Allied Paper Inc. v. Davis

342 So. 2d 363, 1976 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 612
CourtCourt of Civil Appeals of Alabama
DecidedDecember 1, 1976
DocketCiv. 919
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 342 So. 2d 363 (Allied Paper Inc. v. Davis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Civil Appeals of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Allied Paper Inc. v. Davis, 342 So. 2d 363, 1976 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 612 (Ala. Ct. App. 1976).

Opinion

HOLMES, Judge.

This is a workmen’s compensation case. From a judgment in favor of the employee the employer appeals.

The dispositive issue in this case is whether the trial judge erred in finding the employee suffered a “75% permanent disability to the body as a whole, resulting in a corresponding loss in his earning capacity of 75%.”

We find the trial court did not err and affirm.

The pertinent facts necessary to a determination of the case are as follows:

The employee is a high school graduate with no particular special training. Prior to his injury, the employee had held three jobs including the job with the appellant-employer. It is unnecessary to describe each job held by the employee; suffice it to say that he performed manual labor, requiring lifting and other necessary activities associated with manual labor.

[364]*364While loading a truck in the course of his employment, the employee fell and injured his back. He was taken to the hospital. Thereafter, he was treated by a local doctor. This physician referred the employee to a Dr. Semon, who hospitalized the employee. The employee was thereafter treated by Dr. Semon for some months. Employee next was seen by a Dr. Cope, who also hospitalized the employee. Thereafter, he returned to the care of Dr. Semon who, after several weeks, under one view of the evidence, recommended that the employee see Dr. Neely. Dr. Neely was treating the employee at the time of trial.

The record shows that with the exception of a short period of time the employee has not worked since late 1973, the time of the accident, until the case was tried in early 1976.

Specifically, the employee testified that his back hurts whenever he does lifting or stooping. The following colloquy between counsel for the employer and the employee best summarizes the employee’s testimony regarding his back condition:

“Q. You have stated that you can drive an automobile. What other things are you able to do?
“A. Well, not nothing too much. To be honest and tell the truth about it. I mean, I am just having problems with my back, and I ain’t never had this kind of problem before.”

The employee’s wife testified that the husband-employee was a good worker and since the injury he can do very little. Additionally, she testified he complains of pain in his back.

There is medical testimony of four doctors contained in the record.

The pertinent testimony of Dr. Cope concerning the result of the myelogram performed on the employee was, “The impression is negative lumbar myelogram.” Dr. Cope further testified that his impression on admission of the employee was lumbar strain or contusion and that there was no evidence of ruptured or herniated disc. He found no neurosurgical abnormality.

Dr. Semon’s pertinent testimony also found no evidence of a ruptured disc from a myelographic study. This physician further testified he was unable to substantiate the employee’s protracted complaints of pain and that the employee should return to normal activity. Additionally, Dr. Semon testified regarding the employee as follows:

“Q. Doctor, what you term ‘anxiety neurosis’, what you felt about the patient on May 20th of 1974, what is that, please?
“A. I felt that the patient had become overly concerned about himself and that he had developed anxiety over the situation, and that it was manifesting itself in terms of physical complaints, and I felt that was probably the underlying basis of his complaints, physical complaints.
“Q. Well, doctor, when you say the patient had anxiety neurosis, or what you classify as anxiety neurosis, isn’t the resulting disability the same as if it were a physical impairment that was causing the disability?
“A. It can be disabling. Anxiety neurosis can be a disabling thing. I thought that it would have been a good idea for us to have had him evaluated and had him treated, which I never did get to the point of doing.
“Q. You didn’t answer my — . Was this anxiety neurosis he was suffering from a disabling illness, or condition at the time you last saw him?
“A. Well, his ability to function was certainly impaired, and it was not on an organic basis, or based on organic injury. It was an emotional response to the injury being the ultimate problem preventing rehabilitation.”

Dr. Harris, a third physician, testified in much the same vein as Dr. Semon.

Dr. Neely, the fourth Physician, whose qualifications were admitted by counsel for the employer, testified he was treating the employee at the time of the trial. Dr. Neely, as Dr. Semon, testified in great detail regarding his findings and conclusion. The following are pertinent portions that best illustrate Dr. Neely’s findings and conclusion.

[365]*365“To put it shortly, that’s just about the story since then, until now. If this man over exerts, does anything that’s strenuous or any kind of heavy lifting, or a whole lot of bending and stooping, we get the pain, the numbness, deadness, right back just like it was. Long as he more or less sits around and don’t do anything, he gets along pretty well.
“Q. Doctor, have you formed any diagnosis as of this day of what condition Mr. Davis has, in your opinion?
“A. I still think he’s got a slipped disc, or a herniated disc, or however you want to put it, despite the myelogram. I wish now, in retrospect — .
“Q. All right, sir. Doctor, based on your, the history given to you by Mr. Davis, based on the examination that you have conducted and the findings you have found, do you have an opinion whether or not between May 20, 1974 and February 23, 1976, Mr. Davis was disabled from performing work that involved lifting, bending, stooping, things of that nature?
“A. Between the dates that I saw him?
“Q. Yes, sir.
“A. Yes, sir. I certainly do.
“Q. And what was that opinion?
“A. That he was not able to do it.
“Q. And would you say he is totally disabled, or he was totally disabled during that period?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. And do you have any opinion whether or not as of this date he is still totally disabled?
“A. From performing this kind of work? Yes.”

With the above in mind, the trial court found that the employee suffered severe injuries to his back in “that the ligaments and other internal parts of his back were sprained or strained and he sustained a disc injury.”

The trial court further found:
“The Plaintiff has only a high school education and is not trained for any type work except manual labor. The only work experience the Plaintiff has had is in employments he cannot now engage in because of his injuries as above set out. The Plaintiff cannot now engage in work requiring physical exertion and strength, nor can he engage in work which is of the type classified as ‘manual labor’.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
342 So. 2d 363, 1976 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 612, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/allied-paper-inc-v-davis-alacivapp-1976.