Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Allied Systems, Inc.

36 F. Supp. 2d 515, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1818
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. New York
DecidedFebruary 19, 1999
Docket1:97-cv-01396
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 36 F. Supp. 2d 515 (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Allied Systems, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Allied Systems, Inc., 36 F. Supp. 2d 515, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1818 (N.D.N.Y. 1999).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM — DECISION & ORDER

McAVOY, Chief Judge.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) commenced the instant litigation against Allied Systems, Ltd. (“Allied”) claiming violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), 42 U.S.C. § 12101, et seq. Presently before the Court is Allied’s motion for summary judgment pursuant to FED. R. CIV. P. 56 seeking dismissal of the Complaint in its entirety.

I. BACKGROUND

Because this is a motion for summary judgment by Allied, the following facts are presented in the light most favorable to the EEOC. See Ertman v. United States, 165 F.3d 204, 205 (2d Cir.1999).

Allied is a trucking company in the business of transporting automobiles. Allied employs approximately 10,000 employees at about 100 terminals. Joseph Eissing (“Eiss-ing”) began working for Allied as a car hauler at the Selkirk, New York terminal in April 1990.

A car hauler position requires loading and unloading vehicles onto and off the trailer portion of a car carrier. According to the job description, drivers are required to: (1) pass the Department of Transportation (“DOT”) physical and comply with DOT regulations 1 ; (2) load and unload automobiles from both dock and truck skids 2 weighing up to seventy-five pounds; (3) have the agility to climb to heights of 12 to 13 feet and be able to climb into and out of autos at this height, including from inside the trailer; (4) drive up to 10 hours and be on duty up to 15 hours; (5) be able to lift up to seventy-five pounds from a crouching position and exert up to seventy-five pound of pressure in tying down autos; (6) have better-than-average eye-hand coordination to operate hydraulic lifts; and (7) work in all types of weather and temperatures. On average, an Allied car hauler in Selkirk will load, deliver and unload ten vehicles per day. Typically, a car hauler spends approximately 65% of the day driving and 35% of the day loading and unloading vehicles.

In April 1988, Eissing was involved in a head-on collision in which he sustained injuries to his back, neck and elbows. Eissing’s personal physician, Dr. James Striker (“Dr.Striker”), diagnosed Eissing with a mild concussion and a cervical strain. Dr. Striker concluded that Eissing was totally disabled from working as a car hauler.

As a result of the accident, Eissing commenced a tort, action in Supreme Court, Albany County. In that action, Eissing alleged that he suffered injuries that rendered him unable to work as a car hauler for the remainder of his normal life expectancy. In support of his claim for future lost wages, Eissing offered the testimony of Dr. Dominic J. Belmonte (“Dr.Belmonte”), Allied’s company doctor. Dr. Belmonte stated that, in his medical opinion, Eissing would never work again as a car hauler because of the injuries he sustained from the 1988 accident. Eissing was unable to work for various periods of *518 time because of the injuries he sustained in the accident.

In April 1990, Eissing went to Dr. Bel-monte to obtain a DOT Medical Examiner’s Certificate (“DOTMEC”). After a thorough examination, Dr. Belmonte issued a DOT-MEC, which, by operation of law, expired after two years. See 49 C.F.R. § 391.45(b)(1). In April 1991, Eissing went to Dr. Striker to obtain a release to return to work. Drs. Striker and Belmonte released Eissing to return to work. Thus, on April 5, 1991, Eissing returned to work as a car hauler for Allied.

In June 1991, Eissing re-injured his neck while untying a vehicle. Dr. Belmonte diagnosed Eissing with a cervical strain and a herniated cervical disk. Eissing’s neck began to feel better after a while, but he re-injured it while doing yard work at his home. For several years following the 1991 injuries, Eissing was treated and examined by Drs. Striker and Belmonte. Both doctors concluded that Eissing was disabled from his position as a ear hauler and would remain so on a permanent basis.

On or about June 1,1993, Eissing presented a note from Dr. Striker to James Lauda, manager of Allied’s Selkirk terminal, stating that Eissing could return to work as a car hauler if Allied provided him with aluminum skids and a high back lumbar support. According to Dr. Striker, though Eissing could perform the functions of the job without these items, they would be helpful and would make Eissing more comfortable in performing his job. At this time, Allied already was using the lightest aluminum skids available that were consistent with its business needs.

In response, Lauda referred Eissing to Dr. Belmonte for a “fitness for duty” examination and a DOT physical. 3 Dr. Belmonte examined Eissing on June 3, 1993 and concluded that:

[i]t is my medical opinion, on the basis of the history and clinical examination, as well as the volume of medical records compiled over the past two years, that Mr. Joseph Eissing persists with underlying pathology to his neck and back secondary to his injuries in 1988 and 1991. He is relatively asymptomatic at this time, although this is likely only a remission since the underlying pathology is unchanged. Given his current clinical examination, and with the knowledge of his underlying pathology, I would at this time be unable to release Mr. Eissing to return to full and unrestricted work in his usual capacity as a Car Hauler for Allied Systems.

Belmonte opined that Eissing undergo physical therapy and, upon completion, a physical trial to re-evaluate his ability to return to work.

Eissing went to physical therapy. The physical therapy records reveal that Eissing was fully capable of performing all the functions of a car hauler. The physical therapist reported that Eissing’s “physical abilities matched the description of Car Hauler”, but that “[d]ue to patient’s given diagnosis and previous history I would continue to agree with [the restrictions of using lightweight aluminum skids and a high back lumbar support].” Dr. Belmonte sought clarification of the physical therapy report. The physical therapist responded that “[i]t is generally not advisable for someone with this condition to return to an occupation that involves vibratory stress, but if Mr. Eissing and his doctors have no objection to him returning to work I certainly would not try to second guess their expertise.”

Upon review of the physical therapy records and Eissing’s prior history, Dr. Bel-monte concluded that he was “unable to release Mr. Eissing to return to work in his usual capacity for Allied Systems at this time without significant restrictions which would essentially preclude the performance of some mandatory functions of his position.”

On July 13, 1993, Eissing again presented a note from Dr. Striker to Lauda stating that Eissing could return to work without any restrictions or accommodations. Because of the conflict between Drs.

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Bluebook (online)
36 F. Supp. 2d 515, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1818, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/equal-employment-opportunity-commission-v-allied-systems-inc-nynd-1999.