Daniels, Cathy v. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc.

2015 TN WC 19
CourtTennessee Court of Workers' Compensation Claims
DecidedFebruary 25, 2015
Docket2014-01-0046
StatusPublished

This text of 2015 TN WC 19 (Daniels, Cathy v. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, 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
Daniels, Cathy v. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc., 2015 TN WC 19 (Tenn. Super. Ct. 2015).

Opinion

FILED Febru ary 25, 201 5

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COURT OF WORKERS' COMPENSATION CLAIMS DIVISION OF WORKERS' COMPENSATION

EMPLOYEE: Cathy Daniels DOCKET#: 2014-01-0046

EMPLOYER: Cracker Barrel Old STATE FILE#: 84767-2014 Country Store, Inc.

ADMINISTRATOR: CCMSI DATE OF INJURY: October 6, 2014

EXPEDITED HEARING ORDER

THIS CAUSE came before the undersigned Workers' Compensation Judge upon the Request for Expedited Hearing which Employee, Cathy Daniels, filed pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated section 50-6-239(d), to determine if the provision of medical and temporary disability benefits is appropriate. Ms. Daniels filed the Request on January 2, 2015.

The undersigned Workers' Compensation Judge conducted an in-person Expedited Hearing on January 23, 2015. Attorney Carmen Ware represented Ms. Daniels. Attorney Catheryne Grant represented the Employer, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. (Cracker Barrel), and its workers' compensation administrator, CCMSI. Considering the positions of the parties, the applicable law, the testimony of witnesses in open court, the exhibits admitted into evidence during the hearing, and the entire record, the Court finds that Ms. Daniels is entitled to additional medical benefits, but, at this time, is not entitled to the requested temporary disability benefits.

ANALYSIS

Issues

1. Whether Ms. Daniels is entitled to additional medical benefits.

2. Whether Ms. Daniels is entitled to temporary disability benefits.

1 Evidence Submitted

The following witnesses testified in person:

• Cathy Daniels; • Charles L. Daniels; • Bobby Kenneth Bales; • Jonathan Russell; and • Jim Morrison.

The Court received into evidence the following exhibits:

• Exhibit 1-Workers' Compensation Injury Assessment Form signed by Dr. Shannon McCallie (1 page); • Exhibit 2-Records of Fast Access Healthcare (2 pages); • Exhibit 3-Records ofPhysician's Care, P. C. (21 pages); • Exhibit 4-Chattanooga Outpatient Center MRI report (1 page); • Exhibit 5-CCMSI Recorded Claims Statement of Cathy Daniels (16 pages), introduced for identification purposes only; • Exhibit 6---Workers' Compensation Injury Assessment Questionnaire signed by Devin Martin and Dr. Kristopher Brent Meadows (1 page); • Exhibit ?-Causation letter, with attached exhibits, signed by Dr. Kristopher Brent Meadows (51 pages); • Exhibit 8-Affidavit ofTiffani Parton (2 pages); • Exhibit 9-Affidavit of Alisha Dean, with attached exhibits (4 pages); • Exhibit 10--Notice of Denial of Claim for Compensation (Form C-23) (1 page); and • Exhibit 11-Wage Statement (Form C-41) (1 page).

The Court designated the following as the technical record:

• Petition for Benefit Determination; • Dispute Certification Notice; • Request for Expedited Hearing; • Motion to Continue Expedited Hearing; and • Motion to Determine Admissibility of Dr. Meadows' Opinion.

The Court did not consider documents attached to the above-designated unless admitted into evidence during the Expedited Hearing. The Court considered factual statements in the above filings as allegations unless established by the evidence.

History of Claim

Ms. Daniels is a server at the Cracker Barrel restaurant in East Ridge, Tennessee. Before

2 her work day began on October 6, 2014, Ms. Daniels experienced pain in both her knees. The pain worsened as she worked her shift. Approximately one hour before her shift ended, Ms. Daniels decided to ask off early because her knees hurt.

Ms. Daniels walked to the store office and approached the desk where Cracker Barrel's assistant manager, Jonathan Russell, sat. As she sat down in a chair to ask about leaving work early, Ms. Daniels twisted her right knee when her right foot became entangled with the chair leg. Ms. Daniels experienced severe right knee pain immediately upon coming to rest in the chair. Mr. Russell treated Ms. Daniels' knee with ice and called her husband to come to the store to transport her for medical care.

Mr. Russell offered Ms. Daniels a panel of physicians from which she selected Physician's Care, a walk-in clinic, for authorized treatment. On the same day, Ms. Daniels saw a physician's assistant (PA) at Physician's Care who suggested that she treat her right knee with ice and Ibuprofen, stay off her feet, and keep her right leg elevated (Ex. 3, p. 16). The PA placed restrictions on Ms. Daniels' activities, including her ability to stand and walk. Cracker Barrel did not accommodate these restrictions. A week later, a nurse practitioner at Physician's Care ordered physical therapy, which Cracker Barrel authorized (Ex. 3, p. 13).

Ms. Daniels returned to Physician's Care on a weekly basis until November 13, 2014. During this period, Ms. Daniels saw a physician on only one occasion, October 24, 2014 (Ex. 3, p. 9). PA Devin Martin ordered an MRI which was performed on November 8, 2014 (Ex. 3, p. 5; Ex. 4). The MRI revealed degenerative changes in Ms. Daniels' right knee, as well as a complex tear of the right medial meniscus encompassing both the posterior horn and the meniscal body (Ex. 4). On Ms. Daniels' last visit to Physician's Care, PA Martin referred her to an orthopedic surgeon and removed all restrictions except avoiding prolonged walking and standing (Ex. 3, pp. 2, 4).

On December 10, 2014, Cracker Barrel denied Ms. Daniels' claim, alleging that the condition in her right knee is personal and not work-related (Ex. 10). Cracker Barrel did not pay any temporary disability benefits, nor did it authorize the orthopedic referral made by PA Martin.

Employee's Contentions

Ms. Daniels admits that she experienced non-disabling pain in her knees prior to October 6, 2014. Ms. Daniels asserts, however, that she never missed work due to knee pain prior to October 6, 2014. Ms. Daniels claims that she tore the medial meniscus in her right knee when she twisted her knee at work on October 6, 2014. Ms. Daniels insists that it is the pain from the torn meniscus that currently disables her.

Ms. Daniels asks that the Court order Cracker Barrel to provide a panel of orthopedic surgeons as prescribed by the authorized treating practitioner at Physician's Care. She also asks that Cracker Barrel pay temporary disability benefits from the date of injury until the date she either returns to work, is released to return to work without restrictions, or attains maximum medical improvement from her work-related right knee injury.

3 In response to Cracker Barrel's argwnent that causation cannot be established by the opinion of a P A, Ms. Daniels contends that Cracker Barrel placed Physician's Care on its panel and should not be permitted to object to the admissibility of an opinion given by any practitioner who treated her at Physician's Care. Ms. Daniels also contends that, when Dr. Meadows signed the PA's causation report, he adopted as his own the causation opinion stated in the report. Lastly, Ms. Daniels asserts that the statement Dr. Meadows gave Cracker Barrel is inadmissible because Cracker Barrel asked him to consider false or unproven information in formulating his opm10n.

Employer's Contentions

Cracker Barrel contends that Ms. Daniels did not establish that her right knee injury arose primarily out of and in the course and scope of her employment. From a factual standpoint, Cracker Barrel argues that Ms. Daniels' claim fails because:

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2015 TN WC 19, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/daniels-cathy-v-cracker-barrel-old-country-store-inc-tennworkcompcl-2015.