nurse. He
visited her in February 2023. The nurse told him he must report the injury to human
resources. He did so, was offered a panel, and chose an occupational clinic. He saw a
physician four times, who diagnosed an inguinal hernia and recommended surgery. Mr.
Allen never underwent the repair though, because United Cabinet denied his claim. He
filed a petition for benefit determination on March 29, 2023.1

                           Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law

        At the close of Mr. Allen’s proof, United Cabinet moved for a “directed verdict,”
referring to an involuntary dismissal under Rule 42.01. The Court took the motion under
advisement but now grants it as to United Cabinet’s defense that the statute of limitations
bars Mr. Allen’s claim.

        In Garcia Carillo v. Sanchez Hurtado, 2023 TN Wrk. Comp. App. Bd. LEXIS 40,
at *9-10 (Aug. 16, 2023), the Appeals Board explained an involuntary dismissal should be
granted when asked for by an employer after an employee has presented his evidence but
failed to prove he is entitled to benefits. The Board wrote, “[I]in the context of an expedited
hearing in which an employee seeks an interlocutory order compelling the provision of
certain benefits, a defendant in the case can, at the close of the employee’s proof, seek a
ruling from the court as to whether the employee’s evidence fails to support an
interlocutory order for benefits.” If the motion is granted, the trial court may deny the
request for benefits. Id. at *10. This is a dismissal of the employee’s requested benefits,
not a dismissal of the employee’s claim as a whole. The trial court must determine whether
the employee offered sufficient evidence to show he is likely to prevail at a hearing on the
merits. Id.

       Applying this authority, United Cabinet contended that Mr. Allen did not file his
petition within the statute of limitations. Tennessee Code Annotated section 50-6-
203(b)(1) (2022) reads, “[W]hen the employer has not paid workers’ compensation
benefits to or on behalf of the employee, the right to compensation . . . shall be forever
barred, unless the notice required by § 50-6-201 is given to the employer and a petition for
benefit determination is filed with the bureau . . . within one (1) year after the accident
resulting in injury.” (Emphasis added).

      Mr. Allen sincerely and credibly testified about how his injury occurred, and the
medical records document that he has an inguinal hernia and needs surgery. He described
United Cabinet as a work environment with a strict chain of command and high employee

1
 Mr. Allen asked to call a witness, but United Cabinet objected because he did not disclose her as required.
Tennessee Compilation Rules and Regulations 0800-02-21-.15(1) (March, 2022) states, “The party
requesting an expedited hearing must list any witnesses it intends to call at the expedited hearing on the
request for expedited hearing form.” Since neither hearing request listed any witnesses, the objection was
sustained.
                                                     2
turnover. When his supervisor did not help him with his claim, he simply worked through
pain because he did not know he had any other option and needed his pay.

      Mr. Allen testified that he became injured at work lifting and stacking heavy drums
on February 22, 2022. The Court finds Mr. Allen reported the injury to his supervisor
immediately. The Tennessee Supreme Court has long held, “Oral notice to the employee’s
supervisor may constitute actual notice” for purposes of section 50-6-201. Gragg v. White
Consol. Industries, Inc., 1992 Tenn. LEXIS 486, at *4 (Tenn. 1992). Paul, and later
supervisors, have allowed Mr. Allen to work light duty since February 22, 2022. Paul did
nothing else to assist Mr. Allen.

       United Cabinet paid no benefits during the year after the injury. Mr. Allen filed the
petition on March 29, 2023, after one year passed. The Court finds he did not timely file
the petition.

       Mr. Allen argued, “I’ve done everything they told me to do” to his detriment. The
Court agrees.

        Importantly, however, the Workers’ Compensation Law makes no exception for
these circumstances. Mr. Allen had one year to file his claim. He did not do so within that
time. The Court holds that he is unlikely to show at a final hearing that he timely filed his
claim, so United Cabinet’s motion for involuntary dismissal of his request for interlocutory
relief is granted. Since this is a threshold issue, the remaining issues need not be decided
at this time.

      The Court sets a status hearing on November 13 at 9:00 a.m. Central Time. You
must dial (615) 532-9552 or (866) 943-0025 to participate.

        Finally, United Cabinet’s employee, Paul, declined to accept Mr. Allen’s injury
report. Rule 0800-02-01-.05(1) (May, 2018) states, “An employer must accept any notice
of a claim for workers’ compensation benefits from any employee . . . alleging an injury.”
The Court refers United Cabinet to the Compliance Program for consideration of the
imposition of a civil penalty.

       IT IS ORDERED.

                                   ENTERED September 11, 2023.

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

                                             3
                                   Appendix

Technical record:
   1. Petition for Benefit Determination
   2. Dispute Certification Notice, and parties’ additional information
   3. Order Setting Status Hearing
   4. Hearing Request
   5. Scheduling Order
   6. Hearing Request
   7. Employer’s Brief
   8. Employer’s Exhibit and Witness List
   9. Notice-audio recording filed with clerk
   10. Notice-Rule 72 Declaration of Shakira Holland filed

Evidence:
   1. Declaration of Mr. Allen
   2. Form C-32, Choice of Physicians Form
   3. Wage Statement
   4. Denial
   5. Dr. Dutton’s medical records
   6. Declaration of Shakira Holland
   7. Letter from Deana Cook
   8. Recording of Mr. Allen’s statement to Shakira Holland

                            CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

       I certify that a copy of this Order was sent as indicated on September 11, 2023.

Name                   Certified   Regular       Email   Sent to
                       Mail        mail
Frank Allen,                          X            X     mitchfallen@gmail.com
employee                                                 60 Williamsburg Rd.
                                                         Mt. Juliet, TN 37122
Houston Gunn, Greg                                 X     hmgunn@mijs.com
Fuller, employer’s                                       ghfuller@mijs.com
attorneys
Compliance                                         X     WCCompliance.Program@tn.gov
Program

                                   _______________________________________
                                   Penny Shrum
                                   Clerk, Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims

                                             4
                                              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