Korolchuk v. Auto Truck Transport Corporation

CourtNorth Carolina Industrial Commission
DecidedJune 2, 2009
DocketI.C. NO. 600849.
StatusPublished

This text of Korolchuk v. Auto Truck Transport Corporation (Korolchuk v. Auto Truck Transport Corporation) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Carolina Industrial Commission primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Korolchuk v. Auto Truck Transport Corporation, (N.C. Super. Ct. 2009).

Opinion

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The undersigned have reviewed the prior Opinion and Award based upon the record of the proceedings before Deputy Commissioner Houser and the briefs and arguments of the parties. The appealing party has not shown good grounds to reconsider the evidence, receive further evidence, or rehear the parties. The Full Commission adopts the Opinion and Award of Deputy Commissioner Houser with minor modifications.

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The Full Commission finds as a fact and concludes as matters of law the following, which were entered into by the parties as:

STIPULATIONS
1. Plaintiff sustained an injury by accident arising out of and in the course of his employment with defendant-employer by way of a motor vehicle accident on 4 March 2006. *Page 2

2. Plaintiff's average weekly wage and corresponding compensation rate are in dispute.

3. Due to confusion caused by the manner in which exhibits had been marked prior to the hearing, a new and comprehensive paginated packet of exhibits was submitted subsequent to the hearing before the deputy commissioner is admitted into the record, marked as Stipulated Exhibit (1) and includes the following:

a. A Prehearing/Pre-Trial Agreement (5 pages);

b. Exhibits Attached to the Prehearing Agreement (564 pages); (NOTE: The "Exhibits Attached to the Prehearing Agreement" was supplemented after the comprehensive paginated packet of exhibits was submitted and admitted into the record by Order filed on 17 June 2008. That Order, a signed proposed Order submitted by plaintiff, indicates that with the supplemental documents, the "Exhibits Attached to the Prehearing Agreement would have 601 pages. However, the supplemental documents brought the page total to 564.)

c. North Carolina Department of Transportation Job Description (7 pages);

d. Earnings Report for Plaintiff (2 pages);

e. Indemnity Payouts (Medical Cost Summary) (2 pages);

f. Defendants' Response to Plaintiff's Motion to Compel Emergency Medical Treatment and Production of Documents and Extended Time to Answer Interrogatories (6 pages);

*Page 3

g. Letters Addressed to Jerald Welch dates 8 December 2006, 14 December 2006, 5 March 2007, 6 March 2007 and 25 January 2007 and letter addressed to Daniel B. Eller dated 14 June 2007 (14 pages);

h. Defendants' Response to Plaintiff's First Set of Interrogatories (17 pages), and;

i. Plaintiff's Response to Defendants' First Set of Interrogatories (141 pages).

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Based upon all the competent evidence from the record, the Full Commission finds as follows:

FINDINGS OF FACT
1. On all relevant dates, the parties were subject to and bound by the provisions of the North Carolina Workers' Compensation Act.

2. The Industrial Commission has jurisdiction of the parties and subject matter of this claim.

3. As of the hearing date before the deputy commissioner, plaintiff was fifty (50) years of age with his date of birth being 6 September 1956. Plaintiff is from Ukraine, has lived in the United States for eighteen (18) years, and became a United States Citizen six years ago. Plaintiff's native language is Ukranian, but he does speak English. 4. After immigrating to the United States, plaintiff first worked in various full-time and part-time jobs. After 1993, plaintiff worked for several trucking companies as a driver. 5. On 14 July 2004, plaintiff began working for defendant-employer as a driver. Defendant-employer is a transportation company that delivers new truck cabs. As a driver for *Page 4 defendant-employer, plaintiff drove and delivered piggy-backed new truck cabs. At the delivery site, plaintiff would unhook the break hoses and light wires and move and reinstall axles using wheel blocks and an oil catch container. In performing his duties, plaintiff used a pneumatic or hand powered wrench to remove lug nuts and axle hub covers. Also as part of his duties, plaintiff would lower a cab to the ground using a crane or manually using a chain or electric hoist or a wrecker truck. Plaintiff then cleaned up the truck and traveled home or to defendant-employer's terminal. Plaintiff traveled to various destinations by means of employer-provided transportation, including air and ground transportation. Additionally, plaintiff maintained daily logs in compliance with federal regulations. The physical requirements of plaintiff's job included pulling and lifting up to one hundred and fifty (150) pounds.

6. On 31 March 2005, plaintiff was examined by John Levis, PA, for complaints of discomfort in his anterior chest, between his shoulders and in his right flank area. Plaintiff was diagnosed at that time with myalgia. On 7 April 2005, plaintiff returned to John Levis, PA with similar symptoms and was diagnosed as having a pulmonary nodule.

7. On 4 March 2006, plaintiff was a passenger in the front seat of a van provided by defendant-employer traveling from the Charlotte airport to defendant-employer's facility. The driver of the van fell asleep while traveling at approximately sixty-five miles per hour, resulting in the van running off the highway to the left, striking multiple trees in the median. At the time of the accident, plaintiff was wearing a seat belt and was holding a briefcase in his lap. Upon impact, plaintiff was thrown towards the dashboard and his briefcase was pushed up into his abdomen.

8. Following the accident, plaintiff was transported to the Lake Norman Regional Medical Center Emergency Room. X-rays revealed no fractures. Plaintiff was diagnosed as *Page 5 having a contusion to his abdomen and a neck sprain or strain. Plaintiff was prescribed pain medications and discharged with the instruction to seek additional treatment if needed.

9. Later on 4 March 2006, plaintiff returned to the Lake Norman Regional Medical Center and reported experiencing increased pain in his abdomen, lightheadedness, and dizziness. After additional x-rays were taken, plaintiff was discharged, medically excused from work for one day and was assigned light duty work restrictions for the following four days.

10. On 6 March 2006, plaintiff went to defendant-employer's facility and completed an injury report documenting the injuries to his abdomen and neck. The Terminal Manager's Injury Report also noted numbness in plaintiff's left side, neck and stomach pain, and bruising.

11. Also on 6 March 2006, plaintiff sought additional treatment from John Levis, PA, who diagnosed plaintiff with a contusion to the lower abdomen and medically excused plaintiff from work through 9 March 2006. An abdominal CT scan on 15 March 2006 revealed no hydronephrosis (distension of the kidney), no collapsed lungs, and mild levescoliosis of the lumbar spine.

12. On 10 May 2006, plaintiff underwent an evaluation sought by defendants from Dr. Carl Foulks, a gastroenterologist. An upper endoscopy with biopsy showed a small hiatial hernia, mild gastritis, and a benign biopsy. Dr. Foulks opined that plaintiff's symptoms were the result of an abdominal wall strain. On 30 May 2006, plaintiff reported decreased abdominal pain to Dr. Foulks.

13. On 19 May 2006, plaintiff returned to John Levis, PA and reported experiencing pain in his back and under his left ribs as well as difficulty breathing. On 1 June 2006, reported to John Levis, PA that he was experiencing mid-right flank pain and had blood in his urine.

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Related

Troutman v. White & Simpson, Inc.
464 S.E.2d 481 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 1995)

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Bluebook (online)
Korolchuk v. Auto Truck Transport Corporation, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/korolchuk-v-auto-truck-transport-corporation-ncworkcompcom-2009.