Hackney, Rachel v. Integrity Staffing Solutions, Inc.

2016 TN WC 132
CourtTennessee Court of Workers' Compensation Claims
DecidedMay 31, 2016
Docket2015-01-0091
StatusPublished

This text of 2016 TN WC 132 (Hackney, Rachel v. Integrity Staffing Solutions, 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
Hackney, Rachel v. Integrity Staffing Solutions, Inc., 2016 TN WC 132 (Tenn. Super. Ct. 2016).

Opinion

FILED M ay 31 , 2016

1N COURI OF WORKERS ' CO IPI NSATIO N CLAIMS

Tinte: 12:65 Pl\I

TENNESSEE BUREAU OF WORKERS' COMPENSATION IN THE COURT OF WORKERS' COMPENSATION CLAIMS AT CHATTANOOGA

Rachel Hackney ) Docket No.: 2015-01-0091 Employee, ) ) State File No.: 9736 2016 v. ) ) Judge Audrey A. Headrick Integrity Staffing Solutions, Inc. ) Employer. )

EXPEDITED HEARING ORDER DENYING REQUESTED BENEFITS

This matter came before the Court on May 6, 20 16, on a Request for Expedited Hearing filed by the employee, Rachel Hackney, pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated section 50-6-239 (2015). The central legal issue is whether Ms. Hackney is likely to prevail at a hearing on the merits in proving entitlement to temporary partial disability and medical benefits. For the reasons set forth below, the Court finds Ms. Hackney is not entitled to medical or temporary partial disability benefits. 1

History of Claim

Ms. Hackney is a thirty-six-year-old resident of Catoosa County, Georgia. She worked for Integrity, a temporary staffing agency. Ms. Hackney allegedly suffered a left wrist injury on December 27, 2015, while working as a loader on the shipping dock at Amazon. Her shift was 6:00p.m. to 6:00a.m. Integrity stipulated to compensability for purposes of the expedited hearing.

Immediately after reporting her injury to her team leader, Josh Case, Ms. Hackney walked to Amcare, Amazon's on-site medical clinic. 2 (Ex. 1.) Ms. Hackney testified she 1 A complete listing of the technical record and exhibits is attached to this Order as an appendix. 2 Amazon employs Amcare personnel, who are first responders.

1 completed an Associate First Report of Injury form at Amcare. (Ex. 11.) She completed the form entirely in her own handwriting. Ms. Hackney also marked that she declined first aid. !d. When asked if outside medical treatment was offered, Ms. Hackney marked "yes." !d. She wrote that a "panel" was the type of outside medical treatment offered. !d. When asked if she declined outside medical treatment, Ms. Hackney marked "yes." !d. Above her signature, the form states that "[t]he information given is true and correct." !d.

Ms. Hackney testified she did not refuse the first aid offered to her, icing and ibuprofen. She also stated she only declined ambulance transportation and further testified she did not receive a panel of physicians until December 30, 2015. Although Ms. Hackney testified she personally completed the Associate First Report of Injury form, she stated that a female who worked for Amcare assisted her with the bottom portion of the form.

After leaving Amcare, Ms. Hackney went to her car during her lunch break. When she returned to work, she stated she went to the Integrity desk and said she was hurting and needed to go see a doctor. 3 Ms. Hackney stated the Integrity desk informed her she did not have to report to Amcare, so she signed herself out. However, the Amcare records reflect that Ms. Hackney "returned to Amcare shortly after initial treatment and stated that the pain was unbearable, and that she was leaving to go to the ER. [Ms. Hackney] was referred to Integrity." (Ex. 1.)

Ms. Hackney stated the Integrity desk provided her with contact information for Joe Holland, Safety Manager for Integrity. Ms. Hackney stated she did not contact Mr. Holland before going to Parkridge hospital. Instead, she gave his contact information to personnel at Parkridge. At Parkridge, she had several x-rays taken of her left wrist, which were normal. (Ex. 3.) The medical provider diagnosed Ms. Hackney with a wrist sprain and prescribed Ibuprofen and Ultram. !d. The medical provider took her off work from December 28, 2015 through December 29, 2015. 4 !d.

Mr. Holland testified he first received notice that Ms. Hackney sought emergency room treatment at approximately 1:00 a.m. on December 28, 2015, when a desk clerk from Parkridge called him. 5 The clerk informed him Ms. Hackney was present in the emergency room, asked if he would authorize treatment and asked if he wanted Parkridge to conduct a drug screen. Mr. Holland responded he had no knowledge an associate had requested treatment, and he did not authorize a drug screen or any treatment. When he 3 The Integrity desk is a question and answer kiosk at Amazon for Integrity employees. 4 Since Ms. Hackney worked the night shift, it was December 28, 2015, when she went to Parkridge. /d. 5 Mr. Holland's testimony regarding the telephone call he received from Parkridge was not admitted for the truth of the matter asserted. The Court overruled the objection pursuant to Rule 803(3) of the Tennessee Rules of Evidence to explain Mr. Holland's subsequent conduct.

2 asked if he could speak to Ms. Hackney, the desk clerk advised she was already being treated. Mr. Holland testified his management team notifies him if an associate advises that she is leaving due to pain or is going to the doctor or hospital due to an injury. The associate can also contact him directly. Further, Mr. Holland stated that an Integrity manager contacts him if an employee indicates to Integrity management that medical treatment is needed.

Mr. Holland stated Ms. Hackney called him around 3:00 a.m. on December 28, 2015, stating she went to the emergency room and was told he did not authorize the visit. He told her she needed to meet him and select a provider from a panel. Mr. Holland also told her she could submit the Parkridge medical records, and he would submit them to workers' compensation for review.

Ms. Hackney did not meet with Mr. Holland on December 28, 2015, so he called her later that day and left a voice message. On December 29, 2015, Mr. Holland spoke with Ms. Hackney. She agreed to meet him on December 30, 2015. Ms. Hackney confirmed she received several calls from Mr. Holland about meeting him at Amazon to discuss a panel.

On December 30, 2015, Ms. Hackney selected Workforce Corporate Health from a panel and saw Dr. Jayant Eldurkar the next day. (Ex. 12.) He diagnosed a left wrist contusion and released her to return to work with restrictions of no climbing ladders, no lifting more than twenty pounds, and lifting no more than twenty pounds fifty percent of the time. !d.

Mr. Holland testified that Amazon performed a job safety analysis based upon the restrictions. He offered Ms. Hackney a position in "flat sort" that was consistent with her restrictions. The position required her to tum packages upright for scanning and put them on a conveyor belt. Ms. Hackney stated the job required repetition and asserted she was "not allowed" to do repetitive work. During the hearing, Ms. Hackney stated she believed she could now perform the sorting job by using one hand after receiving an injection the prior day.

After working a short time in flat sort, Ms. Hackney contacted Mr. Holloway stating it was difficult for her to do the job due to pain in her wrist. She testified Amazon's policy prevented her from taking pain medication at work. Due to Ms. Hackney's complaints, Mr. Holloway scheduled her to go to Workforce on January 5, 2016. Dr. Eldurkar ordered an MRI of her left wrist and increased her restrictions to no climbing, no pushing with left arm, and no lifting above ten pounds. Mr. Holloway stated there were no on-site jobs for her to do. However, he stated Integrity places employees with restrictions in Amazon's recruiting office/opportunity center. The employees are paid forty hours per week for all clocked-in hours, which includes travel time to and from doctors' appointments.

3 Mr. Holloway met with Ms. Hackney on January 7, 2016, to provide her with a Transitional Work Offer Letter. (Ex. 6.) The letter stated the position was available that day at the opportunity center. !d. Mr. Holloway told Ms.

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Bluebook (online)
2016 TN WC 132, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hackney-rachel-v-integrity-staffing-solutions-inc-tennworkcompcl-2016.