McElhaney v. Belden Corp.

376 So. 2d 539, 1979 La. App. LEXIS 3143
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedOctober 10, 1979
Docket7141
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 376 So. 2d 539 (McElhaney v. Belden Corp.) 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
McElhaney v. Belden Corp., 376 So. 2d 539, 1979 La. App. LEXIS 3143 (La. Ct. App. 1979).

Opinion

376 So.2d 539 (1979)

Franklin David McELHANEY, Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
BELDEN CORPORATION, Defendant-Appellee.

No. 7141.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

October 10, 1979.

*540 Fuhrer & Flournoy, George A. Flournoy, Alexandria, for plaintiff-appellant.

Gaharan & Wilson, Joseph Wilson and Paul Boudreaux Jr., Jena, for defendant-appellee.

Before GUIDRY, FORET and SWIFT, JJ.

GUIDRY, Judge.

In this workmen's compensation action, plaintiff, Franklin D. McElhaney, brought suit seeking to recover medical travel expenses and additional disability benefits, allegedly attributable to a work-related knee injury, from his former employer, Belden Corporation, the defendant herein. Plaintiff also seeks to recover penalties and attorney's fees. The trial court rendered judgment in favor of defendant, rejecting plaintiff's demand. From this judgment, plaintiff has appealed.

FACTS

Appellant's claim is the result of an injury to his right knee sustained on February 19, 1976, while working for the Jena Wire and Cable Company, a division of Belden Corporation. Plaintiff was employed as a wire stranding operator and was still in his training phase when he accidently struck his right knee on a steel pallet. From the impact to the knee, plaintiff suffered an *541 osteochondritis dissecans, which is a fragmentation of the femoral condyle just above the knee joint.

After the injury, plaintiff was under the care and treatment of an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. John T. Weiss, until his release on November 11, 1976. During this period plaintiff underwent surgery and a program of physical therapy attempting to rehabilitate his injured knee.

Upon the recommendation of Dr. Weiss, plaintiff attempted to return to his work as a wire stranding operator in the first week of November, 1976. However, due to the substantial bending, squatting, and lifting required by his job, plaintiff had to discontinue working after seven days because of the increasing pain and discomfort in the right knee.

Plaintiff was next seen by Dr. Weiss on November 11, 1976. Presumably, following this examination Dr. Weiss concluded that plaintiff had received maximum medical improvement, for he was discharged with the recommendation that he seek a lighter type of work or vocational rehabilitation. Plaintiff was last seen by Dr. Weiss on March 3, 1977 for purpose of re-evaluation. This evaluation revealed plaintiff's condition to be unchanged from that of November 11, 1976 and Dr. Weiss made no recommendations at that time different from those made in November. In the latter connection Dr. Weiss testified as follows:

"Well it was my impression that on any squatting he still had some discomfort, and the answer to your question would have to be on the basis of how much could he tolerate some discomfort how many times a day—wouldn't it? Plus the fact that probably all this would also increase his chances of traumatic arthritis in over-usage. Oh I would say that if he had to squat two or three times a day it probably wouldn't make much difference I mean but I think if he starts squatting maybe once every hour, I think it would be giving him troubles, however, I would —as I went back further in this report and recommended to the man that he go to Vocational Rehab or change jobs because of the potential problem with traumatic arthritis in the future—I would still say that." (Tr. pg. 41)

Plaintiff was also seen, for purpose of evaluation only, by Dr. J. C. Passman. Dr. Passman, who saw plaintiff at defendant's request, was of the opinion that at the time of his examination, i. e., December 2, 1976, plaintiff had made maximum medical improvement and remained with a 25% permanent-partial disability of the right knee. Although Dr. Passman opined that plaintiff could return to work he acknowledged that plaintiff might develop a degenerative arthritis in the knee with the additional possibility of a "loose body in the future".

The above summarizes all of the medical evidence adduced at trial.

Plaintiff did not return to work for Belden Corporation and thereafter moved to Indiana. After alternating between unemployment and part-time jobs, on September 5, 1978, plaintiff found full-time employment as a shoe salesman, and at the time of trial was earning the federal minimum hourly wage rate.[1]

Before trial, plaintiff's medical expenses in the amount of $2,949.25 were paid by defendant. Defendant-appellee also had paid weekly compensation benefits in the amount of $63.66 per week for a period of 124 weeks, the payments totaling $7,902.95. Upon the alleged receipt of a negative medical report, i. e., that plaintiff could return to work, all compensation benefits to plaintiff were terminated by defendant on August 1, 1978. The alleged medical report is the supposed result of a re-evaluative physical examination of plaintiff. The examination was performed in Chicago by a *542 Dr. Dyer sometime in 1978 prior to August 1, at the behest of defendant.

Plaintiff filed suit September 7, 1978 to recover his expenses incurred travelling by car to the Chicago examination, a round trip of 210 miles; workmen's compensation for total and permanent disability; and, statutory penalties and attorney's fees. In his petition, although plaintiff alleged that his earnings at time of accident were such that 662/3% of his average weekly wage would entitle him to receive compensation in the amount of $63.66 per week, at trial he introduced evidence tending to show that his average weekly earnings at time of injury were such that his proper compensation rate was $78.67 per week. This evidence was initially objected to by defendant, however, the objection was not pursued and the evidence was admitted thus enlarging the pleadings. After trial on the merits, the trial court concluded that proper computation of plaintiff's average weekly wage at time of injury entitled him to compensation at the rate of $63.44 per week (a sum less than that paid weekly); that plaintiff had been paid weekly benefits exceeding that which was due; and, that he was entitled to no further relief.

On appeal plaintiff makes the following assignments of error:

(1) The district court erred in determining that plaintiff was not partially disabled under LSA-R.S. 23:1221(3).

(2) The district court erred in not computing plaintiff's wages on an hourly basis in accordance with LSA-R.S. 23:1021(7)(a).

(3) The district court erred in not awarding penalties and attorney's fees.

DISABILITY DETERMINATION

The occurrence of the accident and injury in the course and scope of a covered employment is not disputed. The conflict relates to the sufficiency of amounts previously paid and whether additional benefits are due.

Disability compensation payments are made in accordance with the provisions of LSA-R.S. 23:1221 et seq. LSA-R.S. 23:1221 provides a schedule of compensation based on statutorily defined disabilities. The classification of disability is necessary for an appropriate award under the statute.

Plaintiff contends that during the period from February 19, 1976 to August 1, 1978 he was totally disabled within the purview of LSA-R.S. 23:1221(1) and subsequent to the latter date he remains partially disabled and is entitled to further payments in accord with the provisions of LSA-R.S. 23:1221(3). Defendant does not dispute that plaintiff was totally disabled during the period for which compensation was paid but argues that his disability did not extend beyond August 1, 1978. Alternatively he argues the applicability of LSA-R.S.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
376 So. 2d 539, 1979 La. App. LEXIS 3143, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcelhaney-v-belden-corp-lactapp-1979.