Boling v. Potters Trucking Co.

CourtNorth Carolina Industrial Commission
DecidedMarch 26, 2010
DocketI.C. NO. 482983.
StatusPublished

This text of Boling v. Potters Trucking Co. (Boling v. Potters Trucking Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Carolina Industrial Commission primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Boling v. Potters Trucking Co., (N.C. Super. Ct. 2010).

Opinion

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The Full Commission has reviewed the prior Opinion and Award based upon the record of the proceedings before the Deputy Commissioner and the briefs and argument before the Full Commission. The appealing party has shown good grounds to reconsider the evidence and upon reconsideration, the Full Commission reverses the Opinion and Award of the Deputy Commissioner.

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The Full Commission finds as fact and concludes as matters of law the following, which were entered into by the parties as:

STIPULATIONS
1. All parties are subject to and bound by the North Carolina Worker's Compensation Act and the N.C. Industrial Commission has jurisdiction. *Page 2

2. On June 4, 2004, an employment relationship existed between Plaintiff-Employee and Defendant-Employer.

3. AIG Claims Services is the servicing agent.

4. On June 4, 2004, Plaintiff sustained compensable injuries in a motor vehicular accident arising out of and in the course of her employment.

5. Plaintiff's average weekly wage is at issue.

6. A package of Industrial Commission Forms are admitted into evidence as Stipulated Exhibit # 2.

7. Plaintiff's medicals which relate to this claim are admitted into evidence as Stipulated Exhibit #3.

8. Plaintiff's and Defendant's Discovery Responses are admitted into evidence as Stipulated #4.

8. The accident report is admitted into evidence as Stipulated #5.

9. Plaintiff's medical records not related to this claim are admitted into evidence as Stipulated #6.

10. A November 18, 2008 updated health insurance lien is admitted into evidence as Stipulated Exhibit #7.

11. An affidavit of Lisa Aldren is admitted into evidence as Stipulated Exhibit #8.

12. A December 28, 2007 report from Scott Kilpatrick is admitted into evidence as Stipulated Exhibit #9.

13. A DVD of December 14, 2007 is admitted into evidence as Stipulated Exhibit #10. *Page 3

14. Plaintiff's W-2 Form and Form 22 wage records are admitted into evidence as Stipulated #11.

15. The affidavit of Scott Kilpatrick is also admitted into evidence.

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RULING ON EVIDENTIARY MATTERS
At the hearing before the Deputy Commissioner, Defendants offered into evidence Defendant's Exhibits 11 and 12C, DVD and report regarding surveillance of an individual believed to be Plaintiff running on July 15, 2008. Plaintiff objected and the Deputy Commissioner reserved ruling until an In-Camera Review could be completed. The Deputy Commissioner sustained Plaintiff's objections and allowed Defendants to make the exhibits part of the record as Offers of Proof. The Full Commission affirms this ruling by the Deputy Commissioner.

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Based upon the competent evidence of record, the Full Commission makes the following:

FINDINGS OF FACT
1. Plaintiff is 37 years old. Plaintiff worked for Defendant-Employer as a truck driver. Her prior work history included welding and other physical jobs.

2. On or about June 4, 2004, Plaintiff sustained an admittedly compensable injury to her left shoulder and neck in a motor vehicle accident during the course of her employment with Defendant-Employer. Defendants did not accept Plaintiff's injury as compensable until March 2005, at which time Defendants began paying temporary total disability compensation to Plaintiff. Beginning in March 2005, Plaintiff was paid based on an average weekly wage of *Page 4 $380.00, but Defendants unilaterally changed Plaintiff's compensation rate in April of 2008 based on a Form 22 stating that her average weekly wage was $290.40.

3. Plaintiff also alleges that she injured her lower back in the June 4, 2004 accident. After providing medical treatment for Plaintiff's accepted neck injury for some time, Defendants denied any further medical treatment when Plaintiff's condition did not improve following neck surgery.

4. Plaintiff is currently seeking to have Defendants provide medical treatment for her lower back and neck, ongoing payment of disability compensation at her initial compensation rate of $253.35, payment of back owed TTD based on the difference between this compensation rate and the reduced rate Defendants have been paying, and reimbursement for related medical expenses already incurred.

5. After the accident on June 4, 2004, Plaintiff presented that night for treatment at the Emergency Department of Johnston Memorial Hospital. She reported pain in her left shoulder, side, and back. Impressions were cervical and thoracic strains and contusions. Conservative treatment was recommended including Ultracet and Flexeril.

6. On June 8, 2004, Plaintiff presented to Dr. Regina Ryan of Horizon Family Medicine reporting injuries in a motor vehicle accident four days before, including pain on the right side of her neck and head and some right low back pain radiating into her buttock. She was assessed with cervical and low back strain "secondary to MVA." Plaintiff was treated with Vicodin. Plaintiff was excused from work for a few more days and instructed to return to work gradually.

7. Plaintiff received follow-up treatment at Horizon Family Medicine through August 11, 2004. Aside from neck pain, Plaintiff began complaining of a headache and reported *Page 5 low back pain and an "achy feeling in her legs." She was treated with medications and referred for physical therapy. On July 12, 2004, an MRI of Plaintiff's cervical spine showed a right paracentral disc protrusion at C5-6, but results were "negative for acute cervical fracture or subluxation." She was referred for neurosurgical consultation.

8. Dr. Russell Margraf, a neurosurgeon, examined Plaintiff on September 13, 2004, and testified that during Plaintiff's initial visit her complaint was only severe pain in the neck and right shoulder. Plaintiff was not complaining of any problems with her low back. In fact, Dr. Margraf testified that Plaintiff was able to climb and descend stairs and exhibited a normal gait. Moreover, he did not refer Plaintiff for any further testing of her back because his examination did not reveal any problems with her low back. Plaintiff underwent C5-6 anterior cervical decompression and fusion surgery on September 30, 2004 performed by Dr. Margraf, but reported no improvement in her symptoms. Dr. Margraf prescribed muscle relaxants and Vicodin and referred Plaintiff to physical therapy. Upon completion of physical therapy, Plaintiff continued to report no improvement in her symptoms. A subsequent x-ray of Plaintiff's cervical spine revealed normal cervical alignment.

Subsequently, Dr. Margraf prescribed Naprosyn for inflammation and ordered a CT myelogram, which revealed appropriate positioning of hardware and no evidence of central stenosis or neuroforaminal stenosis at C5-6. Dr. Margraf testified that the surgery was adequate and there was no further intervention required. Plaintiff was again discharged from physical therapy for "failure to progress." Dr. Margraf released Plaintiff without restrictions on November 29, 2004 and did not feel that Plaintiff required any narcotic pain medication. He testified that, typically, an individual would have fully recovered from this type of surgery around December 2004. *Page 6 9.

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Related

§ 97-2
North Carolina § 97-2(6)
§ 97-25
North Carolina § 97-25

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Bluebook (online)
Boling v. Potters Trucking Co., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/boling-v-potters-trucking-co-ncworkcompcom-2010.