McCarty Farms, Inc. v. Kelly

811 So. 2d 250, 2001 WL 19748
CourtCourt of Appeals of Mississippi
DecidedJanuary 9, 2001
Docket2000-WC-00166-COA
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 811 So. 2d 250 (McCarty Farms, Inc. v. Kelly) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McCarty Farms, Inc. v. Kelly, 811 So. 2d 250, 2001 WL 19748 (Mich. Ct. App. 2001).

Opinion

811 So.2d 250 (2001)

McCARTY FARMS, INC., a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Tyson Foods, Inc., Self Insured, Appellant,
v.
Ruby KELLY, Appellee.

No. 2000-WC-00166-COA.

Court of Appeals of Mississippi.

January 9, 2001.

*252 Daniel M. Baker, Jackson, Chandra Thrash Lee, Attorney for Appellant.

John Hunter Stevens, Jackson, Attorney for Appellee.

EN BANC.

BRIDGES, J., for the Court:

¶ 1. This is a workers' compensation appeal from the Circuit Court of Warren County, Honorable Isadore W. Patrick, Jr. presiding. This case was originally heard by Administrative Judge Lott, who found Ruby Kelly sustained a 100% industrial loss to her right arm while in the course and scope of her employment. The administrative judge also found Kelly was temporarily totally disabled during the periods she was off work from April 10, 1995 to June 1, 1997, and that Kelly was entitled to permanent partial disability benefits for 200 weeks beginning June 1, 1997. McCarty filed a motion to reopen and vacate the order, and a second evidentiary hearing was held. The administrative judge entered an amended order which contained the same holdings as the previous order. McCarty appealed to the Full Commission citing error in the administrative judge's finding of 100% industrial disability to Kelly's right arm. Kelly responded by denying McCarty's claims and cross-appealed claiming the administrative judge erred in not awarding permanent total disability benefits for 450 weeks. The Full Commission affirmed the findings of the administrative judge, and McCarty appealed while Kelly cross-appealed to the circuit court. The Circuit Court of Warren County affirmed the holding of the Full Commission and McCarty comes now with these issues:

1. THE FINDING OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE, THE FULL COMMISSION, AND THE CIRCUIT COURT THAT THE CLAIMANT SUFFERED A 100% INDUSTRIAL LOSS OF USE OF HER RIGHT ARM IS NOT BASED UPON SUBSTANTIAL CREDIBLE EVIDENCE.

2. THE FINDING OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE, THE FULL COMMISSION, AND THE CIRCUIT COURT CONCERNING INDUSTRIAL LOSS OF USE CONTAINED ERROR IN FAILING TO GIVE PROPER WEIGHT TO EVIDENCE REGARDING AVAILABILITY OF JOBS, ABILITY TO DO WORK, AND THE EFFORTS TO RETURN CLAIMANT TO WORK.

3. THE CLAIMANT'S ARGUMENT THAT THE INJURY SHE SUSTAINED HAS LEFT HER TOTALLY PERMANENTLY DISABLED HAS NO EVIDENTIARY SUPPORT.

Finding no error, we affirm.

STATEMENT OF THE FACTS

¶ 2. Ruby Kelly worked for McCarty Farms from 1988 until 1997, when she resigned due to her injuries. She began work at McCarty as a meat sorter but was later promoted to the position of lead person. She was injured on April 10, 1995 when, while carrying a load of meat, she tore her rotator cuff. She testified that her job as lead person often required a great deal of lifting, including carrying around forty pound pails of meat. McCarty Farms claims the job of lead person is to delegate jobs and there should be no lifting involved, but the testimony of David Strong, Kelly's supervisor, stated they expected their lead people to do some lifting. McCarty claims Kelly should have delegated *253 the lifting of heavy boxes to other employees.

¶ 3. After reporting to the company nurse, Kelly was referred to Dr. Vohra on April 17, 1995. Dr. Vohra gave Kelly a MRI and discovered she had a torn rotator cuff. Kelly returned to work but soon began rehab after the injury occurred. Kelly continued to experience pain in her shoulder while working and was eventually asked to step down as a lead person.

¶ 4. On February 29, 1996, surgery was performed on Kelly's shoulder by Dr. Geissler. Kelly returned to work in April as a meat tester. However, Kelly then experienced swelling in her arms causing Dr. Geissler to recommend she cease working for three months. Dr. Geissler assigned Kelly a maximum improvement date of August 1, 1996, and on August 7, 1996, assigned her a ten percent permanent partial impairment rating. He also set certain weight limits Kelly should not lift with her arm.

¶ 5. Kelly returned to work and served in several jobs such as water drippings checker, shipping and receiving, and inventory and control. Kelly continued to have problems with her arm, and after a visit to Dr. Field, it was discovered Kelly had a bone spur. A second surgery was performed. Dr. Field assigned a maximum medical improvement date of June 1, 1997, and placed further lifting restrictions on her. After this surgery, Kelly went back to work at McCarty in the personnel department. She continued to have problems with her right arm and eventually resigned due to these problems.

¶ 6. Kelly testified that despite these problems she has continued to look for work, and stated in her testimony five places where she claims to have applied for jobs. Kelly has not worked since she quit McCarty Farms.

¶ 7. McCarty claims several of the places Kelly listed as places where she has attempted to find work have never heard of her and have no record of Kelly seeking employment. In addition, McCarty claims David Strong warned Kelly several times about lifting the pails of meat, informed Kelly that lifting was not a part of the job of leader person, and told Kelly to call on other workers to do such work.

DISCUSSION OF THE LAW

STANDARD OF PROOF

¶ 8. In looking at the proper standard to apply in this case, it is important to remember that the Workers' Compensation Commission is the ultimate finder of fact, and upon review this Court will apply a general deferential standard of review. Smith v. Jackson Constr. Co., 607 So.2d 1119, 1123 (Miss.1992). The findings of the Commission will only be reversed where the findings are clearly erroneous and contrary to the overwhelming weight of the evidence. Alumax Extrusions v. Wright, 737 So.2d 416 (¶ 8) (Miss.1998); Nettles v. Gulf City Fisheries, Inc., 629 So.2d 554, 557 (Miss.1993). If there is substantial evidence supporting the findings of the commission, than this Court will not disturb those findings. Piggly Wiggly v. Houston, 464 So.2d 510, 512 (Miss.1985).

ANALYSIS

1. THE FINDING OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE, THE FULL COMMISSION, AND THE CIRCUIT COURT THAT THE CLAIMANT SUFFERED A 100% INDUSTRIAL LOSS OF USE OF HER RIGHT ARM IS NOT BASED UPON SUBSTANTIAL CREDIBLE EVIDENCE.

¶ 9. In raising this issue, McCarty claims there was not enough evidence presented *254 to the administrative judge, Full Commission, and circuit court to uphold a finding of 100% industrial loss to Kelly's right arm. McCarty maintains the only loss or impairment to Kelly's shoulder supported by substantial evidence is the 10% impairment rating given to Kelly's shoulder by Dr. Geissler and the 6% impairment rating given to her shoulder by Dr. Fields. McCarty also contends Kelly may be able to prove some medical impairment, but she cannot prove a complete loss of wage earning capacity due to that medical impairment. In claiming this, McCarty cites the fact Kelly quit work at McCarty before she had reached maximum medical improvement and since then she has not worked. We do not find these arguments convincing.

¶ 10. In the McGowan case, the court set out the difference between industrial and functional loss. McGowan v. Orleans Furniture, Inc., 586 So.2d 163, 167 (Miss.1991). Functional disability relates to actual physical impairment while industrial disability is the functional disability as it affects claimant's ability to perform substantial acts required in his occupation. Id. at 166.

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Bluebook (online)
811 So. 2d 250, 2001 WL 19748, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mccarty-farms-inc-v-kelly-missctapp-2001.