K-Mart v. Turner

799 So. 2d 594, 2001 WL 1161275
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedOctober 3, 2001
DocketNo. 01-0315
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 799 So. 2d 594 (K-Mart v. Turner) 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
K-Mart v. Turner, 799 So. 2d 594, 2001 WL 1161275 (La. Ct. App. 2001).

Opinion

SAUNDERS, Judge.

K-Mart appeals a judgment denying the reclassification of Lena Turner’s disability status and denying the entitlement to a credit for overpayment of benefits. The Worker’s Compensation Judge determined that she was temporarily totally disabled and denied any credits for K-Mart. On appeal, we affirm the ruling of the Worker’s Compensation Judge in favor of Lena Turner.

FACTS

Lena Turner obtained a high school education. Upon completing her high school education, she worked as a barmaid. Later, she attended SOWELA Tech to obtain a hospital ward secretary’s certificate. Then, she began working at K-Mart in July, 1979.

On December 9, 1988, Lena Turner was injured at K-Mart while in the course and scope of employment. Ms. Turner, a cashier, injured her back when she lifted a bag of cat litter to put it into a shopping cart. As a result of the incident, she sustained back injuries. She continued to work at K-Mart until September, 1990, when the pain became too intense for working. Later, Ms. Turner had two back surgeries, one by Dr. Bernauer in 1991 and the other by Dr. Foster in 1993. She received medical treatment from 1988 continuing through the time of the trial.

K-Mart has paid Ms. Turner’s temporary total disability benefits and medical expenses; however, K-Mart has refused to authorize and pay for an EMG/nerve conduction study which has been repeatedly recommended by physicians. Although Ms. Turner has continued to receive benefits, K-Mart sent her to a rehabilitation expert who testified that there were things that she could do in the work force. However, Ms. Turner has not returned to work and has experienced pain daily. Ms. | ¿Turner has helped her mother, who has a house cleaning business, to clean houses since about 1998. Although her mother has helped her financially by paying some of her monthly bills, she has earned no money for cleaning the houses. Thus, the worker’s compensation judge determined that the housecleaning did not constitute employment. She has not been employed since she left K-Mart in 1990.

PROCEDURAL FACTS

On May 25, 1999, K-Mart filed a disputed claim form with the Office of Worker’s Compensation. K-Mart listed the bona fide dispute as follows: “causation, with [596]*596respect to current disability; entitlement to further medical of necessity of same; disability status; entitlement to offset or credit pursuant to §§ 1223 and/ or 1225.” On July 12, 1999, Lena Turner filed a dispute with the Office of Worker’s Compensation claiming “medical treatment (procedure/prescription) EMG of left arm and left leg recommended by Dr. Kevin Gorin; Dr. Dale Bernauer not authorized.” Both claims were consolidated for trial.

After the trial, a judgment was rendered in favor of Lena Turner. The court found that she was entitled to temporary total disability benefits and that the “odd-lot doctrine” applied to this case. Further, the court concluded that she was injured during the course and scope of her employment, and she experiences pain daily. In addition, the court rejected K-Mart’s entitlement to credit for benefits for periods of time where she helped her mother clean house and for benefits received by Social Security. Finally, the court found that K-Mart had no reasonable basis to deny Ms. Turner’s EMG testing, and found them hable to Ms. Turner for attorney’s fees in the amount of $3,500.00. From that judgment, K-Mart has taken the instant appeal.

\oLAW AND ANALYSIS

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR

On appeal, K-Mart asserts the following assignments of error: (1) The lower court erred in finding the claimant to be entitled to temporary total disability benefits, rather than supplemental earnings benefits or permanent total disability benefits; and (2) The lower court erred in failing to apply credit due to the claimant’s receipt of social security disability benefits or apply a reverse offset based upon a finding that the claimant was permanently and totally disabled.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

The issue of disability is a factual determination. Fritz v. Home Furniture-Lafayette, 95-1705 (La.App. 3 Cir. 7/24/96); 677 So.2d 1132, 1134; Creel v. Concordia Electric Cooperative, Inc., 95-914 (La.App. 3 Cir. 1/31/96); 670 So.2d 406; writ denied, 96-0577 (La.4/19/96); 671 So.2d 923. Factual findings of a hearing officer may not be disturbed by an appellate court unless the factual findings are manifestly erroneous or clearly wrong. Fritz v. Home Furniture-Lafayette, 677 So.2d at 1134; Comeaux v. Sam Broussard Trucking, 94-1631 (La.App. 3 Cir. 5/31/95); 657 So.2d 449. In order for an appellate court to set aside a hearing officer’s factual finding, the appellate court must conclude from the record, viewed in its entirety, that a reasonable factual basis did not exist for the hearing officer’s finding and that this finding is clearly wrong. Guidry v. Picadilly Cafeterias, Inc., 95-12 (La.App. 3 Cir. 5/24/95); 657 So.2d 325, writ denied, 95-1601 (La.9/29/95); 660 So.2d 870.

Further, in determining the issues presented on appeal, this court is cognizant of the principals established in Pinkins v. Cardinal Wholesale Supply, Inc., 619 So.2d 52 (La.1993). In Pinkins, the supreme court stated, “[i]t is well established that this state has long recognized the workers’ compensation act is remedial in nature. In order to effectuate the humane policies it reflects,, the law is to be liberally construed in favor of the injured employee.” Id. at 55.

DISABILITY STATUS

Peivnanent Total Disability

L.S.A.-R.S.23:1221 (2)(C), as it existed at the time of the accident, mandated that an award for permanent total disability could only be made when the claimant is neither employed nor self-employed, and where he:

[597]*597[P]roves by clear and convincing evidence, unaided by any presumption of disability, that [he] is physically unable to engage in any employment or self-employment, regardless of the nature or character of the employment or self-employment, including, but not limited to, any and all odd-lot employment, sheltered employment, or employment while working in any pain, notwithstanding the location or availability of any such employment or self employment.

Previously, we have held that a permanent total disability must be permanent and not just for an indefinite period. Guillory v. City of Lake Charles, 614 So.2d 165 (La.App. 3 Cir.), writ denied, 616 So.2d 700 (La.1993); Brown v. Knost Roofing Corp., 566 So.2d 1024 (La.App. 3 Cir.1990). Further, we have previously held a claimant is not entitled to permanent total benefits where his treating physicians did not rule out future improvements or recovery. Withers v. Timber Products, Inc. 574 So.2d 1291 (La.App. 3 Cir.), writ denied, 580 So.2d 378 (La.1991).

Temporary Total Disability

La.R.S. 23:1221(1), as it existed at the time of the accident, defined “temporary | ¿total” disability as one preventing the injured party from being able to:

[EJngage in any self-employment or gainful occupation for wages whether or not the same or a similar occupation as that in which the employee was customarily engaged when injured and whether or not an occupation for which the employee at the time of injury was particularly fitted by reason of education, training, or experience ...

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799 So. 2d 594, 2001 WL 1161275, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/k-mart-v-turner-lactapp-2001.