Dick v. Charter Marketing Co.

561 So. 2d 778, 1990 La. App. LEXIS 781, 1990 WL 42687
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 12, 1990
DocketNo. 89-CA-2165
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 561 So. 2d 778 (Dick v. Charter Marketing Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dick v. Charter Marketing Co., 561 So. 2d 778, 1990 La. App. LEXIS 781, 1990 WL 42687 (La. Ct. App. 1990).

Opinion

BYRNES, Judge.

Plaintiff, Velma Dick, sued her former employer, Charter Marketing Company, seeking to recover worker compensation benefits and medical expenses for injuries sustained in the course and scope of her employment. The trial court rendered judgment in favor of the defendant, dismissing the plaintiffs suit and the plaintiff filed this appeal. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.

The plaintiff, a forty-two year old female, was employed by the defendant for a period of six or seven months prior to her accident. The defendant’s place of business is a gas station which sells food products. The plaintiff worked five to six days per week for eight hours a day. Her duties consisted of waiting on customers; sweeping, mopping and cleaning; stocking shelves; lifting cases of food and drink weighing 15-20 pounds each; lifting cases of oil weighing 50-75 lbs each and inspecting gasoline tanks. The tanks subject to the plaintiffs inspection were located above ground at a height of 20-25 feet.

On the date in question, September 21, 1982, plaintiff had mopped and cleaned the station, locked the front of the station, and shut the gas pumps off before she proceeded to the vicinity of the gas tanks in order to check them. She climbed the stairs adjacent to the tanks in order to check them. She fell and injured her back. She was initially taken to Port Sulphur General Hospital where whe was treated and released. She thereafter went to West Jefferson Hospital where she was fitted for a lumbar support and given muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatory medication.

She was treated by Dr. Robert Fleming, an orthopedic surgeon, for a period of two years following the accident. During this time she was admitted to the hospital for treatment seven times and she underwent two surgical procedures. Dr. Fleming diagnosed Ms. Dick as having a lumbar sprain. There was asymmetry of the nerve root at L4-5 and bulging of the disc at L3 & 4.

The plaintiff was last seen by Dr. Fleming on April 12, 1988. She was suffering low back pain which radiated into both legs. She had abnormal mobility of the L3-L4. She also had traumatic arthritis of that area. Dr. Fleming recommended a fusion of L3-S1, however this operative procedure was predicated upon the plaintiff losing fifty pounds. She was instructed not to engage in repetitive lifting in excess of five pounds and she was prohibited from lifting any weight in excess of twenty-five pounds. She could engage in occasional bending and squatting but she should not bend from the waist. She was also instructed not to engage in repetitive bending, squatting, lifting, stooping nor climbing. Dr. Fleming found that the plaintiff had a 20% whole body permanent physical impairment. He stated that there was no need for an orthopedic follow up. It was Dr. Fleming’s opinion that if the plaintiff lost weight she would be able to live with her problems. He also felt that she could manage any pain with over the counter analgesics.

Plaintiff filed suit to recover worker’s compensation benefits for total and permanent disability. The parties to this action stipulated that the accident occurred on September 20, 1982 and that Ms. Dick’s injuries occurred while she was engaged in the course and scope of her employment. It was also stipulated that plaintiff had an average weekly wage of $142.00 and that her compensation rate was $94.67 per week. She received compensation benefits from September 21, 1982 through April 6, 1987 totalling $22,436.79.

In her first assignment of error, plaintiff contends that the trial court erred in refusing to order compensation benefits to be paid beyond August, 1987 for the full period of 450 weeks.

The trial court found the plaintiff to be suffering from permanent partial disability. In refusing to award additional compensation benefits the court reasoned as follows:

⅜? ⅝ ⅜ # ⅜
Clearly because of the nature of her injury the plaintiff is permanently partially disabled under the Workerman’s Com[781]*781pensation Law. However, to be entitled to receive weekly compensation benefits an injured employee must prove:
1. That the injury produced a partial permanent disability and
2. That the employee is partially disabled from performing the duties he was customarily engaged in at the time of the injury or duties of the same or similar character, nature, or description for which he was fitted by education, training, and experience; and
3. That the employer is earning a wage which is less than the wage he earned at the time of the injury.
Only after each of the foregoing are answered in the affirmative can the court then determine the amount of compensation due. The court finds that the plaintiff failed to meet the third requirement of the test, that is the plaintiff earned a wage greater than her wages at the time of her injury. The Court finds that through August 1987 the plaintiff earned a wage in excess of her weekly wage at the time of her injury, September 21, 1982.
For the foregoing reasons, Judgment will be entered dismissing plaintiffs suit at her costs.

The Louisiana Worker’s Compensation Act as it existed at the time of plaintiffs injuries is controlling. Dragon v. Orleans Parish School Board, 347 So.2d 306 (La.App. 4th Cir.1977).

Prior to 1983, Louisiana Revised Statute, Title 23 Section 1221 read, in pertinent part:

Sec. 1221. Temporary, permanent, or partial disability; schedule of payments “Compensation shall be paid under this Chapter in accordance with the following schedule of payments:
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Related

Newman v. Louise S. Davis Development Center
598 So. 2d 1208 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1992)
Dick v. Charter Marketing Co.
567 So. 2d 1123 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1990)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
561 So. 2d 778, 1990 La. App. LEXIS 781, 1990 WL 42687, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dick-v-charter-marketing-co-lactapp-1990.