Court Opinion

ID: 9901674
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-11-22 14:01:30.573235+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:21:36.993888
License: Public Domain

FILED
                                                                               Nov 22, 2023
                                                                               07:00 AM(CT)
                                                                             TENNESSEE COURT OF
                                                                            WORKERS' COMPENSATION
                                                                                   CLAIMS

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

 HEATHER HENRY,                             ) Docket No. 2018-07-0730
         Employee,                          )
 v.                                         )
 PERSONNELPLACEMENTS                        ) State File No. 89066-2017
 HOLDINGS, LLC,                             )
          Employer,                         )
 And                                        ) Judge Shaterra R. Marion
 BRICKSTREET MUTUAL INS. CO.,               )
          Carrier.                          )

          COMPENSATION ORDER DENYING MEDICAL BENEFITS

      At the November 16, 2023 Compensation Hearing, Ms. Henry asked that Personnel
Placements pay for a new car made necessary by her work injury. Personnel Placements
contended the injury did not cause the need for a new vehicle but offered to pay for
modifications to an existing vehicle. For the following reasons, the Court denies Ms.
Henry’s request for a new vehicle.

                                    History of Claim

       Ms. Henry’s hands were crushed by a press on November 15, 2017. The Court
entered a settlement order for permanent total disability and reasonable and necessary
medical benefits on July 12, 2019. Per the agreement, her authorized physician was
orthopedic surgeon Dr. Michael Dolan.

       In October 2020, Dr. Dolan referred Ms. Henry to a certified driving rehabilitation
specialist for evaluation. Personnel Placements authorized the evaluation, which she
completed in March 2022.

                                               1
       The evaluation report recommended that Ms. Henry “drive with a modified vehicle
that meets her needs.” After review of the “vehicle modification recommendations” in the
evaluation, Dr. Dolan ordered the following:

       After driving evaluation at Sports Plus Note with Norwood E. (Woody)
       Tatman… it has been determined that patient will need this equipment to
       obtain the maximum level of functional independence:

       1.      Vehicle equipped with a push button start with automatic transmission
       and push button gear engagement
       2.      Suregrip amputee ring with base attached to the steering when at the
       10 o’clock position and a signal crossover device since she will be steering
       with her left UE and will not be able to access the signal stalk, unless the
       vehicle she has comes with the signal stalk on her right side
       3.      Rain sensitive windshield wipers that activate automatically when it
       is raining.

      On at least two separate occasions, Personnel Placement requested Ms. Henry
provide the vehicle to be modified to meet Dr. Dolan’s order. Instead, Ms. Henry asked for
a new car.

      Ms. Henry testified that she currently owns an F150 truck, but she cannot operate it
on her own. She stated that she does not want to submit it to Personnel Placements for
modifications because she thinks modifications would damage the truck’s security system.
However, she admitted having no evidence of that concern.

       Ms. Henry argued that Dr. Dolan’s order requires Personnel Placements to purchase
her a new car. Personnel Placements argued that Dr. Dolan’s order was for modifications,
which they have agreed to provide. Further, Personnel Placements argued that if Dr. Dolan
did order a new car, it is not medical treatment as defined by Tennessee Workers’
Compensation law.

                       Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law

      The only issue is whether Personal Placements must give Ms. Henry a new car to
be modified. Ms. Henry must prove her entitlement to a new car by a preponderance of the
evidence. Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-239(c)(6) (2023). The Court finds she did not carry this
burden.

       When an employee suffers a compensable work-related injury, the Workers’
Compensation Law states that an employer is required to provide “such medical and
surgical treatment . . . and other reasonable and necessary apparatus . . . as ordered by the

                                                 2
attending physician . . . made reasonably necessary by accident[.]” Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-
6-204(a)(1)(A).

        The Appeals Board has noted that judges are not well-suited to make independent
medical determinations without expert medical testimony supporting that determination.
Lurz v. Int’l Paper Co., 2018 TN Wrk. Comp. App. Bd. LEXIS 8, at *17 (Feb. 14, 2018).
Further, parties and their lawyers cannot rely solely on their own medical interpretations
of the evidence to successfully support their arguments. Id.

       Here, Ms. Henry asks the Court to interpret Dr. Dolan’s September 29, 2022 order
as requiring Personnel Placements to purchase her a new car. However, the Court does not
have the medical testimony or records to support that interpretation. Instead, the records in
evidence suggest “modifications.” Further, no testimony exists from Dr. Dolan explaining
whether he adopted the therapist’s “vehicle modification recommendations” or ordered a
new car.

       Personnel Placements has offered to alter any vehicle Ms. Henry makes available
with the modifications ordered by Dr. Dolan. Ms. Henry did not offer sufficient evidence
supporting her request for a new car.

       The Court does not need to address whether a new car is medically necessary as
defined by Tennessee law, because the Court does not determine that the authorized
treating physician ordered a new car.

       In sum, Ms. Henry has not carried her burden of proving her entitlement to a new
car.

IT IS, THEREFORE, ORDERED as follows:

   1. Ms. Henry’s request for a new car is denied.

   2. Personnel Placements shall pay the $150.00 filing fee to the Clerk within five
      business days of this order becoming final, for which execution might issue as
      necessary.

   3. Personnel Placements shall file Form SD-2 with the Clerk within ten business days
      of this order becoming final.

   4. Unless appealed, this order shall become final thirty days after entry.

                                                 3
      ENTERED November 22, 2023.

                                       _____________________________________
                                       JUDGE SHATERRA R. MARION
                                       Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims

                                    APPENDIX

Exhibits
   1. Order Approving Settlement and Settlement Agreement
   2. Driving Evaluation Conducted March 16, 2022
   3. Dr. Dolan’s Order and Coversheet from September 9, 2022
   4. Email dated May 4, 2022
   5. Email dated December 7, 2022

Technical Record
   1. Petition for Benefit Determination
   2. Dispute Certification Notice and Additional Issues of Employer
   3. Order Correcting Docket Number
   4. Request for Expedited Hearing
   5. Order Granting Motion to Exclude Deposition
   6. October 16, 2023, Status Hearing Order
   7. November 9, 2023, Status Hearing Order
   8. Employer’s Prehearing Brief and Exhibit List
   9. Notice of Filing of Exhibits to Employer/Insurance’s Expediated Hearing Brief
       and Witness & Exhibit List

                                             4
                            CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

    I certify that a copy of this Order was sent as indicated on November 22, 2023.

Name                                     Via Email      Service Sent To:

Spencer R. Barnes,                           X        spence@morrisonandbarnes.com
Attorney for Employee
Chad M. Jackson,                             X        cjackson@morganakins.com
Attorney for Employer

                                  _____________________________________
                                  PENNY SHRUM, COURT CLERK
                                  Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims
                                  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