Creasman, Matthew v. USF Holland, Inc.

2019 TN WC 7
CourtTennessee Court of Workers' Compensation Claims
DecidedJanuary 17, 2019
Docket2018-03-0615
StatusPublished

This text of 2019 TN WC 7 (Creasman, Matthew v. USF Holland, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Tennessee Court of Workers' Compensation Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Creasman, Matthew v. USF Holland, Inc., 2019 TN WC 7 (Tenn. Super. Ct. 2019).

Opinion

FILED Jan 17, 2019 03:33 PM(ET)

TENNESSEE COURT OF WORKERS' COMPENSATION CLAIMS

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

AT KNOXVILLE MATTHEW RYAN CREASMAN, ) Docket No. 2018-03-0615 Employee, ) V. ) USF HOLLAND, INC., ) State File No. 27711-2018 Employer, ) And ) OLD REPUBLIC INSURANCE ) Judge Pamela B. Johnson COMPANY, ) Carrier. )

EXPEDITED HEARING ORDER DENYING BENEFITS

This matter came before the Court for an Expedited Hearing on December 19, 2018. The central issues are whether Matthew Ryan Creasman demonstrated he is likely to prevail at a hearing on the merits that his mental injury arose primarily out of and in the course and scope of his employment with USF Holland, Inc., and, if so, whether he is entitled to medical and temporary disability benefits. For the reasons below, the Court holds Mr. Creasman failed to demonstrate that he is likely to prevail at a hearing on the merits and denies his claim at this time.

History of Claim

Mr. Creasman worked in the truck yard for USF Holland. Two incidents occurred at USF Holland involving Mr. Creasman and his co-worker and union steward, James Gasche. The parties dispute the nature of the incidents and whether Mr. Creasman suffered a mental injury following one or both of the incidents.

The first incident occurred on December 11, 2017. During an argument over the smoking area location, Mr. Creasman felt threatened when Mr. Gasche said, “Let’s go across the street and settle it.” Mr. Creasman acknowledged that both he and Mr. Gasche remained seated during the argument, but Mr. Gasche shook his finger at him without touching him. Mr. Gasche offered a different version of the incident. He stated he met with Mr. Creasman in December 2017 to discuss the smoking area relocation. He acknowledged that Mr. Creasman disagreed with the decision and did not want to abide by it. Mr. Gasche informed Mr. Creasman that the location of the smoking area was not a battle that he could win, as the decision was final. At that point, Mr. Creasman stood up and accused Mr. Gasche of threatening him.

Another co-worker, Leonard Poole, witnessed the December incident. He agreed that Mr. Creasman was upset that the smoking area had moved and indicated Mr. Gasche approached Mr. Creasman to discuss the decision. Mr. Poole stated that, because Mr. Creasman remained upset, Mr. Gasche offered to continue the conversation in private, at which point Mr. Creasman claimed that Mr. Gasche threatened him.

Immediately following the December incident, Mr. Creasman reported the incident to the terminal manager, Roger Bible. Mr. Bible placed Mr. Gasche on leave pending an investigation. Following the investigation, Mr. Bible determined that Mr. Gasche had not acted in an aggressive, threatening, or improper way. Mr. Bible recalled Mr. Gasche to work with no disciplinary action taken and paid Mr. Gasche for his time off. Mr. Bible required Mr. Creasman and Mr. Gasche to avoid speaking to each other and to review and sign USF Holland’s harassment policy.

Several days later, Mr. Creasman reported the incident to the police. The police came to USF Holland, took Mr. Creasman’s statement, and prepared a police report. The police neither contacted nor interviewed Mr. Gasche.

After the December incident, Mr. Creasman alleged that he became fearful for his safety and began suffering from nervousness and anxiety. However, he did not seek treatment following the incident and he did not miss any work.

The second event occurred on April 5, 2018. Mr. Creasman, whose responsibilities included moving trailers around the yard, alleged Mr. Gasche improperly parked his trailer. He reported Mr. Gasche’s parking infraction to his supervisor, Michael Johnson. When Mr. Gasche learned that Mr. Creasman reported him, Mr. Gasche began yelling, making aggressive movements (pointing at him and “flipping [him] a bird”), and came after Mr. Creasman, who was operating a yard truck. As Mr. Gasche approached, Mr. Creasman put the yard truck in reverse in an attempt to flee. Using the radio, he called for help and heard his supervisors respond and call off Mr. Gasche, who turned and left.

Mr. Creasman asserted he was afraid after the April incident, but he admitted that he did not hear what Mr. Gasche was yelling over the noise of the yard truck. He also admitted that Mr. Gasche did not make physical contact with him and stated there was no way that Mr. Gasche could catch him in the yard truck.

2 For his part, Mr. Gasche said he had returned from a delivery and parked his tractor in the yard. A co-worker informed him that Mr. Johnson wanted to see him. When Mr. Gasche spoke with Mr. Johnson, he learned that Mr. Creasman complained that Mr. Gasche was “instigating” other drivers to improperly park their trailers in the yard, causing Mr. Creasman more work. Mr. Gasche told Mr. Johnson that he parked his trailer in the same manner as the two drivers who arrived in the yard before him. Mr. Gasche indicated that Mr. Johnson agreed that he properly parked his trailer.

As he left the dock, Mr. Gasche saw Mr. Creasman in the yard and decided to speak with him in an attempt to clear the air. As he walked toward Mr. Creasman, Mr. Creasman smiled at him and “flipped [him] the bird.” Mr. Creasman then stated twice into the radio that Mr. Gasche was threatening him and backed the yard truck away. Mr. Gasche denied that he threatened or yelled at Mr. Gasche or that he used profanity or made obscene gestures.

Several co-workers witnessed the April incident. Barry Hayes confirmed Mr. Gasche’s version of the incident. Another supervisor, Michael Woods, stated that he heard Mr. Creasman yell over the radio, and immediately went outside, but he “did not find any evidence to support Mr. Creasman’s assertions that Mr. Gasche was either aggressive or threatening or abusive towards Mr. Creasman or any other employee.” Mr. Bible conducted an investigation after learning of the incident and testified, “[He] could not conclude that Mr. Gasche’s conduct was inappropriate, much less threatening.”

After the April incident, Mr. Creasman immediately called 9-1-1. Again, the police responded, took Mr. Creasman’s statement, and prepared a report without contacting or interviewing Mr. Gasche. After the police left, Mr. Creasman told Mr. Johnson that he could not finish his shift and left. He has not worked since that date.

Days later, Mr. Creasman notified USF Holland of his need for medical care and advised that he initiated treatment with Dr. Jose Malagon on April 10. Dr. Malagon determined that Mr. Creasman suffered from “PTSD, anxiety, and major depression from a work-related incident at his employer USF Holland.” Dr. Malagon took Mr. Creasman off work and recommended he see a psychiatrist or psychologist.

Based on Dr. Malagon’s recommendation, Mr. Creasman began treatment with a psychiatrist, Dr. C. Randall May. Dr. May responded to a questionnaire submitted by Mr. Creasman’s former attorney. He marked “yes” when asked whether the December 2017 incident and April 2018 incidents contributed more than fifty percent in causing Mr. Creasman’s mental injuries. He also placed Mr. Creasman off work through January 21, 2019.

' The November 6, 2018 off-work note stated, “To remain off work till 1/21/18.” The Court presumes Dr. May intended to write “1/21/19.” USF Holland sent Mr. Creasman to a neuropsychologist, Malcom Spica, PhD., for an independent neuropsychological examination. Dr. Spica interviewed Mr. Creasman and his wife, reviewed records from Drs. Malagon and May, and conducted various tests. Testing of mood symptoms resulted in findings consistent with symptom magnification. Additionally, Dr. Spica determined it was not credible that Mr.

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2019 TN WC 7, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/creasman-matthew-v-usf-holland-inc-tennworkcompcl-2019.