Flunder v. Indus. Comm., Unpublished Decision (12-12-2006)

2006 Ohio 6635
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 12, 2006
DocketNo. 05AP-1057.
StatusUnpublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 2006 Ohio 6635 (Flunder v. Indus. Comm., Unpublished Decision (12-12-2006)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Flunder v. Indus. Comm., Unpublished Decision (12-12-2006), 2006 Ohio 6635 (Ohio Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

DECISION {¶ 1} In this original action, relator, Anthony R. Flunder, requests a writ of mandamus ordering respondent Industrial Commission of Ohio ("commission") to vacate its January 6, 2005 order denying his application for temporary total disability ("TTD") compensation.

{¶ 2} On August 31, 2004, relator sustained an industrial injury while employed by respondent, Textileather Corporation ("Textileather"), a self-insured employer. Relator slipped in some oil and fell, injuring his back, right shoulder and neck. Textileather accepted the claim, which was recognized by the commission for "lumbar sprain; neck sprain; right shoulder sprain," and assigned number 04-862387.

{¶ 3} On the same day as the accident, relator sought treatment at the emergency room of Bay Park Community Hospital where Kenneth L. Mapes, M.D., evaluated relator's condition and diagnosed lumbar and right shoulder strain. Relator was given pain medication, released and told "to take 4 Advil, rest, ice, [and take] off work for two days." Dr. Mapes also instructed relator to follow-up with Brian F. Hoeflinger, M.D., at Occu-Health.1

{¶ 4} On September 1, 2004, relator went to Occupational Care Consultants where he saw Dr. Thomas Lieser. Dr. Lieser diagnosed relator with recurrent lumbar strain, cervical strain and shoulder strain. However, Dr. Lieser did clear relator to return to work with restrictions beginning the same day. Specifically, Dr. Tom Lieser released relator to work with the limitations that he could not be required to bend, do any overhead work or lift more than ten pounds. The doctor also noted that relator was scheduled to see Dr. Hoeflinger "later this month." There is no indication in the record that relator kept that appointment.

{¶ 5} On the same day, Textileather found a temporary transitional duty job assignment for relator — inspecting paper for tears. The offer indicated that relator would receive his regular wages while on transitional duty and that the transfer was effective immediately. A Textileather supervisor called relator to inform him of the offer. According to the supervisor's notes, relator verbally refused the offer. Relator received the same offer in written form on September 7, 2004, via certified mail. He did not respond to the offer.

{¶ 6} On September 8, 2004, relator saw his regular physician, Dr. Frank Abbati. After the examination, Dr. Abbati noted that relator was experiencing pain and loss of motion in his shoulder and lower back. In the section of his notes labeled "Plan," Dr. Abbati indicated that relator was "off work" and renewed his prescription for pain medication. Dr. Abbati continued to treat relator over the next several months, seeing him on September 24, October 1, and November 19, 2004.2 Dr. Abbati's treatment notes contained no instructions or limitations regarding relator's ability to work.

{¶ 7} After the November 19, 2004 examination, relator filed a request for TTD compensation for his allowed conditions. A C-84 form completed the same day by Dr. Abbati supported relator's application. On the C-84, Dr. Abbati indicated that relator was both unable to return to his former position of employment and unable to return to any other employment, including light duty or alternative assignments. Dr. Abbati certified TTD beginning August 31, 2004 and lasting through an approximated return-to-work date of December 27, 2004.

{¶ 8} On November 23, 2004, a district hearing officer ("DHO") considered relator's application for TTD compensation. Given the evidence on record, the DHO found that relator was released to work with restrictions on September 1, 2004, and was offered a job within the parameters of those medical restrictions, which he refused. Thus, the DHO denied relator's application.

{¶ 9} Relator appealed, and a staff hearing officer ("SHO") heard the matter on January 6, 2005. The SHO cited two pieces of evidence supporting relator's application for TTD compensation: the report of relator's trip to the emergency room on August 31, 2004, and Dr. Abatti's November 19, 2004 C-84 form. The SHO acknowledged that Textileather twice offered relator light-duty work matching the restrictions denoted by Dr. Lieser's September 1, 2004 examination, both of which were refused. The SHO expressed understanding of relator's desire to see his prior physician before responding to Textileather's offer. Still, with no other work restrictions or prohibitions reported by any other physician of record, the SHO concluded that relator's failure to respond to the offer of light-duty work precluded his entitlement to TTD compensation. Thus, the SHO also denied relator's request for disability compensation. The commission refused relator's subsequent administrative appeal, rendering the SHO's decision final.

{¶ 10} On November 17, 2005, relator filed this mandamus action seeking to have the commission's order vacated and an order granting TTD compensation from September 1, through December 7, 2004 issued. Pursuant to Civ.R. 53 and Loc.R. 12(M) of the Tenth District Court of Appeals, the matter was referred to a magistrate. On April 28, 2006, the magistrate issued her decision, including findings of fact and conclusions of law. (Attached as Appendix A.) Therein, the magistrate found that the commission failed to address the issue presented and analyzed relator's motion for TTD compensation using the wrong standard. Specifically, the magistrate determined that the parties' arguments — and the commission's conclusions — addressed the termination of already granted TTD benefits rather than the pertinent question of whether relator was entitled to such compensation at the outset.

{¶ 11} Accordingly, the magistrate found that the commission had abused its discretion by failing to determine relator's initial right to the sought compensation. Thus, the magistrate recommended that the court issue a writ of mandamus ordering the commission to vacate its previous determination and to reconsider relator's request for TTD compensation based upon whether he presented sufficient evidence to establish entitlement to compensation for the given period of time.

{¶ 12} The commission filed timely objections to the magistrate's decision. The commission submits that the magistrate erred in finding that the commission abused its discretion or failed to answer the threshold question of whether relator was entitled to TTD compensation. The commission further contends that it is not error to deny TTD compensation where the injured worker refuses a written job offer of suitable employment. As such, the commission requests that we reject the magistrate's recommendation and deny relator's requested writ of mandamus.

{¶ 13} The payment of TTD compensation, and the question of whether an injured worker is entitled to TTD compensation as a result of a work-related injury, is governed by R.C. 4123.56. While not specifically defined within the statute, the Supreme Court of Ohio has construed the term "temporary total disability" as a "disability which prevents a worker from returning to his former position of employment." State exrel. Ramirez v. Indus. Comm. (1982), 69 Ohio St.2d 630, syllabus. TheRamirez court extracted this definition from the language of R.C.4123.56, which then read:

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Related

State ex rel. Flunder v. Indus. Comm.
861 N.E.2d 818 (Ohio Supreme Court, 2007)

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Bluebook (online)
2006 Ohio 6635, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/flunder-v-indus-comm-unpublished-decision-12-12-2006-ohioctapp-2006.