Court Opinion

ID: 4702109
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2021-07-08 15:13:04.497963+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:06:20.159291
License: Public Domain

FILED
                                                                                             Jul 07, 2021
                                                                                             12:39 PM(CT)
                                                                                         TENNESSEE COURT OF
                                                                                        WORKERS' COMPENSATION
                                                                                               CLAIMS

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

    SALVADOR ENRIQUEZ,                               ) Docket Number: 2020-02-0318
            Employee,                                )
    v.                                               )
    DEFENDER SERVICES, INC.,                         ) State File Number: 101315-2019
            Employer,                                )
    And                                              )
    AMERICAN CASUALTY                                ) Judge Brian K. Addington
    COMPANY OF READING, PA,                          )
            Carrier.                                 )

                  EXPEDITED HEARING ORDER DENYING BENEFITS

       Mr. Enriquez requested the Court order left-knee surgery recommended by his
authorized physician. Defender Services, Inc. asserted Mr. Enriquez’s need for knee
surgery did not arise primarily out of his employment. After an expedited hearing on June
30, 2021, the Court holds that Mr. Enriquez has not presented sufficient evidence at this
time that he is likely to succeed at a hearing on the merits in proving the requested surgery
is causally related to his work-injury. Therefore, the request is denied.

                                           History of Claim

       Defender Services employed Mr. Enriquez as a machine operator. On September
19, 2019, he fell from a ladder. He most seriously injured his left leg. He worked a few
hours after the injury but needed treatment due to an inability to walk well and increasing
pain. Defender Services took him to the emergency room, where providers found his injury
to be outside their specialty. Given a choice between a physician in North Carolina and
Appalachian Orthopedics, Mr. Enrique chose Appalachian and came under the care of Dr.
Larry Waldrop.1

1
    Mr. Enriquez did not explain who provided the choice. No signed physician panel was introduced.

                                                     1
      Mr. Enriquez worked light-duty until January 3, 2020, when Defender Services
terminated him. When his left-leg condition did not improve, Dr. Waldrop performed
medial patellofemoral ligament surgery on January 6 and restricted him from work.
       Dr. Waldrop recommended, and Mr. Enriquez attended, physical therapy after the
surgery. On March 24, Dr. Waldrop allowed Mr. Enriquez to return to desk work only.
He continued physical therapy and follow-up visits until June 9, when Dr. Waldrop placed
him at maximum medical improvement. At that time, Dr. Waldrop changed his restrictions
to weight-bearing as tolerated, no deep bending or twisting of the left knee, and no lifting
over five pounds. He noted that Mr. Enriquez may need knee replacements in the future.
       After a June 9 appointment, Mr. Enriquez began yard work, including running a
grass trimmer at home and for his neighbor, and a six-hour job with a gardener for pay.
This activity inflamed his left knee. He told both his physical therapist and Dr. Waldrop
that the work increased his pain, and he testified that it caused swelling. Dr. Waldrop
recommended a follow-up MRI and took him off work effective July 14.
        In a follow-up visit in October, Dr. Waldrop noted a swollen left knee and explained
that Mr. Enriquez suffered an acute worker’s compensation injury, but he also had pre-
existing arthritis in the knee. He stated that, for pain-management, he was recommending
a total knee replacement and placed Mr. Enriquez on light-duty restrictions.
       Later, in January 2021, he ordered the surgery. He stated in his records that, “It is
work related especially the retropatellar space and the treatment would be the same even
despite having some degenerative knee issues prior to the injury even if that were the case.”
Genex performed a Utilization Review of the surgery request and certified it. Later, Dr.
Waldrop checked a box on a letter from Mr. Enriquez’s attorney that the total left-knee
arthroplasty was reasonable and necessary.
       Defender Services denied the surgery request and sent Mr. Enriquez to an
examination with Dr. William Hovis. Dr. Hovis examined Mr. Enriquez and read and
considered his prior records, reports, and imaging. He concluded that Mr. Enriquez
suffered from degenerative and arthritic changes in his knees. He felt Mr. Enriquez had
congenital lateral subluxation of the left patella and was significantly overweight. He
found Mr. Enriquez’s need for surgery primarily related to his pre-existing arthritis but did
note that the injury aggravated or exacerbated his pre-existing condition. Dr. Hovis
confirmed his written opinions in his deposition and testified that Mr. Enriquez worked
outside his restrictions when he trimmed grass for himself and others.
                       Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law
       To prevail, Mr. Enriquez must present evidence from which this Court can
determine that he is likely to prove at trial that his current need for a total left-knee
replacement is primarily due to his September 2019 work accident. See McCord v.

                                             2
Advantage Human Resourcing, 2015 TN Wrk. Comp. App. Bd. LEXIS 6, at *9 (Mar. 27,
2015).
       Mr. Enriquez’s surgery request rests upon the expert opinions concerning medical
causation. Proving medical causation requires a physician’s opinion within a reasonable
degree of medical certainty that the employment contributed more than fifty percent as to
the cause of the need for surgery. A reasonable degree of medical certainty means that, in
the physician’s opinion it is more likely than not that the work caused the injury considering
all causes, as opposed to speculation or possibility. See Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-
102(14)(B)-(D).
       In determining medical causation, the law provides a rebuttable presumption of
correctness to the causation opinion given by the physician an injured employee chooses
from a panel. See Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-102(14)(E). Mr. Enriquez testified that he was
given a choice between a physician in North Carolina or Appalachian Orthopedics, and he
chose Appalachian. This procedure does not follow the Workers’ Compensation Law’s
requirement of providing a panel of three physicians. See Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-
204(3)(A)(i). The parties did not introduce a signed panel into evidence. Although Dr.
Waldrop was authorized to treat Mr. Enriquez, only a valid panel doctor has a presumption
of correctness on causation. See Barnes v. Jack Cooper Transport, 2020 TN Wrk. Comp.
App. Bd. LEXIS 16, at *6 (Mar. 24, 2020).
       Because the medical opinions differ regarding causation, the Court has the
discretion to which testimony to accept. See Bass v. The Home Depot U.S.A., Inc., 2017
TN Wrk. Comp. App. Bd. LEXIS 36, at *9 (May 26, 2017).
        In reviewing Dr. Waldrop’s records, he did not give the opinion that Mr. Enriquez’s
need for surgery was primarily related to the work injury. He merely wrote that it was
work-related, although he did state that the surgery was reasonable and necessary. He
stated that the original injury had been addressed, but that pain from the pre-existing
arthritis had worsened, and to relieve Mr. Enriquez’s pain, he recommended a total knee
replacement.
       In contrast, Dr. Hovis specifically testified that the need for surgery was not
primarily related to the injury but rather to congenital issues and arthritis. He was very
detailed in relating how he came to his conclusion, although he did say Mr. Enriquez’s
injury aggravated his arthritis.
        Considering Dr. Waldrop’s records do not reflect that the surgery was primarily
related to his injury, and that his opinion carries no presumption, as it was not proven that
he was a panel physician, the Court adopts Dr. Hovis’s opinion as the more accurate
statement on causation. His deposition testimony was clear, while the Court had to piece
together Dr. Waldrop’s opinion. Further, the Court is concerned that the physicians did
not fully address Mr. Enriquez’s grass trimming activities and its effect, if any, on causation

                                              3
for the requested surgery, as required by the Workers’ Compensation Law. See Tenn. Code
Ann. § 50-6-102(14)(D).
        Therefore, the Court holds that Mr. Enriquez has not presented sufficient evidence
at this time that he is likely to succeed at a hearing on the merits in proving the requested
surgery is causally related to his work-injury.

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED as follows:

        1. Mr. Enriquez’s request for surgery is denied at this time.

        2. This case is set for a Status Hearing on August 25, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern
           time. The parties must dial 855-543-5044 to participate in the hearing.

        Entered July 7, 2021.

                                           ______________________________________
                                           BRIAN K. ADDINGTON, JUDGE
                                           Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims

                                           APPENDIX

Exhibits:

   1.   Affidavit
   2.   Undated opinion of Dr. Larry Waldrop
   3.   Appalachian Orthopaedic Associates medical records
   4.   Employee’s designated medical records
           a. Appalachian Orthopaedic Associates
           b. Genex Utilization Review
           c. Dr. Larry Waldrop opinion, May 12, 2021
           d. Dr. William Hovis Independent Medical Exam
   5.   Physical Therapy Services medical records
   6.   Independent Medical Exam of Dr. William Hovis and exhibits
   7.   Dr. Waldrop medical records
   8.   Dr. William Hovis Deposition transcript and video
   9.   Dr. Larry Waldrop January 26, 2021, medical note

Technical Record:

   1. Petition for Benefit Determination
                                              4
 2. Dispute Certification Notice
 3. Status Hearing Order, May 28, 2021
 4. Request for Expedited Hearing
 5. Employee’s Position Statement
 6. Employee’s Exhibit List
 7. Employee’s Witness List
 8. Employer’s Expedited Hearing Brief
 9. Employer’s Witness and Exhibit List
 10. Notice of Filing Transcript and Video recording of Dr. William Hovis
 11. Notice of Filing-Physical Therapy Services records
 12. Notice of Filing-medical records of Dr. Larry Waldrop

                          CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

    I certify that a copy of the Order was sent on July 7, 2021.

         Name              Certified    Fax     Email Service sent to:
                            Mail
Daniel Bieger,                                    X      dan@biegerlaw.com
Employee’s Attorney                                      paige@biegerlaw.com
J. Brent Moore,                                   X      bmoore@ortalekelley.com
Employer’s Attorney

                                       ______________________________________
                                       PENNY SHRUM, COURT CLERK
                                       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