Cleveland Construction v. Joshua Shackleford

Court of Appeals of Kentucky·Decided April 15, 2021·No. 2020 CA 000662·Unknown

Opinion

RENDERED: APRIL 16, 2021; 10:00 A.M.

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED

Commonwealth of Kentucky

Court of Appeals

NO. 2020-CA-0662-WC

CLEVELAND CONSTRUCTION APPELLANT

PETITION FOR REVIEW OF A DECISION v. OF THE WORKERS’ COMPENSATION BOARD ACTION NO. 17-WC-61845

JOSHUA SHACKLEFORD; HONORABLE MONICA RICE- SMITH, ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE; AND WORKERS’ COMPENSATION BOARD APPELLEES

OPINION

AFFIRMING

** ** ** ** **

BEFORE: ACREE, JONES, AND K. THOMPSON, JUDGES. JONES, JUDGE: This petition for review comes to us following a decision by the Workers’ Compensation Board (“Board”) affirming the Administrative Law Judge’s (“ALJ”) decision granting indemnity and medical benefits to the Appellee, Joshua Shackleford, for a work-related injury. Following this decision, Cleveland Construction (“Cleveland”) petitioned our Court for review arguing that the ALJ

erred in relying upon Dr. Jared Madden’s medical opinion, which Cleveland alleges is not in compliance with the 5th Edition of the American Medical Association’s Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment (“AMA Guides”). While any discrepancy could affect Dr. Madden’s overall credibility, we cannot agree with Cleveland that the Board erred in leaving the ultimate decision in the ALJ’s hands. For the reasons set forth below, we affirm.

I. STATEMENT OF THE FACTS In 2017, Shackleford was employed by Cleveland as a drywall finisher. Shackleford’s job was to “mud” the walls for approximately 80 to 100 boards of drywall per day. Although he did not hang the actual boards, Shackleford taped them, mudded the walls, and sanded the drywall. To mud the walls, Shackleford was required to lift and carry five to six five-gallon buckets of mud per shift across a maximum of 100 feet. Each bucket weighed approximately fifty to sixty pounds.

On October 1, 2017, Shackleford sustained a hernia during the course and scope of his employment. That day, Shackleford had been asked to move more buckets of mud than usual. He had carried approximately ten to eleven buckets when he felt a tear in his right groin area below the beltline. Shackleford had sustained a hernia in his left groin area in 2002, so he recognized the feeling. He immediately informed his supervisor, who prepared a report. Shackleford went

to Urgent Care in Berea and was then sent to Berea Hospital for an ultrasound. The ultrasound was negative, and Shackleford was not diagnosed with a hernia at that time. Shackleford went home after his appointment, unable to continue working because of the pain. Despite his continued pain, Shackleford attempted to go to work the next day. However, Shackleford’s supervisor informed him that he was no longer needed and sent him home. Shackleford was then unemployed for two or three months.

In 2018, Shackleford took a job at C & N Construction (“C & N”), where he worked on and off for about six to eight months as a drywall finisher. He performed similar work to that which he performed for Cleveland but was not required to carry buckets of mud. Sometimes he could work a full week and sometimes he could not. Although Shackleford wore a strap to keep the hernia pulled in while working at C & N, he eventually left his employment with C & N because he felt he could not physically continue the work required of him. In August 2018, Shackleford sought work at the Cookie Factory but found he was unable to stand on the factory’s concrete flooring for his twelve-hour shifts because of the burning and pressure caused by his hernia. As a result, Shackleford’s tenure at the Cookie Factory lasted only two weeks.

After his initial injury on October 1, 2017, Shackleford’s condition continued to worsen, causing him to seek additional treatment from Dr. Alan

Graham in July 2018. Dr. Graham had previously surgically repaired a left-sided hernia Shackleford sustained in 2002, from which Shackleford had fully recovered. On July 18, 2018, Dr. Graham saw Shackleford for right groin pain and swelling as a result of Shackleford’s work injury, at which time Dr. Graham determined that Shackleford had sustained a right inguinal hernia. Dr. Graham surgically repaired Shackleford’s right-sided hernia on February 7, 2019, and released him to return to work without restrictions in March 2019.1 Shackleford has not actively treated his right-sided hernia since his release, and he does not take any medication.

Since approximately July 2019, Shackleford has worked as a self-

employed contractor doing drywall finishing. He performs taping, mudding, and sanding for about 30 to 40 hours a week. He is not able to hang drywall anymore and does not carry buckets of mud, but he has other people do those jobs.

Shackleford stated that he has done “pretty well” since surgery. He is able to sit without difficulty but continues to experience burning pain if he stands for six hours or more or if he attempts to lift fifty pounds or more. Although Shackleford testified that he is continuing to improve, he believes it would be too tough to go back to the work he performed at Cleveland. Shackleford stated that he would have difficulty carrying the buckets of mud and would not be able to carry them very far. Shackleford stated that his condition has improved since his

1 Dr. Graham’s surgical report was not filed in the record by either party.

surgery and he estimates that he is at “eighty percent.” At the hearing, Shackleford stated that he has no protrusions in his abdomen or groin area. An October 11, 2017, ultrasound report shows that there is no evidence of testicular mass or torsion.

Dr. Madden initially evaluated Shackleford prior to Shackleford’s February 2019 surgery, noting during his examination, “right inguinal hernia, visible defect, very large and easily palpable. Reducible with manual pressure but defect immediately returns once pressure is released.” At that point, he assessed a 19% impairment rating pursuant to the AMA Guides, but found that Shackleford had not yet attained maximum medical improvement (“MMI”).

Dr. Madden re-evaluated Shackleford on April 19, 2019, following Shackleford’s February 2019 surgery, noting the surgical repair of the right inguinal hernia with mesh implantation. Shackleford reported some alleviation of pain in the right groin area after a six-week recovery period but reported continued pain lifting, bending, and twisting. Dr. Madden noted: “right inguinal hernia, previously visible and palpable defect, now repaired and incision well healed.” He then diagnosed a right inguinal hernia, status-post surgical repair, observing that Shackleford had had chronic pain consistent with and directly related to the October 1, 2017, work injury. Dr. Madden believed that Shackleford had reached

MMI by the time of his re-evaluation, and he does not retain the physical capacity to return to his former type of work.

Accordingly, Dr. Madden assessed a 12% impairment rating pursuant to the AMA Guides, noting, “Class 2 Impairment due to Herniation 12% WPI (10- 19% possible), Table 6-9, Page 136.” Record (R.) at 130. He opined that, regardless of surgical repair, the right inguinal hernia would restrict Shackleford’s ability to work as a heavy laborer. Dr. Madden stated that Shackleford is at an increased risk for additional or worsening herniation in both the left and right inguinal regions and advised that even slight exertion or positional changes could result in severe pain exacerbations or create additional pathology in the right inguinal region. Dr. Madden restricted Shackleford from lifting over twenty pounds, repetitive bending or twisting, and anything more than minimal pulling, stooping, and crouching. He further explained that episodic problems with routine activities of daily living during pain exacerbations are commonly associated with surgically repaired hernias.

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